March 2015 Planning and Progress

March
2015
Planning and Progress from the Coastal Conservation League

The Coastal Conservation League strives to protect the threatened resources of the South
Carolina coastal plainits natural landscapes, abundant wildlife, clean water, and quality of
lifeby working with citizens and government on proactive, comprehensive solutions to
environmental challenges. In existence since 1989, we have been working to accomplish this
goal through four main program areas: Land & Communities; Food & Agriculture; Air, Water, &
Public Health; and Energy.

Table of Contents

Land & Communities:
Charleston Area
Interstate 526 Extension .................................................................................................... 3
Cainhoy Plantation ............................................................................................................. 4
Cainhoy Community Transportation Plan (New Project) ................................................... 5
East Edisto ......................................................................................................................... 5
Charleston County Comprehensive Plan Five-Year Review ................................................ 6
Safe and Connected Bicycle and Pedestrian Access .......................................................... 7
South Coast Area
Form-Based Code for Beaufort County .............................................................................. 7
Rose Island PUD Amendment (New Project) ..................................................................... 8
RiverPort ............................................................................................................................ 9
North Coast Area
Southern Evacuation Lifeline (SELL) Resurrected ............................................................... 9
International Drive ........................................................................................................... 10
Pamplico Highway Widening (New Project) ..................................................................... 10
Statewide
Transportation Reform ..................................................................................................... 11
Maintaining DHEC Board Authority .................................................................................. 12
Comprehensive Ethics Reform ......................................................................................... 12
Fighting the Pollution Control Act .................................................................................... 13
Annexation Reform .......................................................................................................... 14
Conservation Bank ........................................................................................................... 14
Food & Agriculture:

Charleston Area
GrowFood Carolina .......................................................................................................... 16
Working Waterfronts (New Project) ................................................................................ 16
North Coast Area
Developing a Local Food System in the Pee Dee (New Project) ....................................... 17
Statewide
Wild & Foraged Mushrooms ............................................................................................ 17
South Carolina Food Deserts ............................................................................................ 18
Surface Water Withdrawal Regulations .......................................................................... 18
Voluntary Agriculture and Forestal Areas ....................................................................... 19
Industrial Hemp (New Project) ......................................................................................... 20

Air, Water, & Public Health:
Charleston Area
Unregulated Cruise Ships in Charleston ........................................................................... 21
Charleston Post 45 Harbor Deepening ............................................................................. 21
Captain Sams Spit ............................................................................................................. 22
Coastal Zone Management of Dorchester County ........................................................... 23
A Vision for Charleston: Priorities for the Next Administration (New Project) ................ 23
Mead Westvaco Wetlands Mitigation Proposals (New Project) ...................................... 24
South Coast Area
Cannonball Jellyfish Harvesting and Processing ............................................................... 25
North Coast Area
Bucksport Industrialized Marina on the Waccamaw River ............................................... 25
Statewide
Protecting our Shoreline ................................................................................................... 26

Energy:
North & South Coast
Offshore Oil & Gas Development ..................................................................................... 28
Georgetown Energy Efficiency Education Program .......................................................... 29
Statewide
Wind Energy in South Carolina ......................................................................................... 29
Advancing Solar Energy in South Carolina ........................................................................ 30
Environmental Protection Agency Clean Power Plan (111(d)) ........................................ 31
Electric Utility Resource Plans .......................................................................................... 31
Electric Utility Energy Efficiency Programs ....................................................................... 32
Net Metering and Interconnection Standards ................................................................. 33

Page 2
Land & Communities

Program Mission: The Coastal Conservation League advocates for land protection,
comprehensive planning and zoning, and efficient infrastructure that allow our states natural
resources to flourish and our communities to grow responsibly.
Interstate 526 Extension
Project Goal: The Conservation League seeks to
defeat the I-526 Extension and promote projects that
better fit regional transportation needs.
Recent Developments: In the two years since
Charleston County Council voted to move forward as
the project sponsor, the County, South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), and
the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SCTIB) have yet to agree on new terms
for the three-party intergovernmental agreement. The impasse is blamed on two major issues.
First, the initial $420 million price tag for the road has climbed to nearly $600 million (which has
not been approved by the Joint Bond Review Committee), while the SCTIB wants the County to
contribute an additional $33 million in road projects, on top of the $117 million already pledged
for state road improvements as a local match. No one wants to be on the hook for the
additional $180 million, nor be liable for the additional overrun costs and potential litigation
fees for the next decade. Second, SCDOT has reached its road maintenance capacity in
Charleston County and in order to take on maintenance of the I-526 Extension, the County must
agree to take on maintenance of 37 miles of state roads.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process remains incomplete and SCDOT
maintains that they are actively working to complete the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FEIS), which was anticipated for release in the spring of 2014. However, issues determining
proper mitigation for the project have held up the release of the FEISwhich is now anticipated
sometime in 2015. The Conservation League submitted a formal request to the Federal
Highway Association (FHWA) for a Reevaluation of the Draft EIS because FHWA regulations
require this analysis if the FEIS takes longer than three years to release. The Conservation
League is actively working with the SCDOT Commission, members of County Council, and other
public officials to determine if the funding pledged to I-526 can be shifted to higher priority
projects in Charleston County, such as improving I-26. Further, the Conservation League and the
Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) met with all agencies and organizations involved in
the project to encourage and maintain attention and scrutiny throughout the NEPA process.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to monitor and remain involved in all
permitting and regulatory decisions, including the NEPA process, wetland fill permits, water
quality certifications, and mitigation under the Clean Water Act.
Staff Contacts: Natalie Olson & Myles Maland
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/i-526-extension/
Myles Malands Op-Ed: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20141108/PC1002/141109432

Page 3
Cainhoy Plantation
Project Goal: Cainhoy Plantation is perhaps the single most
important piece of property under immediate threat of
development in coastal South Carolina. The plan to develop the
9,000-acre Cainhoy Plantation was announced in October 2013.
The Conservation League has actively engaged the City of
Charleston, the plantation owners, and the Cainhoy community
with the goal of incorporating conservation and sustainable
development practices into the projects plan, primarily focusing on preserving the habitat and
rural character of the northern portion of the site that is adjacent to the Francis Marion
National Forest.
Recent Developments: The plantation owners submitted their master plan and rezoning
applications to the City of Charleston, and in June, City Council made the final approval for the
rezoning consistent with that plan. In light of these approvals and fast track of the
development, the Conservation League submitted a formal request to the US Fish and Wildlife
Service for a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act review of
the proposed development.
The Berkeley County School District (BCSD) is moving forward with plans to construct a
new high school, new elementary/middle school, and an access road corridor on the southern
portion of the property. The Conservation League submitted a formal comment letter to the US
Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) regarding the wetland fill application for the schools and
access road, and the permit has yet to be issued. We are working with City staff and the
surrounding community to persuade BCSD to amend their plans to include a road connection
directly from the school to the adjacent neighborhood in order to alleviate traffic pressure on
Clements Ferry Road.
Meanwhile, the BP Chemical Plant, Cainhoys neighbor to the north, filed suit against
the Cainhoy Plantation owners and the City of Charleston on various grounds involving failure
to properly notice, material misrepresentation, and negotiations to purchase a land buffer. The
parties will undergo alternative dispute resolution in March, but it is still unclear whether a
settlement in the near future is conceivable. While the plantation owners view this litigation as
a roadblock to pass before discussing the future of the property, we see it as an opportunity to
find a conservation solution for all of the current disputes.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to work with the governmental agencies
enforcing environmental regulations to ensure that the appropriate information is evaluated
about the propertys current ecological value and the proposed development. Meanwhile, we
will continue our active pursuit of preserving the property. Staff will also remain actively
involved in any development plan approvals on the property.
Staff Contact: Natalie Olson
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/cainhoy-plantation/
Natalie Olsons Op-Ed:
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140830/PC1002/140839888/1021/bp-suit-signals-
need-to-reconsider-cainhoy-plan

Page 4
Cainhoy Community Transportation Plan (New Project)

Project Goal: The Conservation League strives to be
proactive and promote comprehensive and innovative
solutions to land use and transportation issues. In applying
this strategy to the Cainhoy region, we seek to promote
creation of a long-range traffic and transportation plan,
addressing the present and future transportation needs and
growth pressure while allowing the public to directly
contribute to the planning process.
Recent Developments: Conservation League staff met with leaders from the Wando, Huger,
and Cainhoy Village communities to outline ways to make the Cainhoy Community
Transportation Plan a reality. Discussing scope, funding, sponsors, and implementation, we
created a strategy and pitched the idea to City Planning Director Tim Keane and
Councilmember Gary White, who represents the Cainhoy peninsula in the City of Charleston.
Councilmember White presented the plan to Mayor Riley, who assigned two city staff members
to the project. Conservation League staff are also building support for this plan by helping
organize community involvement.
The planning of Phase I improvements of Clements Ferry, the main arterial road on the
Cainhoy peninsula, is already underway and funding has recently been secured for Phase II. If
these improvements go unchecked, we are likely to see the SCDOT Special, a four-lane
highway that destroys any semblance of community on Cainhoy. In an effort to avoid this
outcome, we helped draft and promote a petition to kick start the plan before more
development and road approvals are made. We are also supporting community efforts to meet
regularly and promote issues via a website and social media.
Next Steps: We will reconvene community leaders, Councilmember White, and city staff to
explore funding options and to create a timeline for this plan. We plan to meet with Berkeley
County staff and potentially Mount Pleasant and Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of
Governments (BCDCOG) representatives to look at partnership opportunities and alternative
forms of funding for planning and implementation. By utilizing community petitions, websites,
and meetings to channel enthusiasm and support, we hope to expedite the planning process.
Community Website: http://cainhoycitizens.com/

