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working farms have been replaced by housing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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