&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-195
July 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Columbia, SC
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of
brownfields solutions. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities, and communities with
useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site
assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
EPA has selected the City of Columbia for a
Brownfields Pilot. Columbia is South Carolina's
capital and largest city. The Pilot has targeted
Columbia City Center (population 6,854) for
redevelopment. Columbia City Center is 43%
minority, has a poverty rate of 48% (as compared to
21 % for the entire City), and is a part of Columbia's
Enterprise Community. Past and present industrial
and manufacturing land uses in City Center have
taken an environmental toll on the area. Aging or
vacant buildings are present in the area. These
buildings include steel fabrication plants, numerous
rail yards and spurs, cotton mills, warehouses, gas
works, and a landfill.
Consisting of 1,400 contiguous acres, City Center is a
mix of residential, commercial, light, and heavy
industrial-use properties. The areaplayed a vital role
in Columbia's economic well-being in the first half of
the 20th century, but fell into decline by the 1960s. City
Center has been the subject of many land use/
development studies, but private investment in the
area is unlikely without major environmental
investment and redevelopment. Property values will
likely remain low as well without investments.
Consequently, redevelopment ofbrownfields is critical
to the economic success of an area already primed for
maj or development proj ects over the next few years.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Columbia, South Carolina
Date of Announcement:
July 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
the 1,400-acre Columbia
City Center for cleanup
and redevelopment into a
social and economic hub of
the community.
Contacts:
City of Columbia
(803)733-8313
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 4
(404) 562-8661
Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region4/wastepgs/
brownfpgs/bf.htm
Forfurtherinformation, including specific Pilot contacts,
additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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OBJECTIVES
The Pilot has four primary objectives as it tries to
establish a mechanism for beneficial redevelopment
of vacant and underused properties located within
Columbia City Center. First, the Pilot will identify,
prioritize, and assess specific brownfields sites.
Second, the Pilot will develop cleanup alternatives
and budgets for contaminated sites targeted for
redevelopment. Third, the Pilot will create financial
incentives for voluntary cleanup activities. Finally,
the Pilot will conduct outreach activities for
stakeholders and community members.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Completing Phase I and II assessments of an
estimated five sites with real or perceived
contamination;
• Evaluating innovative cleanup alternatives to help
define acceptable residual levels of contamination;
• Assisting with regulatory negotiations forvoluntary
cleanup programs;
• Creating a Brownfields Advisory Committee to
organize community outreach programs and facilitate
community awareness; and
• Disseminating information about Brownfields Pilot
activities to stakeholders to advance community
participation.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet
are subject to change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Columbia, South Carolina
July 1998 EPA500-F-98-195
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