In April 2022, the ECOS Environmental Justice (EJ) Workgroup welcomed South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to discuss their efforts engaging with local communities across the state. The meeting recording is available below:
DHEC receives a wide variety of citizen complaints that spur outreach and community engagement, from drinking water pollution to nuisance wildlife. DHEC considers its Environmental Justice Guiding Principles – “Involve, Partner, Problem Solve, Share, Strengthen” – whenever engaging with local communities and governments. Communications are planned in advance by a team including the EJ Coordinator and relevant program area staff, and all external communications are reviewed by a Communications Committee.
Thank you to Keisha Long of DHEC for sharing her experiences and lessons learned with the ECOS EJ Workgroup.
