BERKELEY COUNTY BROWNFIELD PROGRAM

EPA Region 4 Community Wide Brownfield Assessment Grant

MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Tuesday, October 1, 2024) – Berkeley County is pursuing an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Cleanup Grant for the former St. Stephen High School property that closed to the public in 1996 and is located at 1266 Russellville Road in St. Stephen.

The County plans to submit an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application in November 2024 to apply for funding to remove hazardous materials and/or petroleum products identified at the property. Prior to submitting the grant, the County is encouraging community members to review and comment on the draft application which includes draft Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) on Tuesday October 29, 2024. Additionally, an electronic copy of the draft cleanup application and the ABCA will be available online at https://berkeleymeansbusiness.com/brownfield/ beginning October 15, 2024, for public review and comment.

This initiative is part of a larger Brownfield Grant Program the County commenced in 2022 when County Council approved a $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant to fund a large-scale revitalization initiative in the St. Stephen area. Part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield Community Wide Assessment Grant Program, the EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant is helping fund
environmental assessments on certain properties throughout St. Stephen—including the former St. Stephen High School property.

Assessment Grant FAQs

What are the steps in the process?

What are brownfields?

Brownfields are properties that are or may be contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, petroleum or other contaminants that pose a barrier to productive reuse. Brownfields often are in struggling neighborhoods and areas with blight, deteriorated infrastructure, or other challenges. Brownfields may include public or private properties, green spaces, or parks in need of preservation.

Watch a video tutorial at the link below:

How are Brownfields Identified and Transformed?

Benefits of Assessment

Brownfield properties can have either real or perceived contamination, and some may need remediation due to the presence of a contaminant. The positive impact of brownfield grant funding for a community, of any size, can be significant. By taking unused or blighted properties and transforming them into new business opportunities, housing, or recreational areas, communities become renewed.

For examples of completed projects, see links below:

Columbus Mill District Brownfields

Pickens Project Brownfields

Why Create a Brownfield Program?

Revitalizing brownfields provides new economic and social benefits to communities, in addition to improving environmental conditions. Reusing stagnant brownfield sites requires special attention. In communities with weak economic or market conditions, socioeconomic barriers, or other challenges, brownfields can remain idle for years. Still, a local community can take several actions even at the most challenging sites to best position brownfields for successful reuse.

Creating Redevelopment Strategies: One Community at a Time