The state is airing its plans to respond to a widespread act of terrorism, bioterrorism or pandemic disease — but the public is not paying attention.

The new regulations for enacting the 2002 Emergency Health Powers Act give the Department of Health and Environmental Control and other state agents broad powers to act.

In the event of a public health emergency, the agency can:

• Quarantine residents exposed to disease or contamination

• Take over hospitals, clinics, mortuaries, laboratories or other facilities

• Destroy contaminated public or private buildings

• Order mass burials

• Euthanize pets or other contaminated animals

The governor can declare such an emergency when terrorism, disease, natural disaster, medicine shortages or other situations require massive response beyond what the State Operations Plan — most often used in response to hurricanes — is designed to handle.

The Legislature created the Emergency Health Powers Act in 2002, largely in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington. It ordered DHEC to devise regulations to implement the act.

DHEC has held public forums to air the regulations in Greenville, Florence and Charleston. No public members showed up for the Greenville or Florence meetings.

The final public meeting on the regulations is tonight at DHEC’s office in Columbia.

The greatest impact on individuals may be the isolation and quarantine provisions outlined in the plan, officials said. DHEC can keep people from leaving contaminated facilities.

“I urge people to become involved in the process and put their ideas out there,” said Michael Byrd, Richland County director of emergency services. “The Emergency Health Powers Act is certainly needed.”

The new regulations say state agents can seal or decontaminate public or private buildings that are infected with communicable diseases — and destroy the buildings if necessary.

The state also could press interns and unlicensed medical personnel into service.

In addition, DHEC, working with the state veterinarian, could isolate, quarantine or destroy domestic pets or nondomestic animals if necessary for a medical or public health reason.

Otherwise, animal destruction requires a court order.

The recent train wrecks in Graniteville, where nine people died after a chlorine spill, and in McCormick, where no one was hurt, indicate how potential disasters can erupt.

While hundreds were hurt and thousands were evacuated from their homes in the Graniteville incident, Gov. Mark Sanford did not declare a public health emergency.

But valuable lessons were learned, said Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

“We learned in Graniteville that we did not have the personal protection that we needed.”

First responders went in to provide aid when the area was still contaminated and did not have the protection suits they needed.

If a public health emergency were declared, Watts, other coroners and medical examiners as well as funeral directors would get specific instructions from DHEC on how to handle and dispose of contaminated bodies, including detailed record-keeping.

Regulations under the plan even spell out procedures for mass graves, stipulating such sites not be located in flood plains or wetlands.

Reach Burris at (803) 771-8398 or rburris@thestate.com