DHEC to guide businesses through permit process

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The director of South Carolina’s environmental control agency says businesses that need several permits to open or expand will soon have a personal guide through the red tape.

Catherine Templeton told the South Carolina Economic Developers’ Association on Thursday that she’ll soon have a group of employees dedicated to assisting businesses through the permitting process.

Templeton says businesses often require permits through separate bureaus within the Department of Health and Environmental Control, such as for air quality, water and waste. The change will allow employers to go through a single person at the agency, to save them time and frustration.

She says her idea calls for five people to be transferred within the agency, so it won’t require additional money. Two people are already in training for their new role.