ill
                            C3
 Brownfields  2004
 Grant  Fact  Sheet
    Aiken County, SC
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
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, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
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 pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

Aiken County was selected for a brownfields assess-
ment grant. Aiken County (population 143,905), located
in western South Carolina along the Savannah River,
was home to many textile plants and industries involved
in fabric production for 150 years. Today, most of the
mills have closed their doors, leaving behind blighted,
abandoned properties and an aging, low-income
population. The target site, in Clearwater (population
4,199), currently consists of piles of building debris and
materials containing asbestos. Surface water sampling
indicates the presence of heavy metals on the site.
More than 19 percent of the residents  in the census
tract around the target site live below the poverty level.
Almost  20 percent of the Clearwater population  is
  Assessment Grant
   $200,000 for hazardous substances
   EPA has selected Aiken County to receive a
   brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be
   used to conduct community outreach, perform
   Phase I and II site assessments, conduct health
   monitoring activities for surrounding communities,
   and develop cleanup and reuse plans at a 22-acre
   abandoned, burned textile mill property.
   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
  404-562-8493
  http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm
  Grant Recipient: Aiken County, SC
  803-642-2012
  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
  described in this fact sheet are  subject to change.
minority, and more than 38 percent of residents are
over 50. Aiken County's options for reuse of the site
include senior housing, affordable housing for families,
and open space. The county hopes that this project will
serve as a model for redevelopment and community
involvement for other former mill towns in the area.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA 560-F-04-020
                         June 2004
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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