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C-FERST

South Carolina: Charleston County Area Project Impact Environmental Education Program (A Former EPA CARE Project)

The summary below provides a description of a Charleston, South Carolina project that received a cooperative agreement from EPA’s former Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program in 2008. These case studies serve as historic references, and conditions since the project was funded may have changed.

The resources developed for this project provide communities with information about ways that other communities have addressed environmental issues. Communities can use these project results to reduce environmental impacts, understand risks and become stewards of their own environment.


Summary

Charleston County Area, SC 
Project Impact Environmental Education Program
Charleston, South Carolina 
EPA Region 4

The Charleston County Area Project Impact is the recipient of a Level II CARE Cooperative Agreement. The project started in January 2008, and ran through December 2009, under the direction of the Charleston County Building Services Department in Charleston, SC.

The Charleston County Area Project Impact partnership was initially formed to make the Charleston community more disaster resistant. The partnership has 172 members, including all of the municipalities within Charleston County, as well as private, public, and nonprofit sector organizations. Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties comprise the project area.

The purpose of this project is to increase awareness within the Charleston County Area of air and water pollution sources, and assist citizens in taking action to reduce pollution. The project will complement existing efforts including zone early action compact, non-point source pollution permit-related programs, green space acquisition, mass transit programs, and risk assessment of toxics.

Previously, the Charleston Region Toxics Risk Assessment identified particulates as a priority air hazard for the Charleston County Area. It was acknowledged that ground-level ozone was a companion pollutant to particulates from some area sources. Projects under the cooperative agreement will include encouraging the retrofitting of diesel vehicles with air pollution controls, and promoting fuel savings and the use of low-emission fuels.

Environmental education is also a focus of the project. CARE partners will educate the public on hazards of open burning, as well as other priority air issues, and on water pollution and conservation. These efforts will be focused on the general public, as well as specific audiences, e.g., homeowners, truck drivers, contractors and developers, lawn care service providers, young students, teachers, boaters, etc.

Established CARE Partnership:  South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control; College of Charleston; The Citadel; the Surfriders Foundation; Charleston Chapter; 113 Calhoun Street Foundation; South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, and others.