East Edisto
Project Goal: The East Edisto property, owned by various MeadWestvaco (MWV)-affiliated
entities, consists of approximately 72,000 acres of rural and ecologically valuable land in
Charleston and Dorchester Counties. MWVs Regional Master Plan for East Edisto pledges to
leave 75% of the area as rural countryside. MWV initially applied for approval to develop
32,000 acres in Charleston County and 48,000 acres in Dorchester County. While they are
moving forward with the 48,000 acres in Dorchester County, they have since reduced the
project area in Charleston County to approximately 14,000 acres, maintaining the remainder as
resource management land. We have worked extensively with MWV to ensure that they are
restricting densities on three-quarters of the total property acreage and to help them develop
Page 5
form-based codes for both counties, which will further lead to conservation of rural areas and
traditional neighborhood development of urban areas within the project boundaries.
Recent Developments: MWV has recorded private covenants, conditions, and restrictions
(CC&Rs) covering most of the East Edisto property located in Dorchester County and some of
the property in Charleston County. In addition to these CC&Rs, MWV has either rezoned or is in
the process of rezoning large portions of the East Edisto property. Essentially all of the
Dorchester County property subject to the CC&Rs was rezoned to a type of form-based code
and this zoning change was effectuated as part of a broader Development Agreement. MWV is
working on similar zoning changes and agreements with Charleston County for approximately
14,000 acres, which are still undergoing review by the Charleston County planning staff.
Funding from the Charleston County Greenbelt Program has been earmarked to purchase a
638-acre tract known as Spring Grove for Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission
(CCPRC), and is pending approval of MWVs Charleston County application. Through our
negotiations, MWV has agreed to permanently restrict development by using an endowed
conservancy to oversee and enforce the private density restrictions in the form of conservation
easements. MWV continues to assure us, as well as our conservation partners, that this project
will adhere to original sustainable development project goals with the majority of the land
under permanent development protections, and to that end has started recording our agreed-
upon density restriction amendments in both counties.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to work with MWV and the two counties to
ensure that this project adheres to original project goals of smart, sustainable development.
We will review all the amendments that MWV records in both counties, and help guide the
formation and operation of the endowed conservancy.
Staff Contact: Myles Maland

Charleston County Comprehensive Plan Five-Year Review
Project Goal: The Charleston County
Comprehensive Plan guides future land use and
infrastructure decisions in the region. With each
state-mandated update, the Conservation League seeks to be a vital participant in the process
by offering new information on protected or developed properties, critiquing proposed
development standards, and continuing to support the initial rural land use measures.
Recent Developments: The second five-year review by the Planning Commission was
completed in October 2013. Conservation League staff attended the initial public workshops in
June 2014 and met with the developers of one area that was proposed to move inside the
Urban Growth Boundary, as well as Charleston County Planning staff to review our comments.
We reached out to our members to inform them of the Comprehensive Plan review and
provided suggestions for areas on which to comment. We submitted a comment letter
reflecting both our support and concerns regarding the proposed revisions. At the eleventh
hour, County Council was asked to consider a significant move of the Urban Growth Boundary
on Johns Island to transfer over 500 acres of undeveloped land into the urban area of the
county. Rallying support from the public alongside the Johns Island Task Force and the Johns
Island Conservancy, the Conservation League spoke out against the proposed move and
Page 6
individually discussed the issue with Council membersleading to a unanimous vote to deny
the proposal and maintain the location of the Urban Growth Boundary on Johns Island. The
Charleston County Comprehensive Plan received final approval on January 6, 2015.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to maintain positive relationships with both
County and City of Charleston staff to ensure that this property owner, nor any others on Johns
Island, attempt to change land use designations, zoning, or municipal boundaries in order to
push development farther out into the rural area.

Safe and Connected Bicycle and Pedestrian Access
Project Goal: The Conservation League is working with
Charleston Moves, Palmetto Cycling Coalition, and other
partners on advocacy for safe and consistent connectivity
for bicyclists and pedestrians throughout Charleston
County. The initial goal is to achieve a safe crossing of the
Ashley River in Charleston. The Conservation League and
its partners are also evaluating enhanced connectivity as
well as revisions to state law that would allow local jurisdictions more control over access.
Recent Developments: Conservation League staff is still participating in the Peninsula Mobility
Study (via the updated Tourism Management Plan) and the Upper Peninsula Initiative,
continuing our work on mapping dangerous intersections on the peninsula, and using several
GoPro cameras daily on bike commutes to provide footage for a local bike documentary. In
addition, the Conservation League has been assessing the potential for a bike share program in
Charleston. We have assembled a stakeholder team of potential investors and partner groups, a
local bike share company, and City of Charleston and Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council
of Governments (BCDCOG) staff members.
Next Steps: A nationally-recognized and experienced consultant has completed a draft bike
share feasibility study and business plan for Charleston. After attending the National Bike
Summit in Washington, D.C. later this month, our stakeholder team will reconvene and review
the draft bike share report. The Conservation League and interested partners will determine
next steps, including a presentation to the City of Charlestons bike share committee.
Staff Contact: Katie Zimmerman
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/bicycleandpedestrianaccess
http://www.facebook.com/ReopenTheConnector

Form-Based Code for Beaufort County
Project Goal: The Conservation League promotes the creation, adoption, and implementation
of comprehensive regional planning codes to achieve more sustainable development and
redevelopment.
Recent Developments: After more than five years in the making and almost a decade after
being conceived, in December 2014, Beaufort County adopted the new form-based Beaufort
County Development Code. This replaces the former zoning ordinance and zoning maps, and
complements a similar smart growth code adopted last May by the Town of Port Royal.
Page 7
Significantly, the new codes do not allow any more

Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) since it is felt that
this new zoning makes such provisions unnecessary and
obsolete. The form-based codes are expected to create
more functional, walkable urban centers, while
protecting rural areas and reducing sprawl
development across northern Beaufort County.
Next Steps: To complete the full implementation of
this new multi-jurisdictional code, the City of Beaufort
still needs to adopt the zoning ordinance. The Conservation League will continue to encourage
the City to get this process underway.
Staff Contact: Reed Armstrong
http://www.islandpacket.com/2014/12/08/3476945/beaufort-county-council-to-take.html

Rose Island PUD Amendment (New Project)
Project Goal: The Conservation League seeks to
prevent inappropriate development and protect
small islands.
Recent Developments: Fourteen years ago, the
Town of Port Royal annexed and approved
development plans for the Rose Island properties,
which consist of two islands: one, approximately 98
acres, and the other (Little Rose), eight acres.
Rose Island is located across the Broad River from the town near Lemon and Spring Islands. The
Conservation League and Beaufort County lost legal challenges to the annexation. No
development has occurred on either island to date.
Recently the property owner requested to amend the 2000 agreement to allow higher
density on Little Rose, increasing density from one home site to five sites. We opposed this
additional density because of the fragility of marsh islands. These small islands are extremely
environmentally sensitive, provide important wildlife habitat, and any development on them
has an immediate and detrimental impact on water quality. In January, both the Metropolitan
Planning Commission and the Port Royal Town Council voted unanimously to deny the request
to increase the density, agreeing with arguments presented by the Conservation League.
Next Steps: Although not at the recently requested density, development of the island is still
permitted by the town. We will continue to monitor the activities on this property, and remain
vigilant in opposition of future annexations across the Broad River.
http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/26/3557752/port-royal-acts-to-protect-island.html

Page 8
RiverPort
Project Goal: RiverPort is a nearly 6,000-acre industrial,
residential, and commercial development along the
banks of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and
near the Savannah River, within the City of Hardeeville
and Jasper County. After languishing during the
economic downturn, developer Stratford Land restarted
the project. The wetlands permit has expired and
requires a new wetlands delineation and application for
wetlands fill. The Southern Environmental Law Center
(SELC) submitted an official comment letter on behalf of
the Conservation League, as well as Georgia partner
groups the Savannah Riverkeeper and One Hundred
Miles. The Conservation League will achieve the
greatest mitigation plan for this development which
could include: additions to the Savannah National
Wildlife Refuge; maximum buffers between Riverport
and the Refuge; additional strategic property acquisition
within the watershed; and high-quality transportation and land use plans within the
development.
Recent Developments: The Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) process restarted this
quarter. Beaufort County will be the lead agency during the EIS. Public Agency scoping meetings
will be completed and the new wetlands delineation should be completed before the release of
an EIS in four to six months.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will work with the Refuge manager, SELC, and other
public agencies to evaluate this proposal, as well as prepare the public to best participate in the
EIS comment period.
Staff Contact: Kate Schaefer

