Rep. Duncan goes to bat for lake residents

An amendment to an appropriations bill by Rep. Jeff Duncan that would have protected residents along two South Carolina lakes from steep fee increases from the Army Corps of Engineers failed, but South Carolina’s 3rd District Republican says he will not be silenced on an issue affecting residents of both lakes Hartwell and Thurmond. Starting January 1, lake residents face a new fee schedule that will result in a total cost of $835 dollars for docks and land-based facilities. A spokesman for the corps says the new fee breaks down to $25 dollars for a shoreline permit and $800 dollar administrative fee for the real estate license and is the first increase since 2006. Duncan took a swipe at Democrats when he said, “Instead of allowing debate on real life issues that affect constituents on lakes in my district and others in the southeast region, Democrats decided to skip over a germane amendment and make the appropriations process purely political. I will continue to look at every avenue, including working with my friends in the Senate, to protect residents from this impending and unjustified fee increase.” Anyone with questions about the dock permit can call the Corps Lake Hartwell office at 1/706-856-0300 or the Savannah office at 912/652-5014.