EPA Announces $18.9 million in Grants to Assess and Clean up Communities Across Southeast Region
South Carolina will use $2.2 million to redevelop a former lumber mill, a blighted shopping center site and other projects
Columbia, S.C. (May 16, 2025) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 23 recipients across EPA’s Southeast Region, including three in South Carolina, to receive $18,879,113 in Brownfields Grants to assess, clean up and revitalize local lands.
“The $267 million in Brownfields Grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families,” said EPA Administrator Zeldin. “EPA’s Brownfields Program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity complement each other. Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA is Powering the Great American Comeback, ensuring our nation has the cleanest air, land, and water while supporting sustainable growth and fiscal responsibility.”
“The first pillar of Administrator Zeldin’s Great American Comeback initiative promises access to clean air, land and water to every American while fostering economic growth. The revitalization of these brownfields is not just about cleaning up land, it’s about improving public health and restoring hope and opportunity in our communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator Kevin McOmber. “Together, we can transform these blighted properties into vibrant spaces that foster economic growth and enhance the quality of life for residents across the Southeast.”
These investments support locally driven redevelopment, unlocking economic opportunity, creating jobs and improving human health outcomes in communities in Region 4, which covers the Southeast. In addition to these new grants, EPA will provide $2,750,000 in supplemental funding to Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) recipients in Region 4. These funds will keep critical momentum going in communities already benefiting from brownfields investments, ensuring continued progress toward safe and reusable land.
These grants, part of $267 million in Brownfields Grants announced nationwide by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, put the agency’s commitment to protect human health and the environment into action while remaining good stewards of tax dollars and advancing policies to energize the economy.
In South Carolina, the EPA is awarding three Brownfields Grants, totaling $2.2 million:
- Appalachian Council of Governments will use a $1.2 million assessment grant to conduct 24 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments; develop eight cleanup plans, 10 reuse plans, and one Community Involvement Plan; and support community engagement activities. Targeted areas are the cities of Gaffney, Walhalla, and Pickens, and the Town of Pacolet.
- Berkeley County will use a $500,000 assessment grant for 14 Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments, develop an inventory of brownfields sites, update the county’s Community Involvement Plan, and conduct community engagement activities. The targeted area is the Town of St. Stephen.
- The City of West Columbia will use a $500,000 assessment grant to conduct 24 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments, create a brownfields site inventory, create an evaluation ranking tool, prepare seven reuse plans, and conduct community engagement activities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program helps transform underutilized and blighted properties into community assets – empowering neighborhoods, protecting health and sparking lasting economic change.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization grant opportunities.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $42 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 220,500 jobs.
View the list of selected applicants here.
For more on the Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
EPA anticipates that it will make these awards once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected recipients.
For updates on the EPA’s activities in the Southeast, follow EPA Region 4 on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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