COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina’s public health agency suspended the licenses of two of the state’s three abortion clinics Friday and threatened to close them — actions that an official at one of the centers called ‘‘extreme.’’
The Department of Health and Environmental Control issued suspension orders for Planned Parenthood’s Columbia clinic and the Greenville Women’s Clinic, citing violations found during recent inspections.
Violations cited at both places include incomplete records, performing an abortion sooner than 60 minutes after an ultrasound, and not properly disposing of aborted fetuses. According to manifests, the fetuses were sterilized with steam and taken to a landfill, rather than incinerated or buried as required by law.
‘‘We take the findings of this investigation very seriously and will work together with each of these facilities to help get them into compliance as quickly as possible,’’ DHEC director Catherine Heigel said in a news release.
Jenny Black, regional CEO of Planned Parenthood, said the organization is shocked by the ‘‘extreme action.’’ She added that DHEC found the clinic to be 100 percent in compliance with state regulations less than a year ago.