News Releases from Region 04
US Finishing/Cone Mills in Greenville, S.C. included on EPA Superfund Redevelopment Focus List
ATLANTA (January 17, 2018) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its initial list of Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) sites with the greatest expected redevelopment and commercial potential. The US Finishing/Cone Mills site in Greenville is one of 31 sites on the list.
“EPA is more than a collaborative partner to remediate the nation’s most contaminated sites, we’re also working to successfully integrate Superfund sites back into communities across the country,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Today’s redevelopment list incorporates Superfund sites ready to become catalysts for economic growth and revitalization.”
The US Finishing/Cone Mills site is located in Greenville, South Carolina. It includes an area used for various manufacturing operations from 1903 to 2003. EPA placed the site on the Superfund Program’s National Priorities List (NPL) in 2011 because of contaminated surface water, groundwater and sediment resulting from facility operations. EPA and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) have investigated site conditions and taken steps to clean up the site in order to protect people and the environment from contamination. The public water system provides water supplies to nearby residents and businesses. To EPA’s knowledge, contaminated groundwater has not affected drinking water supplies.
EPA completed a short-term cleanup action to demolish facility buildings and secure the site in April 2012. EPA is also conducting an extensive investigation to fully assess site-related threats to people living near the site and the environment and to evaluate cleanup options. EPA selected this site as an Integrated Cleanup Initiative pilot project to demonstrate an innovative combination of management approaches and cleanup techniques.
Site owners began marketing 220 acres for sale, with parcels adjacent to downtown Greenville that can support residential, commercial and light industrial uses. Clemson University’s Master of Real Estate Development program has offered to provide site visioning assistance to the future buyer through EPA’s College/Underserved Community Partnership Program.
Superfund redevelopment has helped countless communities reclaim and reuse thousands of acres of formerly contaminated land. Superfund sites on the list have significant redevelopment potential based on previous outside interest, access to transportation corridors, land values, and other critical development drivers.
In July 2017, the Superfund Task Force released its recommendations to streamline and improve the Superfund program including a focus on redevelopment training, tools and resources towards sites on the NPL. EPA will work diligently with developers interested in reusing these and other Superfund sites; will identify potentially interested businesses and industries to keep them apprised of redevelopment opportunities; and will continue to engage with community groups in cleanup and redevelopment activities to ensure the successful redevelopment and revitalization of their communities.
Administrator Pruitt has set the expectation that there will be a renewed focus on accelerating work and progress at all Superfund sites across the country. The Superfund Program remains dedicated to addressing risk and accelerating progress at all of its sites, not just those on the list.
This is not a complete list of sites in the Superfund program with redevelopment potential. The list is intended to be dynamic. Sites will move on and off the list as appropriate.
For more information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund-redevelopment-initiative/superfund-redevelopment-focus-list
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