( w \ Brownfields 2005 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
Sumter, 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. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush 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 programs through a separate
mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Sumter was selected to receive a brownfields
cleanup grant. Located in the heart of South Carolina,
Sumter (population 39,643) is 45 minutes from the
capital, Columbia. It is an industrial- and military-based
community on the verge of losing several of its
manufacturers and, potentially, Shaw Air Force Base,
which is on the Department of Defense's Base
Realignment and Closures List. The cleanup site is in the
city's federally designated Empowerment Zone (EZ),
which has a population of 13,127. More than 90 percent
of the EZ residents are African-American, and almost 42
percent do not have high school diplomas. The
unemployment rate is 15.5 percent, and more than 28
percent of the EZ families live in poverty. Brownfields
redevelopment in the EZ will create a more attractive
environment for residents and lead to new businesses,
jobs, and an increased tax base for the city. The Old
Western Auto site, targeted for cleanup, will be leased to
the local technical college for its Allied Health Program,
creating both jobs and training opportunities within
walking distance for residents of the EZ. Redevelopment
will increase property values and create greenspace.
Cleanup Grant
$50,000 for hazardous substances
$50,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Sumter for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be
used for community outreach, planning, and site
cleanup for both petroleum and hazardous
substances contamination at the Old Western Auto
site on Main Street, which covers almost an entire
city block. Since the 1800s, the site has been used
for a variety of purposes such as an auto
dealership, ice and fuel company, filling station,
farm store, telephone manufacturing company,
and battery storage facility.
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: City of Sumter, SC
(803) 436-2575
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	c
Environmental	anri Fmpflpn™	EPA 560-F-05-183
Protection Agency	Response (5105T)	May 2005
Washington, DC 20450	Kesponse (si us )

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