On July 1, South Carolina will implement a significant restructuring of its Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). This change marks the culmination of efforts to streamline and enhance the state’s environmental and public health services by splitting SCDHEC into two distinct entities: the Department of Behavioral and Public Health and the Department of Environmental Services.

The new Department of Environmental Services will be responsible for all environmental regulatory functions previously managed by SCDHEC, including the issuance of permits and enforcement of environmental regulations. By focusing exclusively on environmental issues, the department aims to improve efficiency and regulatory oversight.

Many potential improvements come from having a designated environmental office. With an agency solely dedicated to environmental issues, South Carolina can ensure a more focused and specialized approach to environmental management. This specialization is expected to lead to greater efficiency in handling environmental permits, monitoring compliance, and enforcing regulations​. Furthermore, a dedicated environmental department can better manage and allocate resources to address specific environmental challenges. This focused resource management is crucial for dealing with complex issues such as water quality, air pollution, and land use more effectively​. Perhaps the largest gauge of a state office’s success is money. While the initial cost of restructuring is significant, $60 million, the long-term savings are anticipated to come from improved operational efficiencies.

By creating the Department of Environmental Services, South Carolina takes a significant step towards enhancing its capacity to protect and manage its natural resources more effectively. The focused expertise, improved efficiency, enhanced regulatory oversight, and potential cost savings highlight the value of this dedicated environmental office.

The restructuring of SCDHEC comes at a large expense. Sixty million dollars have been designated in the restructuring. This involves establishing new administrative frameworks for both new departments, which includes the cost of creating and staffing new offices, as well as the reorganization of existing staff and resources​​. Of course, initial operational costs to set up the new department is great. Procurement of necessary equipment, software, and other tools required for day-to-day operations​ . The budget also covers the costs associated with hiring new employees and reallocating current staff members to their respective new departments. This also includes training programs to ensure staff are equipped to handle their new roles and responsibilities​​. Funds will be used to develop new facilities and upgrade existing infrastructure to support the operational needs of the new departments. This includes office spaces, IT systems, signage and other necessary physical resources​.

To ensure a smooth transition of the new organizational structure, South Carolina must spend a lot of money. However, the end game is to enhance the state’s ability to protect and manage its environmental resources more effectively.

A designated environmental office in South Carolina, sets the stage for the state to be more efficient and save costs over time through several mechanisms. For certain, the combined office currently employs experts. Thus, the new designated office may not create an influx of experts; however, the single focus within the department allows for a more concentrated discussion. In other words, the separation of environmental and public health functions allows for a more streamlined organizational structure, reducing the complexity of management and oversight. This can eliminate redundancies and improve the clarity of roles and responsibilities within the department​. Perhaps, to establish a well-defined organizational structure with clear lines of authority and responsibility enables the possibility to intensely focus on environmental management, such as water quality, air quality, and land use​.

Pulling environmental services out from the shadows of health should establish stronger performance metrics to regularly evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the department's operations. Continuous monitoring and assessment can help in identifying areas for improvement and implementing necessary changes​.

The establishment of the Department of Environmental Services in South Carolina aims to streamline operations, enhance regulatory compliance, and improve resource allocation, which can lead to long-term cost savings. To focus on specialized environmental oversight, the new department can operate more efficiently as they become more singular in messaging as they educate and communicate with the public.

Additionally, better resource management is achieved through targeted allocation, improved data systems, and enhanced public engagement. This allows the department to prioritize key environmental areas, collaborate effectively with other agencies, and incorporate community input into decision-making processes, ensuring that resources are utilized optimally and environmental outcomes are improved​.

The new DES should be better positioned to enforce existing regulations by concentrating expertise and resources specifically on environmental issues. This focused approach allows for more thorough and consistent enforcement of laws, ensuring that violations are identified and addressed promptly. The specialized nature of the department means that staff can develop a deeper understanding of environmental regulations and the best practices for enforcing them, leading to more effective oversight and reduced non-compliance​.

Furthermore, the DES is expected to create more effective future processes and regulations through a proactive and data-driven approach. By utilizing integrated IT systems and robust data management practices, the department can monitor environmental indicators more accurately and respond to emerging issues with well-informed policies. This forward-thinking strategy enables the DES to anticipate future environmental challenges and develop regulations that are not only more effective but also adaptable to changing conditions. Enhanced monitoring and evaluation frameworks will allow for continuous improvement of regulatory processes, ensuring they remain relevant and effective​. Again, the environmental offices within SCDHEC was capable of such tasks; however, the combined office hindered processes at times.

The establishment of the DES also facilitates greater public involvement throughout the state. By increasing transparency and providing more opportunities for public notice, comments, and hearings, the department can engage communities in the regulatory process. This inclusive approach ensures that diverse perspectives are considered in environmental decision-making, leading to more comprehensive and widely supported outcomes. Enhanced public engagement also builds trust and accountability, encouraging community participation in environmental protection efforts and fostering a collaborative approach to managing the state's natural resources​.

Leadership for the new department will be crucial, with a director appointed by the Governor to oversee its operations and ensure cohesive policy implementation. This move is expected to enhance the state’s ability to protect natural resources and manage environmental compliance more effectively​​. Beginning July 1, Myra Reece will become the first Director of DES. Reece, who currently oversees the environmental affairs within DHEC, has been apart of DHEC for nearly thirty years. Oh, and wether you are a Tiger or Gamecock fan makes no difference, she has degrees from both institutions.

References

• SC Daily Gazette: Cost to split SC’s environmental health agencies tops $60M in upcoming budget.

• My Horry News: What to know as SC department splits next month.

• WLTZ: New public health agency SC.

• The State: Overview of SC Department of Environmental Services restructuring.

• Live 5 News: DHEC split into two new agencies next week.

• SC Statehouse: DHEC Restructuring Bill 4124.