Brownfields 2011 Assessment Grant Fact  Sheet
               Charleston 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

Charleston County was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located along the  South
Carolina coast, Charleston County (population 348,046)
has a rich blend of culture, natural beauty, and historical
significance. Much of the county's economic activity was
driven by the Charleston Naval Base. The closure of the
base in the 1990s dealt a serious blow to the area's
economy. More than 20,000 jobs were lost. Outside of its
larger cities, the county has historically been an
agricultural community. With agriculture in decline, many
working farms have been replaced by housing
subdivisions. In agricultural areas, there are many solid
waste landfills, underground storage tanks, and packing
sheds. It is estimated there may be as  many as 100
brownfield sites encompassing more than 500 acres in the
county. These sites potentially pose a health threat to area
residents and reduce property values,  which in turn reduce
the tax base. Brownfield assessments  will help the county
identify contaminated sites and determine the potential
risks they pose, the first steps in transforming blighted
properties into productive sites.
                     Assessment Grants

                     $200,000 for hazardous substances
                     $200,000 for petroleum

                     EPA has selected Charleston County for two
                     brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                     hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                     inventory brownfield sites and conduct four to six
                     Phase I and three or four Phase II environmental
                     site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                     conduct community outreach activities and
                     generate two to four cleanup plans. Petroleum
                     grant funds will be used to conduct 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/was te/bf)

                     Grant Recipient: Charleston County,SC
                     843-202-6970

                     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)
E PA 560-F-128-059
       May 2011

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