A 228,000 square-foot abandoned textile facility located on 70 acres with groundwater, soil, and building contamination will be the focus of the pilot. Cowpens established a textile mill at the turn of the century and chemicals were increasingly used to advance the industry. In the late 1960s, a major textile dying and finishing company moved into the area. In 1990 the company declared bankruptcy, closed the facility, and left town, eliminating 400 jobs in the process. The closing of this facility, complicated by possible environmental contamination and on-site vandalism, has had a devastating economic impact on the town.
Economic problems faced by Cowpens include unemployment and low earnings.
For the past seven years, the town has not received property taxes from the abandoned facility. Several industrial prospects have investigated the site, but have not chosen to redevelop it based on initial investigations and unknown environmental conditions, including possible groundwater and soil contamination. Extensive testing was initiated at the site, but further site assessment is necessary. The town also plans to use the pilot as a means for identifying methods to fund remediation and to develop a comprehensive reuse strategy.