It seems as if DHEC and EPA are defining Pickens County as dirty. Pickens County needs to expand its employment base. When searching for a new location for facilities, businesses look at pollution levels. If Pickens County is rated non-compliant they will not move here. For a number of years the ozone measuring device in Clemson has said the ozone concentration is too high. We were non-compliant. Just recently the measuring device in Clemson has read compliant. It could read non-compliant any day.

For years Pickens County officials have tried to get DHEC to move the measuring device to a more representative place in Pickens County. So far DHEC has refused.

The problems with the Clemson location are it is near where diesel trucks are refueled and near Lake Hartwell. Diesel fuel vapors and water vapors and sun light can create ozone. The Clemson location is not representative of Pickens County.

The EPA has threatened to lower the required ozone level to make Pickens County non-compliant.

This will take away Pickens County’s advantage over the northeast home to liberal politicians. This is the same EPA that is threatening to force “cap and trade” down the nation’s throat. One of the reasons DHEC exist is that the South Carolina government wanted local state officials regulating the environment.

DHEC has over the years gotten more bureaucratic.

They have proposed regulations that will place many small businesses out of business. For instance DHEC is trying to force certain businesses to install sprinkler system in decades old buildings. Not only would this cost hundreds of thousands of dollars but the water pressure and flow capacity does not exist at that business to support a sprinkler system. Listening to the candidates for Governor speak at a debate, all except one criticized DHEC for its anti-business decisions.

As an example of DHEC lack of common sense, two of the three dams on the Twelve Mile River are being removed to eliminate the PBC contamination. However the soil has been left on the side. This will result in the soil being washed down and continuing the PBC contamination problem.

Pickens County official are fighting this. Where are DHEC and EPA?

Businesses will not come to a contaminated Pickens County and we do not want to live with the contamination,

Personnel is policy. The leadership at DHEC and EPA need to be replaced. Just doing away with DHEC will mean EPA would regulate South Carolina directly.

We need leadership and modification of the laws and regulations that will both protect the environment and be pro-business.

We need to contact the Pickens County Delegation about correcting DHEC. The Delegation meeting is Monday Jan 11 at 5:30 PM at the Six Mile Baptist Church Fellowship Hall 150 N. Main Street Six Mile.

Weldon Clark

Liberty