*UPDATE 8/1/8: Environmental group admits errors in beach report, moving SC from 6th down 10 spots to the 16th state with the most contaminated beaches, still nothing for us to be proud of.
The latest findings from the Natural Resources Defense Council are not a welcome sight for us here in SC. DHEC has even accused the NRDC of using incomplete data in their findings, especially poignant now that SC’s Tourism Dept. has been catching a lot of flack over their recent overseas ad campaign.
Charleston Beach Water Rankings
| Beach | Monitoring Frequency | Total Samples | % Exceeded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan’s Island | 2/mo | 20 | 15% |
| Kiawah Island | 2/mo | 10 | 10% |
| Folly Beach | 2/mo | 18 | 6% |
| Isle of Palms | 2/mo | 20 | 5% |
| Seabrook | 2/mo | 4 | 0% |
- 16 - South Carolina’s ranking
- 6% - Exceeded Percentage
Two southeast Iowa men are facing charges of poaching turtles.
Officers charged 36-year-old Mike Kerr of Mount Pleasant and 38-year-old Jack Schafer of Fairfield with using illegal methods to take turtles, failure to have commercial gear tags and illegally taking and possessing a turtle. They face fines totaling $2,299.
The state Department of Natural Resources says conservation officers acting on a tip staked out traps on July 9.
Fortunately, we don’t poach turtles here in South Carolina, and to hear that Iowans in their upper 30’s are doing so is just a crying shame.
