Brownfields 2010 Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               Williamsburg County, SC
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield 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. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help
states and communities around the country cleanup and
revitalize brownfields sites. 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

Williamsburg County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in the Pee Dee
region of eastern South Carolina, Williamsburg County
(population 35,090) was the site of important
Revolutionary War battles. Agriculture played an
important role in the county"s early history, but in the
mid-1900s, industrial jobs moved in as farming jobs
moved out. When competition drove manufacturers to
relocate or close, the once booming economy of the
area declined. The county is now home to  several
mothballed facilities, including textile mills,
pharmaceutical companies, and furniture
manufacturers. These  sites are surrounded by residential
neighborhoods. More than 66 percent of residents are
African-American, and the county's unemployment rate
is 16 percent. Brownfield assessments will help
Williamsburg County clarify environmental concerns
about former industrial properties and are expected to
facilitate their redevelopment.
                   Assessment Grants $200,000 for hazardous
                   substances $200,000 for petroleum
                   EPA has selected Williamsburg County for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                   inventory and prioritize sites and conduct seven
                   Phase I and four Phase II environmental site
                   assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                   develop cleanup plans and support community
                   outreach 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
                   (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

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

                   Grant Recipient: Williamsburg County, SC
                   843-355-9321

                   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 negotiated.
                   Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are
                   subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-10-083
        Apr 10

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