Last week, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the state Department of Public Health (DPH) celebrated the opening of a new, 140,000-square-foot Public Health & Environmental Laboratory. Designed to strengthen the state’s public health and environmental protection capabilities and replace a nearly 50-year-old facility, the laboratory expands testing capacity and incorporates advanced technologies to support services such as drinking water analysis, environmental monitoring, radiological testing, screening of newborn babies, infectious disease testing, and emergency response. The facility also serves as a national Level 1 laboratory within the Centers for Disease Control Laboratory Response Network, one of only a small number of laboratories in the country with that designation.
Jointly operated by SCDES and DPH, the laboratory will improve operational efficiency, support emerging technologies, and enhance the state’s preparedness for future public health and environmental challenges. The state of the art facility also includes dedicated areas for training, research, collaboration, and education, as well as updated safety and security features.
“This highly advanced laboratory represents an investment in the future of South Carolina as it will support a resilient natural environment for generations to come,” said SCDES Director Myra Reece. “Our environmental lab professionals now have a modern, leading-edge facility for performing their essential work that helps protect the water we drink and the air we breathe, and much more.”
Learn more about the new space here.
