Project Summary

In 2002, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the City of Laurens was one of 38 communities in the United States to receive a $200,000 grant to identify, assess and plan for the redevelopment of abandoned or under-used Brownfield properties.

The overall goal of this grant project is to promote the revitalization of Laurens through the redevelopment of abandoned and underutilized industrial and commercial properties. This will be accomplished in part by performing environmental assessment and redevelopment planning and through community awareness.

Assessments

The City will work with environmental firms to conduct environmental assessments on high priority properties. The grant will pay for these studies that are usually required by lenders.

If no environmental contamination is found on a property, then the property owner has received free environmental studies and can progress toward redeveloping the property. Support from the grant will also help owners locate potential developers.

If environmental contamination is found, the owner will receive additional assistance with remediation and redevelopment planning. While the current grant cannot pay for environmental cleanup, several benefits are afforded to participants in the Brownfields program, including:

• Access to new, innovative and cost effective remediation technologies,
• Qualification for special low-interest loans and remediation grants, and
• Potential liability protection.

Community Involvement

A series of community meetings will be held to receive input about existing properties and their potential for redevelopment. The goal of the meetings is to hear from citizens and to give developers an idea of what the community needs and wants.

Click Here for more information on the community meetings.