About Air, Water & Public Health

Healthy air and clean waters are essential to our health and quality of life in the lowcountry.

Major threats to our rivers and streams and the aquatic live they support come from stormwater runoff from development and mercury contamination from coal-burning power plants. Citizens are warned not to eat mercury-tainted fish from rivers and streams in over half of the state and stormwater runoff results in waters unhealthy for swimming or shellfish harvesting.

No longer are coastal breezes enough to sweep away our air pollution from port operations, vehicles, industry and power plants. Particulate pollution and ozone are impacting human health in coastal communities. Charleston County even received failing grades for its harmful particulate and ozone levels from the American Lung Association.

The good news is that we can meet the growing need for electricity without building more coal-fired power plants with their harmful mercury, particulates, and ozone-forming chemicals. Smart growth principles can reduce polluted runoff from develop. And we can grow the shipping industry without creating more asthma, cancer, heart disease and stroke by creating incentives for cleaner fuels in ships and tugs, using more rail to efficiently move cargo instead thousands more diesel trucks on congested highways, and adding the same pollution control technology used in other states. We can locate new port terminals appropriately – away from heavily populated areas with existing air pollution and traffic congestion problems.

The good news is that reducing air and water pollution makes economic sense, too– especially from major sources like power plants and ports. Just as it is much cheaper to insulate homes than pay high electric bills and build new coal plants, cleaning up port operations would save tens of millions of dollars each year in health care costs. EPA estimates that on average every $1 spent cleaning up port pollution saves $35 in health and environmental costs.

CCL is working to educate the public, media, industry, and local and state policy makers on the science and economics of clean air and water policies. Our advocacy brings attention to the latest scientific and medical research on air/water pollution and public health issues. In addition to promoting policies to protect clean air and water, we ensure policies are enforced by monitoring all air and water discharge permits along the coast and appealing permits that would result in serious harm to the environment or public health.