South Carolina would take an important step forward in environmental protection if a bill that passed the House of Representatives this month becomes law.

It would give the state attorney general more power, more rights and more assets to hold accountable those who violate environmental regulations. It would give environmental violations the same heft as other criminal activities, and plugging that gap is long overdue.

The bill would allow the state grand jury to investigate some environmental crimes.

That has been a glaring omission for many years. In fact, Henry McMaster is the third state attorney general to push for this change. Often, environmental violations are white collar crimes that require all the powers of a grand jury to bring about justice. With this legislation, the state grand jury finally would have the power to force testimony and subpoena documents in environmental cases. Polluters no longer could escape justice simply by refusing to cooperate with authorities.

The House approved a Senate bill, but made a key change we'd like to see reversed. The House increased the amount of damages necessary to trigger a state grand jury investigation from $1 million to $3 million. Even the Senate's figure of $1 million seems high if this state is to treat environmental violations as seriously as it should.

Rapid growth, particularly along the coastline, is putting environmental oversight to a stiff challenge. All regulations need to be constantly re-examined to see whether they are good enough for today's conditions. But none of the regulations -- designed to protect groundwater, surface water, hunting and wildlife habitats, forests and trees -- are any good if they are not or cannot be enforced efficiently and responsibly.

Protection of natural resources is good business in South Carolina. In Beaufort County, the economy depends on the clean, accessible Atlantic Ocean and tributaries reaching well inland. Consistent enforcement of environmental regulations is mandatory for the jobs, property values and well-being of every household in the county.

A key step has been taken in Columbia to protect and enhance the economy and culture of the Lowcountry and the full state. It is now time to finish the job and get this legislation signed into law.