2023 South Carolina Code of Laws › Title 44 - Health › Chapter 1 - Department Of Health And Environmental Control › Section 44-1-65. Appeals of department permitting decisions for animal facilities; procedures.

Section effective until July 1, 2024.
(A) In making a staff decision on a permit, license, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, except a swine facility, pursuant to Section 44-1-60(D), or if the department conducts a final review conference related to a decision on a permit, license, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, except a swine facility, pursuant to Section 44-1-60(F), the department shall base its decision solely on whether the permit complies with the applicable department regulations governing the permitting of poultry and other animal facilities, other than swine facilities.
(B) For purposes of permitting, licensing, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, other than a swine facility:
(1) only an applicant, permittee, licensee, or affected person may request a final review conference pursuant to Section 44-1-60(F);
(2) only an affected person may request a contested case hearing pursuant to Section 44-1-60(G);
(3) only an applicant, permittee, licensee, or affected person may become a party to a final review conference;
(4) only an affected person may become a party to a contested case hearing; and
(5) only an applicant, permittee, licensee, or affected person is entitled as of right to be admitted as a party pursuant to Section 1-23-310(5) of the Administrative Procedures Act.
(C)(1) In determining whether to issue a permit, license, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, except a swine facility, the department only may take into consideration the existing development on and use of property owned or occupied by an affected person on the date the department receives the applicant's complete application package as prescribed by regulation. The department must not take into consideration any changes to the development or use of property after receipt of the application, including, but not limited to, the construction of a residence.
(2) If a property owner signs a setback waiver of the right to contest the issuance of a permit, license, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, except a swine facility, including waiver of the right to notice and a public hearing on a permit, license, certification, or other approval and to file a contested case or other action, then the affected person has seventy-two hours to provide in writing a withdrawal or rescission of the waiver.
(D)(1) An applicant, permittee, licensee, or affected person who has exhausted all administrative remedies within the department relating to a decision to issue or deny a permit, license, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, except a swine facility, and who is aggrieved by a final decision may request a contested case hearing before the Administrative Law Court, in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a final decision to issue a permit, license, certification, or other approval of a poultry facility or another animal facility, except a swine facility, may not be contested if the proposed building footprint is located eight hundred feet or more from the facility owner's property line or located one thousand feet or more from an adjacent property owner's residence.
(E) For purposes of this section, "affected person" means a property owner with standing within a one-mile radius of the proposed building footprint or permitted poultry facility or other animal facility, except a swine facility, who is challenging on his own behalf the permit, license, certificate, or other approval for the failure to comply with the specific grounds set forth in the applicable department regulations governing the permitting of poultry facilities and other animal facilities, other than swine facilities.
HISTORY: 2018 Act No. 139 (H.3929), Section 1, eff March 12, 2018.
Editor's Note
2018 Act No. 139, Section 4, provides as follows:
"SECTION 4. Nothing in this act shall be construed as affecting or applying to confined swine feeding operations."
2023 Act No. 60, Section 3.E, provides as follows:
"[SECTION 3.]E. Sections 1-30-45 and 44-1-65 of the S.C. Code are repealed."