Beginning in 1995, the Midlands Aiken Environmental Affairs office of DHEC became the home base for Environmental Surveillance and Oversight Program (ESOP) . This program was established through an agreement between the Department of Energy-Savannah River (DOE-SR) and DHEC to provide non-regulatory, environmental monitoring of the Savannah River Site, a post-Cold War-era nuclear material production facility that is on a 310-square mile area located 20 miles south of Aiken.
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Here’s a look at health and environmental news around South Carolina.
E-WIC cards to replace WIC vouchers, now available in Kershaw County
ABC News 4 (Charleston) WIS News (Midlands)
Restaurant Scorecards: Low rankings in Myrtle Beach (WMBF) and the Midlands (The State)
Restaurants in Myrtle Beach and the Midlands receive significantly low inspection ratings.
Multi-agency exercise readies Midlands for worst-case scenario
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Nearly 200 personnel participated in a large-scale mock disaster drill Friday at the South Carolina Aeronautics Commission hangar at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport designed to challenge and improve their response capabilities.
Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.
South Carolina seeing a high level of flu activity, according to the CDC
MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) – Cases of the flu are on the rise in the Palmetto State.
According to information from the Centers for Disease Control, South Carolina is one of three states seeing a high volume of influenza-like illnesses. The state is also seeing regional flu activity.
The data was for the week ending Dec. 2, the most recent information available from the CDC. The other two states seeing high influenza volumes are Mississippi and Louisiana.
Warming up cars in a garage could be fatal; Midlands family now using tragedy to teach
Columbia, SC (WACH)–During the Winter, some might warm up the car on the cold mornings and it’s possible you might leave it in the garage. That could potentially be a deadly decision. According to DHEC, just last year, there were 46 carbon monoxide-related deaths in South Carolina. A Midlands family experienced one of them. Now they’re using that tragedy to teach.
General Interest
Vast majority of Americans aren’t eating enough fruits and vegetables: CDC study
Washington — Nearly 9 out of 10 U.S. adults don’t consume the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers examined data from the 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and estimated the percentage of daily fruit and vegetable consumption by state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends adults eat at least 1-and-a-half to 2 cups of fruit and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.
Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.
As more mosquito pools test positive for West Nile, Midlands residents advised to protect themselves
COLUMBIA, SC — State health officials reported more West Nile-positive mosquito pools in Richland County this year than all other areas of the state combined.
As of August 15, 22 virus-positive pools were found in Richland County compared to 9 each in Greenville and Beaufort counties and 2 in York County, DHEC reported on its 2017 West Nile map. More birds in this area have tested positive for the virus as well.
Area governments have announced aggressive spraying campaigns to keep mosquito populations in check but citizens are encouraged to take responsibility for their own and their family’s health.
8 confirmed shark bites this summer on Hilton Head. Why so many?
Carrie Rogiers was shocked to find out a shark was responsible for the “Freddy-Krueger-like” marks on her daughter’s left foot.
The bite came July 20 as 8-year-old Ellie, of Fort Thomas, Ky., was swimming in shallow water on Hilton Head Island’s South Forest Beach.
“Something bit me,” the child shouted as she ran from the surf.
General Interest
Could a cloudy eclipse day mean a mass exodus – and traffic nightmare – for Columbia?
COLUMBIA, SC — As hard as it is to predict what Columbia will be like for Monday’s once-in-a-lifetime total eclipse, a questionable weather forecast isn’t making it any easier.
If it’s cloudy in the capital city, it’s possible many of the tens or even hundreds of thousands of people expected in town could consider fleeing on short notice to find clearer vantage points – perhaps to the Upstate.
That could mean a “nightmare” on the roads, said Tiffany Wright, a spokeswoman for AAA Carolinas.
Live Healthy S.C. 