Construction permit for Kimberly and Micah Hart

A construction permit approved this week will allow a couple near Seneca to build chicken houses—in spite of complaints by several of their neighbors.  DHEC’s Bureau of Water this week announced approval of a permit for Kimberly and Micah Hart of the Friendship Valley Road to be effective October 7, provided no request for board review is filed.  In a letter Tuesday addressed to concerned citizens, DHEC’s William Chaplin said, “The concerns of the citizens in your community, raised in letters and sent to the Department and brought up at the public meeting, were carefully considered during this application review process.  Issues such as property values, possible future use of one’s property and public road use are all valid concerns for any property owner.  However, these are issues that the Department’s regulations do not address and therefore cannot be considered as factors in determining whether to issue or deny a permit.  Concerns dealing with odors, flies, vermin, possible ground and surface water contamination, and manure handling are concerns that the regulations do address.  The applicant’s animal facility management plan, presented by Joy S. Riley, PE, has plans for controlling the odors as well as flies, vermin and other vectors.”  Chaplin, manager of the agricultural permitting section, says an evaluation by DHEC’s medical staff requires the Harts to leave a 200-foot property line setback vegetated and maintained to the west and south of the barn site, as long as the facility is in operation.  Special conditions of the permit call for exhaust fans to face to the west of the barn.