Through the Common Agenda process, the conservation community sets legislative priorities to promote together during the coming General Session.

2012 Common Agenda

CONSERVATION IS SOUTH CAROLINA’S BUSINESS

CLEAN AND GREEN MEANS JOBS

Our state’s natural resources can produce the jobs to keep our children employed here.  Recycling,
outdoor recreation, farming, forestry and green energy are growth industries in South Carolina.

Natural Resources Enrich our Economy
Forestry, agriculture, outdoor recreation and tourism are big business in South Carolina: $54 billion or one-third of the economy.

• That’s over 450,000 jobs, or 25% of all jobs in South Carolina – more than manufacturing and construction combined.
• A little investment goes a long way.  The combined budgets of the state Agriculture Department, Forestry Commission, Department of Natural Resources and Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism account for less than one percent of the state budget.  Businesses benefit from agency expertise, public/private partnerships and the federal funds that agencies attract.
• Businesses benefit from a level playing field.   It is also important to fund DHEC programs to monitor environmental quality and efficiently manage a transparent permitting process. 

The Conservation Bank Protects the “Beautiful Places” that Attract New Business
Protected places for outdoor recreation, such as hiking, hunting and fishing, create a high quality of life that attracts tax-paying businesses and residents to our communities.   Unless the Bank’s “sunset” is extended to 2023, it will cease to exist in 2013. 

• Corporate CEOs and small company owners agree that employee quality of life is one of the top priorities when choosing areas to locate new businesses.
• Since 2004, the Bank has protected over 156,000 acres of our state’s family farms, working forests, parks, historic sites and recreational steams at the bargain price of $534 per acre.
• Full funding of the Bank in 2012 would enable the Bank to complete the financial obligations that have been on hold since 2008 and to consider new easements to help landowners make their land more productive.

Recycling Grows Jobs
The ABC Recycling bill will provide a sustainable stream of recyclable plastic, glass, corrugated cardboard and aluminum that will attract more processors and manufacturers to South Carolina.  New businesses, tourists and patrons of restaurants and bars expect and appreciate recycling.  It’s a $52 million dollar opportunity for South Carolina, annually.  

• A 2010 Clemson study predicts 12% annual potential growth in the recycling industry producing 37,000 jobs in five years.
• South Carolinians currently recycle only 22% of their solid waste.  In 2009, it cost nearly $31 million to dispose of almost 400,000 tons of recyclable waste.  
• Implementing recycling plans in restaurants and bars will help us reach our 35% goal and the cost is comparable to the price of sending waste to landfills.  S. 461has already passed the Senate.  It provides a recycling plan that works for any size ABC permit holder, anywhere in SC.

Green Energy is Good for Business
The General Assembly can create tens of thousands of jobs in South Carolina while also reducing energy costs by adopting comprehensive clean energy legislation. Our state has no coal, no uranium and no natural gas. We are nearly 100% dependent on imported energy resources that result in billions of dollars per year leaving our borders. To stay competitive with our neighboring states, we must:

• Set realistic clean energy goals for our electric utilities and provide them with the cost recovery mechanisms necessary to reach those goals. 
• Increase the state solar tax credit from 25% to 35%.
• Reduce future energy demand by updating our building energy codes to the 2009 IECC standard. 
• Enable greater utility investment in research and development efforts related to offshore wind, a technology that could bring up to 20,000 manufacturing jobs and $80 billion in revenue to the state by 2030.

Clean Water is our Birthright
The historic Pollution Control Act of 1972 granted power to the Department of Health & Environmental Control to “abate, control and prevent pollution.”  Clean water is important for business.  Commercial fishing is valued at $34 million annually; over 58,000 jobs are tied to fishing, boat manufacturing and outdoor recreation and just one of our beautiful lakes can support over 3 million visitors in one year. 

• DHEC needs to fulfill its responsibilities under the Act and establish permitting for activities that impact any of the “waters” of the state, including “non-jurisdictional” wetlands.  Guidelines should be reasonable and establish a minimum acreage for wetlands.  ???
• SC courts recognize the right of citizens to sue if DHEC fails to enforce environmental protection laws.  The General Assembly should uphold the Pollution Control act and defeat attempts to delete citizen suits.  Now is the time to re-consider reforms to improve transparency and accountability and the feasibility of splitting the Department into two agencies.   
• Water quality bills to ban polluting phosphates and improve operations at sewage plants that are frequent violators are poised to pass the Senate early in January.  
• Regulations to fulfill the directives of the Surface Water Permitting Act of 2009 will be submitted early in the session.

DOT is Broken
Since 2009, the Department of Transportation has depleted its fund balance from $282 million to $52 million dollars – virtually eliminating the state’s ability to repair and maintain existing roads and bridges.   The reforms enacted in Act 114 in 2007 have been either ignored or by-passed.

• Our roads are the 6th most dangerous in the country.  We must adopt a statutory commitment to “fix it first” and spend 50% of all federal and state highway funding on maintenance and repair versus new capacity projects.  An additional 15% of funds should address specific safety needs.    
• DOT commissioners should be appointed in a way that increases the level of expertise and responsibility for state-wide versus district priorities.
• All funding decisions, including spending from separate funds such as The State Infrastructure Bank, should reflect objective, criteria-based project prioritizations.

We cannot afford a partial “fix” for DOT.  Given past experience and in order to increase public confidence in the Department, an enforceability provision should be added to the law.  In addition, a cost-benefit analysis, including consideration of lower cost “functional” alternatives, should be required for all new capacity projects with a projected cost of over $50,000,000.