South Carolina: BILL H3915
IntroducedSouth Carolina Clean Air Act
Amend The South Carolina Code Of Laws By Enacting The "south Carolina Clean Air Act"; By Amending Section 48-1-110, Relating In Part To Unlawful Discharges Of Air Contaminants, So As To Prohibit The Intentional Emission Of Any Air Contaminant Whose Purpose Is To Affect Temperature, Weather, Or Sunlight Intensity; To Establish Criminal Penalties; To Require The Department Of Environmental Services To Take Certain Actions, And For Other Purposes.
Bill summary (AI generated)
The "South Carolina Clean Air Act" proposes significant amendments to the South Carolina Code of Laws with the aim of enhancing air quality and environmental protections within the state. If enacted, the legislation would specifically prohibit any intentional emissions of air contaminants designed to alter temperature, weather, or sunlight intensity. This includes pollutants that could contribute to climate change or have detrimental effects on the environment. In addition to these prohibitions, the Act establishes criminal penalties for violations, underscoring the seriousness of the legislative intent to safeguard public health and the environment. It empowers the Department of Environmental Services to take necessary actions to monitor compliance and enforce these new regulations. The Department will be responsible for setting guidelines and possibly implementing a system for reporting and managing emissions that violate the new restrictions. Overall, if the South Carolina Clean Air Act becomes law, it will require businesses and entities that produce air emissions to evaluate their processes and take proactive measures to minimize their environmental impact. Compliance with these regulations will be critical to avoid criminal charges and contribute to a healthier environment for all South Carolinians. The law could also pave the way for a broader conversation around climate change and environmental stewardship within the state.
History
Corporis deserunt ea veniam aut.
- Thu 06 Feb 2025 Introduced and read first time
- Thu 06 Feb 2025 Referred to Committee on Judiciary
- Tue 25 Feb 2025 Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Terribile
Bill text html
South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 3915
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
A bill
TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ENACTING THE "SOUTH CAROLINA CLEAN AIR ACT"; BY AMENDING SECTION 48-1-110, RELATING IN PART TO UNLAWFUL DISCHARGES OF AIR CONTAMINANTS, SO AS TO PROHIBIT THE INTENTIONAL EMISSION OF ANY AIR CONTAMINANT WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO AFFECT TEMPERATURE, WEATHER, OR SUNLIGHT INTENSITY; TO ESTABLISH CRIMINAL PENALTIES; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
Whereas, the risk to human health and environmental welfare from broad scale geoengineering is more understood; and
Whereas, it is the intent of the State of South Carolina to protect the public health and welfare of South Carolina while allowing all authorized activities permitted under state law. Now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Clean Air Act."
SECTION 2. Section 48-1-110(e) of the S.C. Code is amended to read:
(e)(1) It shall beis unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, negligently or willfullywilfully, to discharge any air contaminant or other substance in the ambient air that shall cause an undesirablea hazardous level.
(2)(A) It is unlawful for a person to intentionally inject, release, or disperse, by any means, chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus and energy frequencies manipulation within the borders of the State in the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of storms and the dimming of the sunlight. The prohibitions of this item include the manipulation of weather systems in storing through the means of aerosol injection chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus for the purpose of intensifying the weather for any reason to harm persons or destroy property.
(B) Notwithstanding the penalties set forth in Section 48-1-320, a person who intentionally violates this item is guilty of a felony and upon conviction, the person may be imprisoned up to ten years and must be fined not less than five hundred thousand dollars for each day's violation.
(C) The provisions of this item do not apply to any person whose cloud seeding is a result of a publicly approved contract.
(3) The Department of Environmental Services must make information available to the public detailing the harmful effects to a person's health and personal property that result from chemicals being released into the atmosphere. No exemption to the state Freedom of Information Act prohibits the release of documents, reports, and other records relating to stratospheric aerosol injection or any other prohibited conduct, upon request.
(4)(A) Notwithstanding any provision of state or federal law to the contrary, a private citizen may file a private action against the federal government for the destruction of health and personal property.
(B) A private citizen who files a private action pursuant to this item is entitled to civil and criminal immunity for any testimony provided, including whistleblower immunity.
SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
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This web page was last updated on February 06, 2025 at 11:06 AM