Southern Evacuation Lifeline (SELL) Resurrected
Project Goal: A bridge across the Waccamaw River, connecting Highway 17 east of the river
with 701 west of the river in southern Horry County, has been pitched to the public for the last
seven years as a new evacuation route for coastal residents. The reality is that SELL is a
developers road that will open up western Horry and Georgetown County to development and
will increase traffic, threatening the Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge.
Recent Developments: The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) completed
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) in 2008, but they had no money to complete
the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). In the 2014 legislative session, Senator Cleary
(R-Murrells Inlet) quietly inserted a $4 million budgetary proviso for SELL. At a recent
transportation meeting, SCDOT Commissioner Mike Wooten publically announced that money
was put aside for the SELL FEIS. Four million dollars is not enough to complete the FEIS, but it is
enough for SCDOT to restart the process while politicians look for more funding. The 2008 DEIS
proposed a preferred route that politicians have publically promised disgruntled citizens would
Page 9
change. Significant changes to the DEIS could force SCDOT to revise it or even start the process
over, significantly adding to the cost.
Next Steps: The Conservation League is reviewing all aspects of the proposed project and
monitoring funding sources in preparation to re-engage in saving the community from this
unneeded and environmentally damaging project.
Staff Contact: Nancy Cave

International Drive
Project Goal: International Drive is an approximately six-mile unimproved dirt road between
SC-90 and the Carolina Bays Parkway in Horry County that borders Lewis Ocean Bay, a
Department of Natural Resources Heritage Trust Preserve. Lewis Ocean Bay is home to black
bears, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers, and other threatened or endangered species. In 2013 Horry
County applied for a wetlands permit to impact 24 acres of wetlands to realign, widen, and
pave International Drive to a four-lane road built for speeds of 60 miles per hour. Horry County
officials want to improve International Drive as an alternative route for the rapidly expanding
Carolina Forest community that sits to the east.
Recent Developments: The Conservation League and the South Carolina Environmental Law
Project (SCELP), in our comments on the permit application, questioned the lack of alternatives,
the inadequate mitigation, and the absence of wildlife passages, which had been dropped from
the original engineering plans. Horry County responded to the permit comments with several
revisions, which the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) distributed for further comment.
Next Steps: The Conservation League and SCELP recently submitted a second round of
comments on the revised permit application, again asking for wildlife passages and questioning
the appropriateness of the new proposed mitigation site. We will review the Corps permit
decision before deciding if litigation is necessary or if we can reach a settlement that will
protect the wildlife and buffer Lewis Ocean Bay.

Pamplico Highway Widening (New Project)
Project Goal: The Conservation League seeks to prevent the unnecessary and costly widening of
a rural two-lane road, south of the City of Florence, to five lanes.
Recent Developments: The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), on behalf of
Florence County, has applied for a permit to impact eight acres of wetlands and 2,981 linear
feet of streams to widen 24 miles of the rural two-lane Pamplico Highway between Claussen
Road and Highway 378. The stated purpose is to maintain the area as, one of the best highway
freight networks in South Carolina. The proposed $151 million project would be funded by the
Countys one-cent sales tax and the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SCTIB).
This project is politically driven and demonstrates the need for SCTIB projects to be prioritized
using Act 114 standards and a cost/benefit analysis. The Conservation League, individuals, and
other organizations recently submitted comments on the permit application, questioning the
project purpose, lack of alternatives, and whether the project is in the public interest.
Next Steps: We have asked the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to hold a public hearing on
the project and suggested that they require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). We will
Page 10
be following the Corps response as we work to build broader opposition to the project.

Transportation Reform
Project Goal: The Conservation League continues
its work to protect and enhance the prioritization and
accountability requirements in Act 114 of 2007. To
accomplish this, we seek to require cost/benefit analyses
on all highway projects, extend or make permanent the
gubernatorial appointment of the Secretary of
Transportation, and require that all South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank (SCTIB)
projects be prioritized according to Act 114 standards. Further, we continue to work with
members of the legislature and state transportation officials to promote policies that
encourage good resource management, such as the Fix-it-First approach and laws that would
fairly compensate property owners living within 1,000 feet of a SCTIB project receiving local
funding.
Recent Developments: The House Transportation Ad Hoc Committee was formed in the fall of
2014. This special committee met seven times to receive testimony, gather information, and
make recommendations for addressing South Carolinas transportation needs. The
Conservation Leagues Legislative Team encouraged members to support a strict adherence to
the project prioritization requirements of Act 114 of 2007. That Act includes a requirement that
SCDOT rank projects in each program category according to nine quantifiable criteria. While this
ranking system has been relatively successful at SCDOT, it has had little impact on the SCTIB.
This inconsistency is why the Conservation League encourages legislators to require the SCTIB
to fund projects that have been vetted through the Act 114 prioritization process. We also
recommended that the gubernatorial appointment of the Secretary of Transportation be made
permanent law (the current law expires this year). This action will improve accountability and
discourage pork barrel politics. Both of these concerns were generally incorporated into the Ad
Hoc Committees final recommendations.

Concurrently, the Governor has announced her highway-funding plan. Devoid of
governance and management details, the plan is in the hands of a House committee working to
meld her plan with the Ad Hoc Committee recommendations. The Conservation Leagues
Legislative Team is confident that the Governor will be receptive to the Ad Hoc Committees
recommendations regarding project prioritization and governance. A separate House bill has
already been introduced to compensate landowners located within 1,000 feet of new highways.
The Senate has also created a special subcommittee of the Finance Committee to review bills
and propose a funding package. Substantial Senate debate is not expected to begin until the
House has acted on a bill.
Next Steps: The Conservation Leagues Legislative Team will continue to meet with decision
makers in the House and the Senate, as well as other affected parties, to advance our goals of
project prioritization, improved accountability, and resource management. It is our aim to
retain the Ad Hoc Committees recommendations for SCTIB project prioritization and
gubernatorial appointment of the Secretary of Transportation in whatever bill eventually moves
forward. To reach this goal, we will continue to educate the House and Senate members about
Page 11
the importance of retaining the conservation-friendly provisions of the Ad Hoc Committees

legislation.
Staff Contacts: Merrill McGregor, Nancy Cave, & Michael Covington

Maintaining DHEC Board Authority
Project Goal: The Conservation League successfully
stopped the passage of H.3827, introduced by
Representative Mike Pitts (R-Laurens), which would
have removed the review of permit challenges from
the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control (SCDHEC) Board and bestowed
that authority on the Administrative Law Courts (ALC).
Allowing staff decisions to be the final step in the
review process would have reduced the agencys
accountability and led to more, not less, litigation. As any contested decision would have then
resulted in a lawsuit with the ALC, the associated costs and burden of litigation would have had
a chilling effect on the appeals process. This bill would have taken the decision power from the
agency, and hence the executive branch, and given it to the judicial branch and, in turn, to the
legislature.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: S.228, introduced by Senator Paul Campbell (R-Berkeley)
and H.3370, introduced by Representative Mike Pitts (R-Laurens), would again remove the
review of permit challenges from the DHEC Board. After a favorable vote in Subcommittee,
S.228 is scheduled to go to the full Medical Affairs Committee early this month. The
Conservation League has provided past testimony against the bill, and we are working with the
conservation community to educate legislators regarding the importance of DHEC Board review
and the perils of having every DHEC staff decision result in a case before the Administrative Law
Court.
Staff Contacts: Merrill McGregor & Anne Peterson Hutto

Comprehensive Ethics Reform
Project Goal: The Conservation Leagues ability to work
effectively on environmental issues depends on successfully
navigating the political process. Our work can be incredibly
difficult when legislators and lobbyists partake in unethical
behavior. The Conservation Leagues commitment to ethics
reform has focused on five areas: improving access to
information via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); strengthening enforcement by an
independent Ethics Commission; abolishing Leadership Political Action Committees (PACs);
shedding light on campaign contributions and conflicts of interest; and increasing income
disclosure transparency. In 2015, we will continue to work with interested stakeholder groups
to seek comprehensive ethics reform and restore integrity to South Carolina politics.
Recent Developments: Ethics reform is moving forward in the both the House and in the
Senate. As promised, Senator Larry Martin (R-Pickens) has placed ethics reform at the forefront
Page 12
of his legislative agenda. Senator Martin is the primary sponsor of S.1, a comprehensive ethics
reform bill that has moved through Judiciary subcommittee and committee. Debate on the
Senate floor will resume this week. In the House, multiple individual bills are moving through
committee, with the independent investigation bill already being debated on the House floor.
In conjunction with the League of Women Voters and other stakeholders, the Conservation
League hosted an ethics reform forum that featured Senator Martin, Attorney General Wilson
and Representatives Bruce Bannister (R-Greenville) and Kirkman Finlay (R-Richland) as panelists
emphasizing the importance of reform.
Next steps: We are working simultaneously to shepherd the Senates comprehensive bill and
the numerous House bills through their respective chambers, with the knowledge that when
the bills cross over, the differences between House and Senate will necessarily be resolved in
conference committee. We have provided and will continue to provide testimony to highlight
the importance of real and meaningful ethics reform, and to advocate for the passage of
legislation.
Staff Contacts: Merrill McGregor & Anne Peterson Hutto

