BERKELEY COUNTY BROWNFIELD PROGRAM

About 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) online at https://berkeleymeansbusiness.com/brownfield/ beginning October 15, 2024, for public review and comment. <Read More>

Timeline

Community Site Application

This form is for community members who would like to recommend a property for evaluation under the Berkeley County Brownfields Assessment Grant. Completing this form helps the County collect the information needed to identify and prioritize sites for environmental assessment. If you are aware of a brownfield property located within the census tract boundaries shown above, please include the address or a detailed property description on this form.

Property Owners Site Application

This form is for property owners interested in having their property evaluated under the Berkeley County Brownfields Assessment Grant. Completing this form will help the County gather the necessary information to identify and prioritize sites for environmental assessment.

Additional Information

Brownfields Steering Committee

Brownfield Steering Committee

Ex Officio 

 Henry Griffin 

Benjamin Smith 

John Clarke 

James Gethers 

Margaret Darby McGill

Andrea Hoffman

Michele Stosick 

Nathaniel Nelson

Patricia Simon 

Susan Perkins

Charon Gadsden 

Gerald Addison
Appointed in EPA Grant Narrative 

Dan Kredensor
Small Town Restoration  

Janice Carr
St. Stephen Growth & Development  

Sonya Addison-Stewart
Berkeley County School District 

St. Stephen Town Council 

Berkeley County Economic Development 

Community Update

Community Update

(As of December 2024)

EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant

What Phase Are We In?

  • Currently, we are in the assessment and reuse planning phases.
  • The Assessment Phase includes identifying and performing environmental assessments on multiple properties in the community and producing data that can lead to redevelopment of properties.
  • The Redevelopment and Reuse Planning Phase includes taking proactive steps to effectively prepare for future use of the property through visualization and additional assessment.
  • Cleanup Grant and Assessment Grant applications have been submitted with the goal of continuing further assessment in the future and beginning cleanup activities.

What Progress Has Been Made So Far?

  • Five community meetings and steering committee meetings have taken place over the lifetime of the grant.
  • In our last community meeting, attendees brainstormed how renovations to St. Stephen High School could best serve the community’s needs in the following areas:
    • Education and job training
    • Community resources
    • Recreational activities
    • Event space
    • Health services
    • Walkable greenspace
  • Five Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) Reports have been completed for the former St. Stephen High School (2 assessments), Turner Mill Site, Former Rail Depot, and 1158 S. Main Street.
  • Phase II Site Assessment has been performed at the former St. Stephen High School and Phase II Site Assessment sampling has been completed at the Turner Mill Site.
  • Additional assessments have been performed at the former St. Stephen High School, including:
    • Asbestos and lead paint inspection
    • Mercury sampling
    • Initial structural assessment

Why Is This Grant Important to Me?

  • Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) can determine if your property may have any potential environmental concerns. The EPA’s grant program will provide funding to perform these assessments at your property.
  • Two additional grant applications have been submitted. If awarded, they will continue to benefit the community through property assessments and making significant progress towards the goal of redeveloping the former St. Stephen High School.

How Can I Get Involved?

  • The community can get involved by suggesting properties that may be assessed for redevelopment through our website.
    • Ideal properties are those that may be abandoned for many years and/or may contain environmental hazards. (Examples: former gas stations, automobile repair facilities, former industrial sites, and/or former dry cleaners.)
  • Share updates with family and neighbors to make sure they are aware of what’s happening with the project.
  • Invite a project representative to your community event to answer questions or share updates.
  • Keep a lookout for our next community meeting in late Spring/early Summer 2025, when we will share updates on any newly awarded grants.

Contact:

Corey McClary, Workforce Development Manager

Berkeley County Economic Development

📞 843-719-4096 | ✉️ vog.csytnuocyelekrebobfsctd@yralccm.yeroc

For More Information:

🌐 Visit: berkeleymeansbusiness.com/brownfield

👍 Follow us on Facebook: Berkeley County Government

Community Meetings

No meetings scheduled at this time

Past Meetings

October 2024

The community met Oct. 24 at St. Stephen Middle School to hear updates on the Brownfield Program

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June 2024

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Brownfield FAQ

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.

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.

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

More FAQ