The East Richland County Public Service District (ERCPSD) is coordinating with Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) to amend the 2021 Central Midlands Hazard Mitigation Plan and become an official Plan participant in order to be eligible to apply for FEMA Disaster Mitigation funding. As part of the program application requirements and under the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, an eligible organization must communicate their Plan participation to the public and provide a list of natural hazard mitigation actions before being able to adopt a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan. Customers of ERCPSD and interested parties may read a copy of the draft mitigation action list for ERCPSD and the FEMA approved 2021 Central Midlands Hazard Mitigation Plan through the following link.

On September 13, 2013, during a routine inspection of a grease trap pump-out at one of our restaurant customers, the presence of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) was discovered. PCBs are a chemical that was widely utilized in the United States industry beginning in the 1940s. They were used in electrical equipment such as transformers. In 1979, the manufacture of PCBs was banned in the United States. PCBs continue to be phased out as the useful life of equipment using PCBs expire. The storage and disposal of PCBs is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). PCBs are banned as a result of concerns over environmental pollution and PCBs persistence in the environment. PCBs do not break down in the environment and tend to bio-accumulate in the food chain. There are health concerns related to long term exposure including increased cancer risk. Since the discovery, the East Richland County Public Service District (ERCPSD) has checked each grease trap utilized by our primarily restaurant customers. As a result, no further contamination has been found. ERCPSD has also run tests at our treatment facilities as well as wet wells and pump stations, with no further contamination present. When PCBs are present, it will have a black, oily appearance with a strong diesel gas odor. If you discover PCBs please call DHEC’s toll free 24-hour emergency response line at 888-481-0125 immediately. ERCPSD will continue to monitor all grease trap pump-out activity and be vigilant for any suspicious activity but we are asking our customers to help insure this dangerous chemical is not introduced into our wastewater system.