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 With agriculture in decline, many working farms have been replaced by housing subdivisions.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 ------- |