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.
“We are eager to see our revitalization efforts in the St. Stephen area continue to advance and know this EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant will be another critical step in our vision to grow vital opportunities and improve quality of life for all who live and work there. Through solid and supportive partnerships with Terracon, the Asiko Group, and Town of St. Stephen, we have a team of skilled and like-minded individuals passionately working toward the preservation of St. Stephen’s unique landmarks and community members’ enduring success.” -Corey McClary, Berkeley County Workforce Development Manager
The EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant identified the former high school as a potential site for redevelopment in the area with a goal to provide more job opportunities and other quality of life resources for the community.
Over the last two years, community engagement has been a critical part of the EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant, including the establishment of the Brownfield Steering Committee, an 11-member team of local residents. This group directs the County in the assessment of properties and establishing goals and outcomes of the grant process.
A community meeting on the new EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant is set for Tuesday, October 29 at 6 p.m. at St. Stephen Elementary School, located at 1053 Russellville Road, St. Stephen. The meeting will be a time for the public to review and comment on the draft grant application and ABCA in person and provide public comment.
Should you need assistance accessing the grant or if you are unable to attend the public meeting or wish to submit public comments, please contact Corey McClary, Workforce Development Manager for Berkeley County Economic Development, at vog.csytnuocyelekreb@yralccm.yeroc or 843-719-4096.
For more information on the Brownfield Grant Program, visit berkeleymeansbusiness.com/brownfield.
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-Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office-
MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Thursday, April 6, 2023) – Berkeley County Economic Development will host a Brownfield 101 community meeting on Tuesday, April 11 at 5:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hut in St. Stephen, located at 180 Ravenell Drive.
This informational meeting will provide more details on the $500,000 EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant Berkeley County Council accepted in September 2022. Economic Development officials and representatives with Terracon Consulting Engineers and Scientists, SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be on hand to answer questions.
This grant is part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfield Assessment Grant Program and will help fund the first steps in a large-scale revitalization initiative to improve quality of life opportunities in the St. Stephen/Russellville area. Specifically, the grant will allow the Town of St. Stephen, Berkeley County Economic Development, and the EPA to work together to determine brownfield sites in the St. Stephen area that could be redeveloped to provide more job opportunities and other quality of life resources for the community.
Brownfield sites are properties that are or may be contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, petroleum, or other contaminants that pose a barrier to productive reuse. Such sites are often are in struggling neighborhoods and areas with blight, deteriorated infrastructure, or other challenges. A brownfield site may include public or private properties, green spaces, or parks in need of preservation. The grant has already identified two such sites: the former St. Stephen High School, which closed in 1996, and the area’s former Lumber Mill, which operated as a steam-powered lumber mill from the 1930s to mid-1960s and closed around 1970.
Members of the public are encouraged to submit information HERE if they own a property or know of a property in the St. Stephen area that could be considered for an assessment as a brownfield site. Landowners may be asked to participate in an assessment by providing information on the site’s history.
This EPA program also provides funding for these assessments—which are critical for determining real estate values—and will help identify and/or alleviate any potential environmental concerns at a site.
This revitalization initiative, which will be conducted in multiple phases, will include community input and engagement throughout the entirety of the process. For more information on the EPA Brownfield Assessment Grant Program, go HERE.
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-Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office-
MONCKS CORNER, S.C. – (Thursday, September 15, 2022) – At its meeting on Monday, September 12, 2022, Berkeley County Council approved a $500,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment grant to help fund a large-scale revitalization initiative to greatly improve quality of life opportunities in the St. Stephen/Russellville area. Watch the full Council meeting HERE.
This grant, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Community Wide Assessment Grant Program, will help fund environmental assessments on properties located within a certain designated Census Tract in the St. Stephen area. With the help of community and residential input, the Town of St. Stephen—together with the EPA and Berkeley County Economic Development—will conduct up to 15 site inventories of brownfield sites, in the St. Stephen area, that could be redeveloped to provide more job opportunities and other quality of life resources for the community.
The grant has already identified two such sites: the former St. Stephen High School, which closed in 1996, and the area’s former Lumber Mill, which operated as a steam-powered lumber mill from the 1930s to mid-1960s and closed around 1970. Another goal of this large-scale initiative will be to develop a complete revitalization plan unique to St. Stephen.
Public meetings and community engagement will be critical throughout this process. More information on public meetings will be forthcoming.
“County Council is committed to improving access to resources and employment opportunities for people throughout Berkeley County. This grant will not only help fund these initiatives, but also ensure the St. Stephen community is involved in the process. Berkeley County’s success is directly related to the success of its citizens; inviting the public to the table on critical decision-making efforts like this one are what makes us #OneBerkeley.” -Johnny Cribb, Berkeley County Supervisor
“The town of St. Stephen is grateful that the EPA selected us to receive one of the 2022 Brownfields Program Grants for $500,000. We were the only municipality in Berkeley County to receive this. In countless other communities around the United States, the EPA’s Brownfield Program has had a proven track record of leveraging private sector investment, creating jobs, and protecting the environment. St. Stephen will use this Brownfields Grant to spur our town with redevelopment and cleanup projects and bring sustained economic growth. We are thankful for the support of the Berkeley County Economic Development Office and their ability to work with myself, Town Council, and the Town’s administration to write the grant proposal. We are ready to collaborate with the various committees that will be comprised of St. Stephen residents and business owners to help us continue to grow and revitalize our town. It has been well worth the wait. This is the first of many blessings in store for our great town.” -John Rivers, St. Stephen Mayor
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-Prepared by the Berkeley County Public Information Office-
