Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet

Anderson 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. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. 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.

ASSESSMENT GRANTS

$200,000 for hazardous substances
$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected Anderson County for two brownfields assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct up to three Phase II environmental site assessments and community involvement activities. Petroleum grant funds will be used to perform the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

Anderson County was selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants. Anderson County (population 177,963) is located in northwestern South Carolina. In the early 20th Century, the county had a thriving textile mill industry. Later in the century, economic pressures forced many mills to close. Between 2000 and 2005, the area lost 12.2 percent of its textile-related jobs. Neighborhoods particularly impacted by mill closings have experienced higher rates of unemployment and poverty than the county as a whole. In some communities, unemployment is as high as 19 percent, and the median household income is $23,317. Preliminary assessments of the old mill sites indicate the presence of a variety of hazardous substances and petroleum contaminants in soil and groundwater. Brownfields assessments will enable the county to fully investigate these mill sites and determine their human health and environmental impacts.

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.

EPA Region 4 Brownfields Team
404-562-8792
EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site

Grant Recipient: Anderson County, SC
864-260-4043

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.

EPA 560-F-08-085
April 2008

United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)

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