Fighting the Pollution Control Act
Project Goal: The Conservation League successfully fought
H.3925, which would have undone specific provisions of the
Pollution Control Act included in the 2012 legislative
compromise bill. Specifically, the proposed legislation aimed
to remove the Savings Clausea clause that preserves all
pending lawsuits, rights, liabilities, and duties of the parties
as they existed before the act was passed (as required by the
Constitution). H.3925, if passed, would equate to issuing an
unconstitutional amnesty for past, unpermitted pollution, particularly coal ash.
Recent Developments: Again, we face the battle to keep the Savings Clause in the Pollution
Control Act. S. 229, filed by Senator Paul Campbell (R-Berkeley) and H.3371, filed by
Representative Davey Hiott (R-Pickens), Chairman of the House Agriculture and Natural
Resources Committee, are bills that would remove the Savings Clause and prevent causes of
action under the Pollution Control Act for past, unpermitted pollution. Despite the multiple
concerns raised during testimony surrounding the intent and impact of the bill, S.229 received a
favorable vote in Subcommittee and is now scheduled for a full Committee hearing in Senate
Medical Affairs in early March. We will continue to educate legislators on the injustice and
public cost of removing the Savings Clause.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to work with the Southern Environmental
Law Center (SELC), South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP), Conservation Voters of
South Carolina (CVSC), and our other conservation partners to educate members of the General
Assembly and ensure that we remain successful in blocking any similar bill that is introduced in
the upcoming legislative session.
Staff Contacts: Merrill McGregor, Anne Peterson Hutto, & Hamilton Davis

Page 13
Annexation Reform
Project Goal: In 2014, the Conservation League worked with a diverse group of stakeholders to
stop the passage of S.723, introduced by Senator Paul Thurmond (R-Charleston). S.723 would
have allowed municipalities to annex land through public service districts that abut those
municipalities. While the legislation was crafted with the very specific intent of helping the
Town of James Island reunite, it would have had far-ranging implications throughout the state,
led to unfettered annexation and development, and contradicted the Conservation Leagues
stated annexation policies which seek to control sprawl and provide for the efficient provision
of services.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: Despite assurances to the contrary and despite the
representations from the Town of James Island that it does not wish to pursue annexation
through the public service districts, Senator Thurmond has filed S.256, which is identical to
S.723. This bill has not been scheduled for a subcommittee hearing, and our goal is to work with
Representative Peter McCoy (R-Charleston) and the Town of James Island to find a different
and less far-reaching solution to the Towns incorporation problems. We are also continuing to
work with a broad group of stakeholders to educate legislators and prevent the bill from
moving forward.
Staff Contacts: Anne Peterson Hutto & Merrill McGregor

Conservation Bank
Project Goal: The South Carolina Conservation Bank (Bank) is the
states most important land protection tool and funding source
for land conservation. The Conservation League continues to
advocate for full funding of the agency as well as educate elected
officials and the public on the importance of a dedicated
conservation funding source.
Since its inception in 2002, the Bank protected nearly 250,000 acres in 42 counties,
demonstrating the ability to protect land resources at an efficiency rate of approximately $515
per acre. The Bank is funded by a portion of the state real estate transfer fee. Twenty-five cents
($.25) out of every one dollar and thirty cents ($1.30) generated by this fee is placed in a special
trust fund solely for the use by the Bank. The Bank Board uses a competitive grant application
process that includes consideration of natural resource values, other financial sources, and
opportunities for public access. The Bank provides grants for woodlands/wetlands, farmlands,
urban parks, and historical and archaeological sites, and 76% of the lands protected by the Bank
offer either general or limited public access. Roughly 100,000 acres (48%) have full public use,
including hunting and fishing, and 60,000 acres (28%) can be used with landowner permission.
Every acre provides a public benefit: keeping working farms and forests in production,
maintaining water quality and quantity, reducing flooding, enriching wildlife habitat, providing
outdoor recreation, protecting historic sites, and attracting tourism. However, the availability of
those dollars depends on the annual funding of the Bank.
Despite the Banks position as the most influential statewide land protection tool in
South Carolina, threats exist to its effectiveness and even its existence. The enabling legislation
Page 14
for the Bank includes language that requires that the Banks budget be zeroed out in years in
which state agencies experience across-the-board cuts. The enabling legislation also included a
sunset provision that would have forced the Bank to close its doors in 2013, but due to the
Conservation Leagues lobbying efforts, legislation passed in 2012 to allow the Bank to remain
open for another five years until 2018.
Recent Developments and Next Steps: The Conservation Bank is requesting full formulaic
funding this fiscal year based on the Board of Economic Advisors (BEA) estimate recently
released (in addition to development guidance received from the Governors office). This total
currently amounts to $12.6 million, and includes $9.8 million as authorized in 2014 and the
additional $2.8 million that was not authorized in the final budget last session. In addition, the
Bank is requesting the approval of one full time position (without funding) to allow the Bank to
adequately prepare for succession at the time the current director chooses to retire. At the end
of January, the House Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee favorably passed the
Bank budget request after hearing testimony from multiple groups who spoke to the benefits of
the agency. We have made significant progress addressing concerns regarding public access on
Bank-funded properties. In addition, the carry-over funding which was withheld from the Bank
during the budget process last year and the year prior was approved by the Other Funds
Committee in mid-February and has been transferred to the Bank for use on new projects. That
funding totals $3.2 million. The House Ways and Means Committee passed the Appropriations
bill out of Committee in late February. The budget debate will now move to the House floor in
March where it will be voted on before moving to the Senate. We are working with agency
staff, members of the Land Trust Alliance, and conservation community to garner support for
full funding. As always, we will continue to lobby to maintain full funding for the Bank during
the 2015-2016 legislative session and to prevent any further efforts to divert agency funding.
Additionally, in anticipation of the upcoming sunset date of 2018, we have been working
with our legislative champions and conservation partners, through a series of statewide
meetings and property visits, to showcase the importance of the agency. As a result, last week,
Senator Campsen introduced S. 519, the Conservation Bank Reauthorization and Wetlands
Conservation Act, with 20 bi-partisan cosponsors. This legislation ensures the long-term success
of the Conservation Bank by removing the death clause, increasing Bank funding, and adding
ecologically critical wetlands to funding priorities. We will continue to advocate for its passage.
Staff Contacts: Merrill McGregor & Michael Covington

Page 15
Food & Agriculture

Program Mission: The Coastal Conservation League seeks to preserve and expand sustainable
farming and vibrant rural communities in South Carolina.

GrowFood Carolina
Project Goal: In October 2011, the Conservation League
launched GrowFood Carolina, South Carolinas first local food
hub, to support local farmers and to protect working farmland.
GrowFood provides warehousing, distribution, marketing,
regulatory compliance, branding, crop planning, and sales
services to small-scale farmers within 120 miles of Charleston,
and distributes local produce in a wholesale model to local
retailers, institutions, restaurants, and schools.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: GrowFood ended 2014
with more than $662,000 in gross sales, surpassing our
$660,000 goal. We are confident that we will reach 2015s goal
of $880,000 in gross sales.
Production planning is well underway with more than 60 growers, and we expect to see
large growth across all categories. Weve added an exciting new productlocal, non-genetically
modified organisms (GMO), expeller-pressed canola oil. This addition promises to increase
sales, as well as open new doors, and is a potential rotation crop for farmers.
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) is a set of food safety guidelines outlined by the US
Department of Agriculture. Farmers follow the guidelines in order to assure food safety best
practices in the field and the packing sheds and are inspected annually. GAP is voluntary, but
increasingly customers (mainly institutional) are starting to require GAP certificates. The
guidelines can be daunting for a small, diversified farmer and GrowFood has hosted and
participated in many GAP trainings for local farms. In addition, we have recently engaged a
consultant to work with the farmers on an individual basis in order to speed up the process and
prepare them for audits. This will enable us to expand the market and ultimately help the
growers to be more successful. Our goal is for ten growers to pass their GAP audits in 2015.
Staff Contact: Sara Clow
growfoodcarolina.com

Working Waterfronts (New Project)
Project Goal: In order to protect a cultural way of
life and sustainable seafood harvesting, the Conservation
League is collaborating with a struggling community of
small-scale fishermen on Shem Creek to
secure permanent dock space and facilities. The seafood
community has invited the Conservation League to assist
in securing and conserving creekside land in order to
maintain the tradition of commercial fishing on Shem Creek, and improve the supply of locally
Page 16
caught fish for restaurants and individuals. This project has the potential to be an exciting
addition to our work at GrowFood Carolina.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: Conservation League staff met with area fishermen to
discuss options to secure property and equipment. The seafood community seeks to protect
property for the commercial fishing industry on Shem Creek in perpetuity. We will continue to
work with local land trusts and conservation advocates to understand conservation options for
this unique area.
Staff Contacts: Lisa Turansky, Sara Clow, & Ellie Bomstein

Developing a Local Food System in the Pee Dee (New Project)
Project Goal: The Pee Dee region has a strong agricultural
history and an abundance of arable land, but farming is
underutilized as the economic engine it has the potential to
be. The Conservation League seeks to implement a strategy
outlined in Making Small Farms into Big Business that
identifies this region as a local food node that can serve
local food hubs, like GrowFood Carolina. The overarching goal
is to build a network of local food infrastructure across the state.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: The Conservation League is partnering with the Pee Dee
Land Trust to oversee the administration of a US Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop
Block Grant designed to coordinate efforts in the Pee Dee around local food. Our organizations
are convening a meeting of interested stakeholders in April to begin the hiring process for a
Local Food Coordinator. This coordinator is grant-funded and will ensure that projects in the
region are coordinated and leveraged to benefit the entire network.
Staff Contact: Lisa Turansky & Ellie Bomstein

