| The State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) advises the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control’s (DHEC’s) Division of Mining and Solid Waste
Management on the potential impact of mining operations on historic
properties. Upon the SHPO’s recommendation, the Division may require a
mining permit applicant to conduct a survey of the proposed mining site to
identify buildings, sites, and structures that are eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places and to modify plans to avoid
damage to sites listed in or eligible for the National Register. In
order to reduce the time and expense of cultural resource surveys
performed for DHEC-Mining permits, the SHPO will accept letter reports for
mine permit surveys that 1) do not identify sites or 2) identify only
sites that are not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
The SHPO requires full reports for mine permit surveys that identify
eligible or potentially eligible sites. Follow this link to
Guidelines
for Mine Permit Survey Letter Reports.
For guidance on hiring a cultural resources consultant, see
Selecting a Consultant for Cultural Resource Surveys and Evaluations.
To learn more about archaeological surveys and evaluations, see
Project Professionals List.
For More Information:
-
The South Carolina Mining Act (Sections 48-20-10 through
48-20-310 of the South Carolina Code of Laws ) mandates that no
mining may be carried out in South Carolina unless "plans for the mining
include reasonable provisions for protection of the surrounding
environment and for reclamation of the area of land affected by the
mining." Applicants for mining permits must present reclamation plans to
the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s (DHEC’s)
Division of Mining and Solid Waste Management. According to the Mining Act
(Section 48-20-40), reclamation plans must include "proposed methods to
limit significant adverse effects on significant cultural or historic
sites."
- Chapter 89-120(C)(4) of the South Carolina Code of Regulations
authorizes the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to
require surveys of cultural and/or historic resources on a proposed mine
site and to use information from the survey to "determine provisions which
meet the requirements for the protection, relocation, or excavation of
significant cultural or historic sites as mining progresses."
- Follow this link for more information about
DHEC’s Division of
Mining and Solid Waste Management.
- Follow this link for more information about
Project Review at
the South Carolina SHPO.
- If you have questions or need more information about the SHPO’s
review of mining permits, contact Chuck Cantley at
ccantley@scdah.state.sc.us or 803-896-6181.
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