The Butler Heritage Foundation discusses EPA Brownfields Grant
Butler Heritage Foundation board members and concerned citizens met with PPM Representative to discuss the EPA Brownfields Grant. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
Pastor Christopher Frazier Sr., Chairman of the Board for Butler Heritage Foundation, opened the meeting and was on hand to answer questions. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
Butler Heritage Foundation boardmember and Hartsville City Councilmember Kenzie Delaine detailed the removal process during his presentation. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
By Stephan Drew, Editor
editor@newsandpress.net
On Thursday, October 6, The Butler Heritage Foundation hosted an open meeting for the public at their headquarters, located at 1103 South Sixth Street, Hartsville. Citizens and members of the foundation met to discuss with representatives of PPM Consultants about what needed to be done to update the facilities and to make the buildings safer and healthier.
The Hartsville Graded School, originally located where Pride Park is today, was opened in 1900 and was the first public school for African-American students in Hartsville. In 1918, the name was changed to Darlington County Training School and was relocated to its present location in 1921. In 1939, it was renamed Butler School for the Reverend Henry H. Butler, principal of the school at both locations from 1909-1946 and also pastor of neighboring Jerusalem Baptist Church. The school served the African-American population of Hartsville under all three names during segregation and then continued as a junior high and high school before closing after the 1982-1983 school year.
Pastor Christopher Frazier Sr. is the Chairman of the Board for Butler Heritage Foundation. He detailed the origin of the organization, “It was started in 1991 by a group of faculty members and other citizens and it has been very viable in this community for the past 31 years,” Frazier said. “We have the Boys and Girls Clubs, Seniors on Aging here on campus, and Legacy Women here on campus. So, we’ve got several things going on for the community,” he continued.
Describing the upcoming work, Pastor Frazier stated, “We’ve got several things going on. We’ve been doing some renovation and we’ve got the EPA Abatement cleanup in the Fifth Street building and the old cafeteria, built in the 1950s. We’re having the asbestos removed and the lead paint also. Then, we’ll get a clean certificate so that we can come in and start renovating those buildings.”
PPM Consultants offers air, water and waste compliance consulting, environmental due diligence, soil and groundwater assessment and remediation, brownfields redevelopment and other related environmental services. According to PPM’s website, “A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”
Building 6 on the campus is the main portion of the construction. Butler Heritage Foundation boardmember and Hartsville City Councilmember Kenzie Delaine detailed the removal process during his presentation. Delaine told the crowd, “All the windows on the first and second story must be removed and replaced. We have to remove all the asbestos and the lead-based paint.” Delaine continued, “We have to maintain complete safety when we’re storing these materials. There will be containers to place the hazardous material in and those containers must remain covered securely at all times, so none of this material blows out on the streets or into the air.”
The Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees containment and removal of hazardous materials, had originally awarded more than $288,000 for the project. The foundation was responsible for coming up with 20%, so, $48,000 of that amount was waived. This is a 3-year grant but, foundation members are hoping to complete the work in 18 months. The group has already purchased a generator for $8,000 and the fuel for it may increase that amount to $10,000. The EPA works with Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Economic Development boards and other organizations to not only do construction but also strengthening companies, training employees and provide other services to help improve and grow businesses.
The Butler Heritage Foundation will conduct more meetings in the future and will provide updates to the public as work progresses.