Wild and Foraged Mushrooms
Project Goal: Wild edible mushrooms are an untapped resource,
representing a significant economic and gastronomic opportunity.
Naturally occurring edible mushrooms are pervasive throughout coastal
South Carolina due to the states warm, humid climate. However, South
Carolinas Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC)
Retail Food Establishment Code (R.61-25) prohibited the sale of wild
foraged mushrooms to restaurants. The Conservation Leagues goal
is threefold: 1) change the law; 2) create a safe certification program;
and 3) catalyze a new agricultural industry.
Recent Developments & Next Steps The Conservation League worked
with SCDHEC staff last spring to update R.61-25 to include a legitimate
and safe wild foraged mushroom program that allows for their harvest and sale. Those
regulations passed the legislature in late May. Since that time, the Conservation League and
GrowFood Carolina have been working with experts from Mushroom Mountain and Clemson
Extension to implement a program that has resulted in about 55 certified mushroom
Page 17
identification experts across the state. GrowFood has sold approximately $5,000 of wild
foraged mushrooms to date by adding this sustainably harvested item to their offerings, and
anticipates to grow this dollar amount fivefold this year.
Staff Contacts: Lisa Turansky & Sara Clow
http://coastalconservationleague.org/programs/sustainable-agriculture

South Carolina Food Deserts
Project Goal: The Conservation League is working on a
collaborative effort to increase healthy and fresh food
access across the state. Part of accomplishing our goal
is working to eliminate food deserts, areas with little
or no access to stores or vendors that offer fresh,
healthy food.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: The Conservation
League serves on the statewide Food Desert Task
Force, a group of food and health leaders tasked with
creating an agenda for hunger and health reform in
South Carolina. As part of the initiative, the Conservation League is partnering with the South
Carolina Association for Community Economic Development to host a series of workshops on
food access at United Methodist Churches (UMCs) in the coastal region. The most recent
workshop took place at Murray UMC in Summerville on January 31st, and focused on tools
churches can use to increase healthy food access and community engagement.
Additionally, the Conservation League is working with the South Carolina Community
Loan Fund (CLF) to secure funding, through the states budgeting process, for a Healthy Food
Financing Initiative. This funding will leverage CLFs current work to provide increased low-
interest loans to individuals and businesses wishing to build healthy food infrastructure,
including new food hubs and processing facilities. The Conservation League supports this effort
as part of the recommendations outlined in the Making Small Farms into Big Business plan, as
well as recommendations included in the report released by the South Carolina Food Access
Task Force in 2014, entitled Access to Healthy Food in South Carolina.
Conservation League staff members have met with leadership in both the House and
Senate to educate members and other stakeholders on the importance of addressing food
deserts, and we are working with Representative Kirkman Finlay (R-Richland) to craft a budget
proviso which would dedicate non-recurring funds to CLF through the Department of
Agriculture. In an effort to raise awareness and advocate for support, the Conservation League
and CLF are in the process of planning a farm-to-table dinner in the upcoming months for
members of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee.
Staff Contacts: Lisa Turansky, Ellie Bomstein, & Merrill McGregor
http://coastalconservationleague.org/programs/sustainable-agriculture/

Surface Water Withdrawal Regulations
Project Goal: The Conservation League is working to ensure that South Carolinas treasured
rivers and waterbodies are conserved in the face of increasing water demands from industries
Page 18
and agricultural producers. The Conservation League supported the passage of the 2010 Water
Withdrawal Act as a compromise measure in the absence of any regulation of our states
surface water. During the legislative process, agriculture advocates were able to craft an
exception to the permitting process for agricultural water withdrawal. Since its passage, there
were no significant agricultural water withdrawal proposals until last spring 2013, when a
3,700-acre Michigan-based potato farm, Walther Farms, submitted its registration to the South
Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). Per DHECs regulatory
process, Walther Farms was permitted by law to withdraw 850 million gallons of water per
month for eight months (6.8 billion gallons per year) from the south fork of the Edisto River.
Because of the sensitive nature of the river and the lack of state regulatory oversight on
agricultural water users, the Conservation League was extremely involved in working with the
Walther family to reduce their environmental impact. As a result of extensive research, strong
existing relationships, and hours of negotiations with landowners, the Conservation League
persuaded Walther Farms to agree to several conservation measures. However, the fact
remains that our current laws do not adequately protect our water supply. The goal over the
next two years is to develop and implement a water management program in South Carolina
that will protect river flow, watersheds, and riparian rights before the absence of such a plan
results in crisis management.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: Although this issue will likely involve a legislative fix, the
conservation community has not been successful in coalescing around one bill. In an effort to
keep the water withdrawal issue at the forefront of conservation issues at the State House,
Senator Chip Campsen (R-Charleston) and Representative James Smith (D-Richland) pre-filed
bills in December to hold agricultural users accountable to a permitting process, but the bills do
not address existing flaws in the permitting process. Though there is not a particular bill that we
support, we continue to work with legislators to develop a robust bill that addresses water
efficiency and the severity of the threat to South Carolina rivers.
Staff Contacts: Lisa Turansky, Ellie Bomstein, & Merrill McGregor
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/water-matters
An article on the Conversations with Conservationists speech:
http://www.thestate.com/2015/01/21/3942025/aiken-residents-ask-sc-senate.html

Voluntary Agriculture and Forestal Areas
Project Goal: South Carolinas most valuable farmlands are
threatened by encroaching developmentan incongruity posing
problems for developers and farmers alike. The Conservation
League is working to ensure that farmland stays in production and
developers understand the implications of residential development
in agricultural areas. One tool that accomplishes this goal is a
program known as Voluntary Agriculture and Forestal Areas
(VAFAs). VAFA programs create clear boundaries and legal
protections for program participants. We are working with
Charleston County to develop and implement a VAFA program that can serve as a model to be
replicated across the state.
Page 19
Recent Developments: On January 6th, Charleston County Council approved an updated

Comprehensive Plan, which included a provision for VAFAs. Conservation League staff
is working with county staff to develop a VAFA ordinance and to coordinate a grassroots effort
to advocate for its passage. Our community outreach efforts are already underway on Johns
Island, which is an ideal community for a VAFA.
Staff Contacts: Ellie Bomstein, Lisa Turansky, & Shannyn Smith

Industrial Hemp (New Project)
Project Goal: The Conservation League seeks to promote hemp as a
sustainable cash crop for agricultural production in South Carolina.
Hemp cultivation has beneficial impacts such as nitrogen fixation,
minimal synthetic inputs, and the potential to benefit rural areas
economically.
Recent Developments & Next Steps: In the Spring of 2014, South
Carolina passed a law declassifying hemp as a controlled substance,
effectively allowing producers to cultivate the plant for sale. Since the
passage of the law, South Carolinas Department of Health and Environmental Control
(SCDHEC) has not written any regulations to implement a program. It is also unclear whether
the law is consistent with federal law.
The Conservation League believes that hemp holds potential for South Carolina farmers,
and that the implementation of the industrial hemp law is critical. Our goal is to begin working
with SCDHEC and the agricultural community to create a program for hemp cultivation. Staff is
working with a grassroots effort already underway.
Staff Contacts: Lisa Turansky & Ellie Bomstein

Page 20
Air, Water, & Public Health

Program Mission: The Coastal Conservation League works to educate the public, media,
industry, and local and state policy makers on the science and economics of clean air and water
policies, which are essential to our health and quality of life in the Lowcountry.

Unregulated Cruise Ships in Charleston
Project Goal: We seek to prevent serious air and
water pollution from the rapidly growing numbers
of large cruise ships calling in downtown
Charleston, and to limit their size and numbers,
thereby preventing serious traffic congestion and
negative impacts to current residents quality of
life. We are also working to ensure the most
compatible use for Charlestons working
waterfront, which includes the valuable Union Pier
property in the heart of the historic district.
Recent Developments: We are still in the midst of our court appeal of the state permit, and
expect oral arguments to be scheduled for spring of 2015. Staff from the Conservation League
and Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) met with the Charleston District of the Army
Corps of Engineers (Corps) for a status update on the federal permit, for which the State Ports
Authority (SPA) has still not reapplied. The citys committee to update the Tourism
Management Plan has completed its recommendations, which include cruise standards that are
not only minimal, but also fail to move the community forward on items such as shore power,
which has already been endorsed by City Council and the state legislature.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will work with appropriate entities to strengthen the
Tourism Management Plans cruise recommendations, and will also work with partner groups
to prepare for the SPAs new federal permit application.
http://coastalconservationleague.org/cruiseshipsincharleston
http://www.facebook.com/DontLeaveCharlestonInYourWake

