&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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