June 05, 2026
Environmental Consulting, Geotechnical Engineering, and Construction Materials Testing Services
Location: Charleston, South Carolina
Client: Highland Resources
- Supported the reuse and redevelopment of a 192-acre brownfield site along the Ashley River
- Assisted in removing the majority of the Koppers Superfund Site from the EPA’s National Priorities List
- Provided environmental, construction services, and geotechnical services across multiple former industrial and Superfund sites
- Contributed to a project recognized with a 2023 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Excellence in Site Reuse Award
- Once complete, the site will be transformed into a vibrant neighborhood featuring residential communities, Class A office space, retail and restaurants, hospitality, a marina, public parks, waterfront access, and expansive green space
The Project
Magnolia Landing is a 192‑acre brownfield redevelopment located along the Ashley River in Charleston, South Carolina. The site includes several historically industrial properties, most notably the Koppers Superfund Site, the Ashepoo Phosphate Site, and the Columbia Nitrogen Site, each with distinct regulatory histories and environmental challenges.
Highland Resources acquired the property in 2018, and the City of Charleston designated Magnolia Landing as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) to support long‑term redevelopment of the waterfront site.
In 2023, the Magnolia Landing Development project team received an Excellence in Site Reuse Award from the US EPA, recognizing cooperative efforts with the EPA to align site cleanup with successful reuse and redevelopment.
S&ME supports the design and development team by providing environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and construction materials testing services to advance remediation, regulatory closure, and redevelopment readiness.
Once complete, the former industrial site will be transformed into a vibrant neighborhood featuring residential communities, Class A office space, retail and restaurants, hospitality, a marina, public parks, waterfront access, and expansive green space. Designed to blend urban energy with the Lowcountry’s natural landscape, the development will create new opportunities for living, working, and gathering along more than a mile of river and marsh frontage, setting a new standard for large-scale brownfield redevelopment in the Charleston region.
The Challenge
This project required navigating decades of industrial use, complex regulatory frameworks, and multiple contaminated properties governed by federal and state oversight.
Historical uses of the site included wood treatment operations, phosphate fertilizer manufacturing, and industrial activities such as chemical tank cleaning, ship repair, steel fabrication, petroleum‑related material handling, municipal operations, and fire‑training facilities. These legacy uses resulted in environmental conditions requiring site‑specific investigation, remediation, and long‑term stewardship.
Key challenges included:
- Managing remediation across multiple Superfund and regulated sites
- Coordinating work under EPA Records of Decision, Administrative Orders, and Voluntary Cleanup Contracts
- Supporting redevelopment while addressing federal liens, litigation, and regulatory constraints
- Aligning cleanup actions with future land use and infrastructure development
Our Technical Approach
S&ME delivered integrated environmental, geotechnical, and construction-phase services to support cleanup and redevelopment across the Magnolia Landing property.
At the Koppers Superfund Site, HR Charleston VII, LLC conducted remedial activities under the 2018 USEPA Record of Decision Amendment to allow for a change in use of the property. They acquired the property through a non‑responsible party (NRP) Voluntary Cleanup Contract with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) after site was removed from the EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL). S
For the Ashepoo Phosphate Site, previously addressed under an Administrative Order on Consent and monitored natural attenuation, S&ME is supporting redevelopment under an NRP VCC with SCDES by providing environmental consulting, geotechnical engineering, and construction materials testing services.
At the Columbia Nitrogen Site, subject to a USEPA Unilateral Administrative Order for a Non‑Time Critical Removal Action, S&ME conducted response actions required by the VCC and provided environmental, geotechnical, construction materials testing, and special inspection services for Highland’s Charleston office constructed on the site.
Key Environmental and Engineering Services
S&ME’s scope included a broad range of environmental and engineering services to support remediation, regulatory coordination, and redevelopment:
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments - Soil and groundwater investigations
- Borrow pit characterization and material profiling
- Disposal characterization, manifesting, and waste profiling
- Asbestos and lead‑based paint assessments
- Monitoring well abandonment and reporting
- Groundwater modeling and geophysical surveys
- Industrial wastewater discharge permitting and monitoring
- Preparation of work plans, corrective measures plans, environmental media management plans, and stewardship plans
- Coordination with the USEPA, SCDHEC, and local utility providers
- Geotechnical engineering and construction materials testing services
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Removing a Superfund Site from the EPA’s National Priorities List
Koppers Superfund Site, part of Magnolia Landing, was listed on the EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL), a designation reserved for the most contaminated locations, indicating potential risks to human health and the environment. S&ME supported environmental remediation efforts, including the management and treatment of contaminated materials, helping advance the site toward redevelopment. This successful transformation of a complex Superfund site demonstrates how remediation can restore properties for safe use while creating long-term economic and community value.
The Impact
Environmental Engineer and Project Manager, Mary Beth Cline has been on the site for14 years.
“As an Environmental Engineer, it’s super exciting for me to see redevelopment occur instead of sprawl to new green space. I like to see the green spaces stay green and reuse property that’s been used.
The Magnolia Landing site is an Environmental Engineer’s dream…as an opportunity and exciting project to work on. ”
S&ME’s work at Magnolia Landing will help transform a historically industrial and environmentally complex property into a viable redevelopment opportunity along Charleston’s waterfront.
By supporting regulatory closure, remediation, and redevelopment planning across multiple Superfund and brownfield sites, the project team advanced one of the region’s most significant site reuse efforts. Recognition through the EPA’s Excellence in Site Reuse Award reflects the successful coordination between regulators, developers, and technical teams.
The Magnolia Landing project demonstrates how thoughtful environmental engineering, regulatory collaboration, and phased redevelopment can convert legacy industrial sites into assets that support economic development, environmental protection, and long‑term community value.