Charleston Post 45 Harbor Deepening
Project Goal: The State Ports Authority (SPA) is the Local Sponsor for the proposed deepening
of Charleston Harbor, with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process being led by
the federal sponsor, the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). The SPA prefers the harbor to be
deepened to an average of 52 feet, from its current average of 45 feet (hence the name Post
45). This project is also the first to be assessed entirely by the new streamlined permitting
process developed under the federal Water Resources Redevelopment Act. The Conservation
League will make sure that the most appropriate project alternative is chosen, with the most
reasonable mitigation and protections suitable for environmental and human health.
Recent Developments: After months of research and discussion, the Conservation League and
partner groups Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) and Lowcountry Open Land Trust
Page 21
(LOLT) reached an agreement with the SPA, primarily focused on the SPA contributing $5
million towards land conservation efforts along the Cooper River Corridor. Pending final
approval by the Joint Bond Review Committee in February 2015, this regionally significant
conservation commitment represents a substantial increase in resources available to protect
wildlife, water quality, and overall land conservation in the area. In addition to the land
preservation commitment, the SPA will also contribute $125,000 to the SC Aquarium for the sea
turtle hospital, as well as focus on good faith efforts pertaining to the safety of whales, turtles,
and sturgeon. Because of this agreement, the Conservation League, SELC, and LOLT have
agreed not to challenge the project permit applications and the League has submitted an
additional comment letter to the Corps detailing the agreement.
Next Steps: Construction on the deepening project will begin following the issuance of the
Chief's Report, anticipated in September 2015, and the Preconstruction Engineering and Design
Phase. We will continue to monitor the project as appropriate, and also work with the SPA on
Conservation Bank legislation, which the agency agreed to support in order to support the
Cooper River Corridor efforts.
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150105/PC05/150109763

Captain Sams Spit
Project Goal: The Conservation League is working to
stop development of Captain Sams Spit, a highly
mobile barrier island on Kiawah Island. It includes
Charleston Countys Beachwalker Park, the only
public beach access on Kiawah Island, and is valued
for kayaking and other recreational activities. This
sandy spit of land provides habitat and feeding
grounds for many species, including the threatened
and endangered Piping Plover, the threatened Red Knot, and the declining Diamondback
Terrapin. Bobcats den on the Spit and raise their kittens in the area. The beloved Bottlenose
Dolphin strand-feeds on the Spitan activity that is rare across the globe.
Recent Developments: The South Carolina Supreme Court issued its ruling on the
unprecedented third hearing of the case to grant a permit to the developer for a revetment
wall. The Court ruled against the developer. However, the developer, undeterred, is now
lobbying the state legislature heavily to change this years proposed Beach Management bill
and delay setting the baseline until 2017. This delay would afford the developers the
opportunity to build up enough sand for an access road. In early February, after the Supreme
Court remanded consideration of the revetment permit back to the Administrative Law Court, a
status conference was held. The Judge has requested filings on the scope of his consideration,
and has continued the stay on the developers permit requests for a sheetpile wall stormwater
permit and community dock.
Next Steps: We will continue to monitor permitting activity for any future proposed
development on the Spit and be prepared to fight future permits. We also are working hard in
Columbia to pass a Beach Management bill that honors the spirit of the collaborative work of
Page 22
the Blue Ribbon Committee, which determined that the baseline should be set at data from
2011.
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/kiawah-bulkhead-proposal/

Coastal Zone Management of Dorchester County
Project Goal: In 2014, Dorchester County Council formed
an Ad Hoc Committee of the Planning, Development and
Building Committee to compose a report outlining the
burdens of being classified as one of eight Coastal
Counties of South Carolina according to the Coastal Zone
Management Act (CZMA). The Ad Hoc Committees Chair,
former councilman Mike Murphree, has stated publicly
that the Coastal County designation adds another layer
of bureaucracy, making it difficult for counties to compete for economic development projects
because of the increased mitigation requirements for isolated wetlands by the South Carolina
Department of Health and Environmental Controls (SCDHECs) Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management (OCRM). In October, the Ad Hoc Committee presented their findings to
both County Council and the County Legislative Delegation.
Recent Developments: In January, Dorchester County Council passed a resolution requesting
that their legislative delegation introduce a bill to remove a portion of the county, from the
critical area boundary westward to the Dorchester County line, from OCRMs jurisdiction under
the CZMA. All parcels seaward of the critical area boundary would remain in OCRMs
jurisdiction under and subject to the CZMA. To date, no legislation to remove any portion of
Dorchester County has been introduced at the state level. The Conservation League has
engaged OCRM and several other state agencies, as well as several state lawmakers, and
received assurances that they will fight any legislation that could loosen these critical
regulations.
Next Steps: The Conservation League remains committed to protecting critical estuaries and
watersheds of Dorchester County by maintaining the procedural safeguards pertaining to
isolated wetlands. The Conservation League will continue to monitor the issue at the local and
state levels, and we are prepared to engage in a full-scale grassroots advocacy campaign should
legislators attempt to bypass or change the critical regulations that protect our waterways. We
will also continue to engage local and state lawmakers who understand the importance of the
CZMA and its associated regulations.
Staff Contact: Myles Maland

A Vision for Charleston: Priorities for the Next Administration (New Project)
Project Goal: Charleston will vote for a new mayor this coming November, after forty years
with Mayor Joe Riley. The Conservation League is leading a coalition of organizations and civic
leaders in advocating for a comprehensive vision of top priorities for the new mayor of the City
of Charleston. Those priorities include green infrastructure, efficient development patterns, and
pedestrian safety upgrades, among others.
Page 23
Recent Developments: The Conservation League partnered with Whitney Powers

(IfYouWereMayor.com), Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston Moves, and the South
Carolina Community Loan Foundation to host a forum that identified what the community
assesses as top priorities in the coming decades for the new mayor of the City of Charleston.
The event was on February 23, 2015 at Charlestons Francis Marion Hotel, and has spurred the
development of a platform of priorities and other events to keep major issues at the forefront
of the new administration. The Post and Courier aptly described the event as, "A Road Map for
the Next Mayor." Our partners and we are committed to continuing the work of advancing
solutions to Charleston's formidable challenges, and to ensuring that candidates understand
and are committed to these issues as priorities for the next administration.
Next Steps: We will follow up with our partner groups and other organizations to compile and
advertise the next set of forums planned by other groups and neighborhoods, as well as work
with the arts and education community to host an issues forum of their own.
Staff Contacts: Katie Zimmerman, Bea Girndt, & Laurin Manning
http://www.ifyouweremayor.com
http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150103/PC1603/150109910

Mead Westvaco Wetlands Mitigation Proposals (New Project)
Project Goal: The Conservation League seeks to monitor the
establishment and use of wetland and stream mitigation banks
in South Carolina to ensure that the federal sequence of avoid,
minimize, and mitigate is properly applied. We work to support
mitigation banking as a viable method of conservation while
safeguarding the protections to the ecological resources of our state from unnecessary or
poorly planned development.
Recent Developments: MeadWestvaco (MWV) proposed a 4,347-acre mitigation bank
adjacent to the Caw Caw Swamp in Charleston County. The proposed site is located in the
conservation area of the East Edisto development. If approved, this bank would be used to
mitigate for impacts to wetlands throughout the proposed service areas in the Middle Atlantic
Coastal Plain and Sea Islands Coastal Marsh regions. Presumably, MWV intends to use this
mitigation bank during the permitting process for future wetland fill permits for the East Edisto
development. The public comment period on the proposed mitigation bank will conclude
February 27, 2015.
In a separate but related proposal, MWV submitted a wetland fill application to the
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Controls Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management (SCDHEC OCRM) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to fill nearly
eight acres of jurisdictional wetlands and 11 acres of non-jurisdictional wetlands for a proposed
development that has no user, buyer, or even specific plan. The mitigation proposed includes
buying credits from a mitigation bank, of which MWV is a co-owner. Essentially, MWV wants
permission to fill wetlands that may not need to be affected, and wants to pay itself for
mitigation. The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) submitted a letter of
opposition on the Conservation League and Audubon South Carolinas behalf.
Next Steps: Taking advantage of the ongoing relationship with MWV, Conservation League
Page 24
staff will meet with MWV staff to discuss the details of the mitigation bank proposal, and if
necessary, submit a comment letter to the Corps regarding potential issues with mitigation
credit allocation and approved service areas. Regarding Camp Hall, we will work with MWV to
determine a solution that impacts less wetland area and offers more relevant mitigation
opportunities.
Staff Contacts: Natalie Olson & Katie Zimmerman

Cannonball Jellyfish Harvesting and Processing
Project Goal: The Conservation League will ensure water quality
protections and community impacts are fully considered if the
jellyball harvesting and processing industry expands in Beaufort.
Recent Developments: Facilities are planned in northern
Beaufort County for the offloading and processing of Cannonball
Jellyfish before the product is shipped to Asian markets.
Offloading from shrimp boats is planned at the existing
commercial Golden Dock on Jenkins Creek on St. Helena Island
and the processing plant is proposed in Lobeco of the Sheldon
area. However, because of strong concerns by the public and
officials about noise, odors, traffic, and water quality impacts, in
November the Beaufort County Council revised its commercial fishing zoning requirements.
Now, Jellyball harvesting and offloading must follow special use permitting requirements.
This means the fishery is not permitted by-right; rather it requires more extensive review and
evaluation of community and environmental effects. In January, owners of the offloading
operations filed a lawsuit in circuit court challenging the legality of the zoning amendment. The
county has stated their intention to vigorously defend the zoning amendment. State permits
for both operations are still in review by South Carolinas Department of Health and
Environmental Control (SCDHEC).
Next Steps: We support the requirement for the Special Use permit for the jellyfish operations
on St. Helena and will continue to work with local residents to review permitting for both the
Golden Dock and Lobeco operations.
http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/11/3531712/plan-to-develop-local-island-
opposed.html
http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/22/3550910/companies-file-lawsuit-against.html

Bucksport Industrialized Marina on the Waccamaw River
Project Goal: In 2013, the Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority (Authority) applied for a
permit to replace the existing public use marina on the Waccamaw River at Bucksport with a
141-acre industrial marine commerce facility. The industrial marina is proposed to handle boat
building, bulk cargo, and heavy transport barges. The Conservation League worked with the
community and other organizations to oppose the industrial marina at a public hearing. In
comments, the League said the permit application lacked specificity as to the actual tenants
and the nature of the businesses, making it impossible to assess the impacts. The proposed
Page 25
marina would negatively impact the Waccamaw River, the adjacent Waccamaw Wildlife Refuge,
and the mostly African American Bucksport Community, who would be cut off from river access
and could suffer from industrial pollution.
Recent Developments: The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) put a hold on the permit
application until Grand Strand Water and Sewer provided more information. The Authoritys
revised information packet was distributed for comment to the Conservation League and other
individuals and organizations.
Next Steps: Recently the Corps distributed the Authoritys response to the second round of
comments, which we are in the process of reviewing before again responding. We will continue
to work with the community, South Carolina Environmental Law Project, and other
organizations to oppose an industrial marina at Bucksport in southern Horry County. Its impacts
to the community, river, and Refuge would be irreparable.

