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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

Anderson  County,  SC


EPA Brownfields  Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

Anderson  County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Anderson County
(population 177,963) is located in northwestern South
Carolina. In the early 20th Century, the county had a
thriving textile mill industry. Later in the century,
economic pressures forced many mills to close.
Between 2000 and 2005, the area lost 12.2 percent of
its textile-related jobs. Neighborhoods particularly
impacted by mill closings have experienced higher
rates of unemployment and poverty than the county as
a whole. In some communities, unemployment is as
high as 19 percent, and the median household income is
$23,317. Preliminary assessments of the old mill sites
indicate the presence of a variety of hazardous sub-
stances and petroleum contaminants in soil and ground-
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected Anderson County for two
 brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to conduct up to
 three Phase II environmental site assessments and
 community involvement activities. Petroleum grant
 funds will be used to perform the same tasks at
 sites with potential petroleum contamination.
 Contacts
 For further information, including specific grant
 contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
 news and events, and publications and links, visit
 the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
 brownfields.

 EPA Region 4 Brownfields Team
 404-562-8792
 http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf

 Grant Recipient: Anderson County, SC
 864-260-4043

 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
water. Brownfields assessments will enable the county
to fully investigate these mill sites and determine their
human health and environmental impacts.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-08-085
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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