Protecting our Shoreline
Project Goal: The Conservation League stands ready to
support recommendations made by the Blue Ribbon
Committee (BRC), a representative group of stakeholders
appointed by the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control (SCDHEC) to address stewardship and
development of our coastal resources. The BRCs
recommendations included three objectives: 1) The baseline
established under the South Carolina Beachfront
Management Act (1988) should not move forward from its position on June 14, 2011. The
scientific evidence supports a steady baseline as a cornerstone of effective management of the
coast, for both development and natural resource management; 2) The authority of SCDHECs
authority in the area of ocean management should be clarified; 3) South Carolina needs to ban
new seawalls as a key component of managing our states beaches. In light of these
recommendations, the Conservation League worked to pass legislation amending coastal
tidelands and wetlands law to prevent special interest amendments that protect private
property at the publics expense.
Recent Developments: Two bills have been introduced this session by former BRC members to
address coastal management, S.139 by Senator Ray Cleary (R-Georgetown) and H.3378 by
Representative Bill Herbkersman (R-Beaufort). S.139 does not adequately reflect all BRC
recommendations; however, it would establish a permanent baseline in 2015 and clarify
SCDHECs ability to issue emergency orders for sandbag placement and removal, so that South
Carolina is better prepared to safely and quickly provide and remove temporary emergency
structures. The Conservation League and the conservation community support this legislation
as written, but are fighting to maintain the integrity of the bill. On the heels of the Supreme
Court decision on Captain Sams Spit, Kiawah Development Partners hired lobbyists to request a
delay in delineating the baseline along the coast in an effort to circumvent the courts, and to
obtain the permit needed to build the access road needed for development. The Senate
Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is expected to vote on this amendment at the
Page 26
next full Committee hearing. The Conservation League is leading the fight at the State House to
educate members of the committee and defeat this harmful amendment.
In anticipation of this legislative maneuver, our staff worked with Representative Bill
Herbkersman (R-Beaufort) and the South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) to draft
legislation which would implement the true recommendations of the BRC and address the need
for a long term coastal management protection plan. H. 3378, The Public Beach Protection Bill
by Representative Herbkersman, was introduced in early January and has a strong list of bi-
partisan cosponsors and support. We anticipate a subcommittee hearing for this bill in March
and will continue to work with our legislative champions, the conservation community, and
others to advocate for its passage.
Last year, the Conservation League partnered with the Nature Conservancy and
oceanfront owners opposed to the Debordieu seawall, and successfully stopped two pieces of
legislation in 2014 that would have allowed a seawall to be built. While we were able to block
both attempts to permanently change the Beachfront Management Act, there was a last-
minute, non-recurring budget proviso allowing SCDHEC one year to issue a special permit for a
seawall at Debordieu. We are happy to report that this proviso has been removed from the FY
2016 Appropriations bill.
Meanwhile, a special committee, on which Conservation League staff sits, has been
meeting on Folly Beach to discuss long-range plans for beach renourishment. Representative
Peter McCoy (R-Charleston) has requested constituent comment on Folly Beachs ongoing
beach management issues. We plan to work with Representative McCoy and the City of Folly
Beach to help guide the discussion toward the most environmentally sound approach.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will oppose improper permit issuance for a new seawall
at Debordieu and will fight against legislative maneuvers intended to allow development on
Captain Sams Spit. In the upcoming months, we will continue to work with our legislative
champions to garner support for sound coastal management policy and advocate for passage of
clean legislation which implements the sound recommendations of the BRC. We will also be
monitoring the ongoing discussions on Folly Beach and Isle of Palms regarding beach
renourishment and the possible legislative attempts to address this issue.
Staff Contacts: Merrill McGregor, Michael Covington, Anne Peterson Hutto, Katie Zimmerman,
& Nancy Cave
Page 27
Energy Program

Program Mission: The Coastal Conservation League works to promote the implementation of
comprehensive local, state, and federal energy policies related to renewable energy, energy
efficiency, and climate change.

Offshore Oil & Gas Development
Project Goal: Offshore oil and gas
development has long been a worry of
coastal communities on the eastern
seaboard. The recent BP Deepwater
Horizon disaster in the Gulf was a
poignant reminder of the dangers posed
by this industry to coastal environments and economies. Yet, the federal government is now
moving down a path that could result in oil and gas development off the South Carolina coast.
The Conservation League has engaged on this issue for nearly a decade, and we will continue to
oppose offshore oil and gas activities with all reasonable and prudent means at our disposal.
Recent Developments: The Conservation Leagues Energy Director participated in an offshore
drilling panel discussion on January 29th hosted by the Beaufort Regional Chamber of
Commerce. The panel also included the president of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance,
a maritime attorney from Georgetown, a retired US Fish and Wildlife marine biologist, and a
geophysicist that recently retired from the oil and gas industry. A video of the panel will be
streaming on TV in Beaufort County for the next week and can be seen online at the link below.
The Conservation League has also been working with coastal mayors on formalizing resolutions
opposing offshore drilling, including a recent press conference with Beaufort Mayor Billy
Keyserling. The Conservation Leagues work continues to garner significant media attention on
this issue.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will be working with our partners in local, state, regional,
and national conservation organizations to develop a strategy for combating oil and gas
development along the eastern seaboard. With the recent draft proposal from the Obama
Administration to open much of the Eastern seaboard to offshore drilling, the Conservation
League will be focused on ensuring that local communities, elected officials, and the general
public are providing comments on this proposal during the public comment period, which ends
on March 30th. To that end, we will also be working with our partners to screen a documentary
film in Charleston and Columbia on the aftermath of the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in
2010. This screening will precede a public meeting on March 11th in Charleston that will be
hosted by the federal agency in charge of offshore drilling activities, the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management (BOEM). The Conservation League will be organizing public participation in
this meeting. We are also preparing to comment on individual permits as they are submitted,
requiring coastal zone consistency review by the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Controls Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (SCDHEC OCRM).
Staff Contacts: Hamilton Davis & Katie Zimmerman
http://thinkenergysc.com/fossil-fuels/offshore-oil-gas-leasing/
Page 28
Beaufort Panel Discussion:

http://beaufort.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=1967
Beaufort Press Conference: http://www.islandpacket.com/2015/01/14/3537080/beaufort-
rally-against-offshore.html?sp=/99/257/260/&ihp=0

Georgetown Energy Efficiency Education Program
Project Goal: The Conservation League is working with partners to educate low-income
families on reducing home energy usage by taking steps to weatherize their homes and change
personal energy habits.
Recent Developments: The Conservation League partnered with the Sustainability Institute,
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, and Habitat for Humanity Georgetown
County to hold a home energy improvement workshop in early February at Bethel AME Church
in Georgetown. Approximately 30 people heard the Sustainability Institute describe easy-to-do
activities people can do to keep their homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
The project is part of an ongoing effort to reduce energy usage among low-income
homeowners with high utility bills. Many of these homeowners turn to their church and human
service organizations to help pay their utility bills.
Next Steps: The AME church has voiced interest in holding workshops at AME churches
throughout the area and to train a group of church members to help fellow parishioners to
weatherize their homes. The Conservation League is in discussions with the Sustainability
Institute on implementing a broader program with the AME church.

Wind Energy in South Carolina
Project Goal: The Conservation League is engaging
elected officials, the public, the media, utilities, and the
conservation community in an effort to highlight our
offshore wind potential, South Carolinas most abundant
renewable resource. The job creation and economic
development opportunities that would accompany
offshore wind development make it an ideal vehicle for
the Conservation Leagues promotion of progressive
renewable energy legislation.
Recent Developments: Legislation that would encourage utility investment in research and
development activities related to offshore wind has been introduced in the South Carolina
House and Senate by coastal republican legislators. The Conservation League has been working
in support of this approach to advancing offshore wind in South Carolina through our lobbying
efforts in Columbia.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to lobby on behalf of the offshore wind
legislation mentioned above. We will be working with the bills sponsors to educate other
members of the legislature, as well as the general public, on the energy and economic
advantages offshore wind holds for the state and how this legislation advances that agenda. We
expect to see legislative sub-committee hearings on this legislation scheduled over the coming
Page 29
months.
Staff Contact: Hamilton Davis
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2015/01/30/4759189_feds-designate-185000-acres-
off.html?rh=1
Wind legislation (S.166/H.3026): http://thinkenergysc.com/public-policy/s-166-offshore-wind/

Advancing Solar Energy in South Carolina
Project Goal: South Carolina has an abundant solar resource that is now economically
competitive with our states retail electricity rates. However, many antiquated energy policies
continue to present significant barriers for solar to play a bigger part in meeting the states
energy demands. Significant progress was made in 2014 with the passage of Act 236, and the
Conservation League is focused on proper implementation of this legislation, as well as the
continued removal of additional barriers to homeowner, business, and utility investments in
solar technologies.
Recent Developments: The Conservation League continues to work on implementation of Act
236 via the net energy metering (NEM) and distributed energy resource (DER) dockets that are
now before the South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC). Utilities, solar businesses, and
conservation groups reached a settlement agreement in December on how rooftop solar will be
treated for the foreseeable future in South Carolina. The settlement agreement is a critical step
forward in implementing Act 236. Under the settlement, residential and commercial utility
customers that install solar panels on their rooftops before 2021 will receive full retail credit for
any excess power that flows back onto the electric grid and will be eligible to remain on this
rate until December 31, 2025 without any solar-specific charges or fees. The settlement also
establishes a methodology for valuing solar power for purposes of utility recovery of lost
revenues, if any, which will be recoverable by the utilities through distributed energy resource
programs that were authorized by Act 236. In 2020, the PSC will reevaluate the solar policies
included in the settlement and will consider any appropriate changes at that time.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will remain focused on full implementation of the various
components of Act 236. This includes intervention in and work with the utilities on their DER
programs, and review of the solar leasing process that will be developed by the Office of
Regulatory Staff (ORS). ORS will also be conducting a study in 2015 focused on the rate
structures used within the current utility business model and how distributed energy resources
will impact those structures and that model over time. The Conservation League will be
providing input and feedback for this study. The PSC will also be adopting updated
interconnection standards for rooftop solar arrays. The Conservation League will be working
with solar and utility stakeholders on these updated standards.
http://thinkenergysc.com/sunrise-in-south-carolina/
Net metering settlement: http://www.thestate.com/2014/12/11/3868426_conservation-
groups-sc-utilities.html?sp=/99/101/&rh=1

Page 30
Environmental Protection Agency Clean Power Plan (111(d))

Project Goal: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed carbon pollution standards
for existing fossil fuel plants that will directly impact our states electricity sector. However,
these regulations also provide unprecedented flexibility for states to reduce carbon emissions
in an individualized, cost-effective manner. Instead of cookie-cutter requirements for every
power plant in the country, the standards allow discretion at the state and utility system levels
to reduce carbon with cleaner energy alternatives like efficiency upgrades, increased use of
natural gas, and solar power. The Conservation League will be working with a broad group of
stakeholders over the coming years to develop a state implementation plan that is in the best
interest of our citizens, our economy, and our environment.
Recent Developments: The Conservation League submitted formal comments to EPA on this
rule (linked below). We continue to participate in the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control (SCDHEC)-led stakeholder initiative focused on implementation of the
111(d) rule. This stakeholder initiative is now focused on how energy efficiency resources can
be used as a compliance option for South Carolina. To that end, the Conservation League
arranged for the president of the Southeastern Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) to present at
the latest stakeholder meeting to discuss the role energy efficiency could play in meeting South
Carolinas 111(d) requirements.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to work with the stakeholder group being
facilitated by SCDHEC, which is focused on implementation of the new EPA carbon rules. This
group includes utilities and regulators, and it has been meeting since 2013 in anticipation of this
rule. The intent is to find a consensus around a state implementation plan that all stakeholders
can support and that makes the most sense for South Carolina. The Conservation League will be
contributing to the stakeholder groups focus on energy efficiency over the next six months in
anticipation of the final rule later this summer. This will include providing Conservation League
staff expertise and arranging for additional presentations from efficiency experts.
Conservation League comments filed with EPA:
https://www.southernenvironment.org/uploads/words_docs/SELC_Final_South_Carolina_Clea
n_Power_Plan_Comments.PDF
SCDHEC and 111(d): http://www.scdhec.gov/HomeAndEnvironment/Air/cleanpower/

Electric Utility Resource Plans
Project Goal: Each year, South Carolinas investor-owned electric
utilities must submit updated 15-year plans for meeting electricity
demand in their service territories. These Integrated Resource Plans
(IRPs) guide utility investment decisions and are meant to reflect
detailed analyses of the economic and environmental impacts of
different resource options within our state. In order to promote utility
investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy, the
Conservation League is working to ensure that utility analyses accurately capture the costs and
benefits of these valuable resources.
Recent Developments: In Q2 of 2014, the South Carolina Public Service Commission (SCPSC)
Page 31
granted Duke Energy Carolinas (DECs) request for a permit to construct a new natural gas-
fired power plant in Anderson County, based on the need DEC identified in its IRP. In granting
the permit, the SCPSC rejected the Conservation Leagues recommendation for DEC to issue a
request for projects (RFP) for solar projects that would complement the gas plant and save
customers money on fuel. We have appealed the SC PSCs order and replied to response briefs
at the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
In Q4 of 2014, the Conservation League intervened in a new North Carolina Utilities
Commission (NCUC) proceeding on IRP rules and process, which will impact Duke Energy IRPs
moving forward. In Q1 of 2015, the NCUC established an IRP working group that will report
within 60 days on a recommended IRP stakeholder process for Duke Energy utilities.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will leverage the abovementioned NCUC opportunity to
engage with electric sector regulators and stakeholders in both North Carolina and South
Carolina on ways to enhance existing IRP procedures, such that transparency, inclusiveness, and
planning outcomes are improved.
Staff Contact: Kenneth Sercy

Electric Utility Energy Efficiency Programs
Project Goal: The Conservation League has worked with South Carolinas
investor-owned utilities, regulators, and other stakeholders to establish
regulatory mechanisms that neutralize the natural disincentives electric
utilities have to promoting energy efficiency among their customers. As a
consequence, our utilities have created portfolios of energy efficiency
programs that have begun to achieve meaningful energy savings
throughout South Carolina. We will monitor the utilities implementation
of efficiency programs with an eye towards maximizing savings achievements, cost-
effectiveness, and transparency.
Recent Developments: Pursuant to a 2013 settlement agreement with the Conservation
League and other parties, Duke Energy Carolinas (DEC) developed a feasibility study exploring
the costs of and actions needed to achieve more aggressive levels of energy savings in its
service territory, and has shared the study with the DEC Energy Efficiency Collaborative, of
which the Conservation League is a member. Also, in Q1 of 2015, South Carolina Electric & Gas
(SCE&G) filed its annual efficiency program cost recovery application.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will work within the DEC Collaborative to explore the
implications of the abovementioned study for DECs efficiency programs and broader resource
planning. We will also review SCE&Gs annual filing and comment on the status and trajectory
of SCE&Gs efficiency programs.
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/efficiency-first-in-south-carolina/

Page 32
Net Metering and Interconnection Standards

Project Goal: The Conservation League will work with
investor-owned utilities, regulators, electric co-ops, solar
developers, and other stakeholders to ensure that South
Carolinas net metering programs and interconnection
procedures allow for a thriving rooftop solar market,
where households and businesses can use solar energy to
reduce their utility bills, and utilities pay a fair price for and
benefit from distributed generation sources.
Recent Developments: South Carolina Act 236, the Distributed Energy Resource Program Act,
was signed into law in June 2014 and in part provides for reform of South Carolinas net
metering programs, which date to 2009. The South Carolina Public Service Commission (SCPSC)
has opened a new proceeding that is intended to establish a methodology for valuing
distributed solar on South Carolina electric grids, and this methodology will inform design of
updated net metering rates. In Q4 of 2014, the Conservation League worked collaboratively
with utilities, solar developers, and other parties to the proceeding to reach a major settlement
agreement that proposes an updated regulatory approach to net metering. The agreement will
be considered by the SCPSC in Q1 of 2015.
Next Steps: The Conservation League will continue to work with electric regulators and other
stakeholders as updated interconnection standards are developed pursuant to Act 236.
Interconnection standards that reflect national best practices are essential for robust growth in
this budding clean energy sector.
http://coastalconservationleague.org/projects/solar-energy-and-south-carolina/
Page 33

March 2015 Planning and Progress

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Copyright

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

March 2015 Planning and Progress

Caricato da

Copyright:

March

Food & Agriculture:

Land & Communities

Cainhoy Community Transportation Plan (New Project)

Significantly, the new codes do not allow any more

the importance of retaining the conservation-friendly provisions of the Ad Hoc Committees

Food & Agriculture

Recent Developments: On January 6th, Charleston County Council approved an updated

Air, Water, & Public Health

Recent Developments: The Conservation League partnered with Whitney Powers

Beaufort Panel Discussion:

Environmental Protection Agency Clean Power Plan (111(d))

Net Metering and Interconnection Standards

Potrebbero piacerti anche