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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Rhizome Collective,
Inc., Austin, TX
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield site is
real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the presence or
potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible
applicants through four competitive grant programs:
assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup
grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Rhizome Collective, Inc. was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Of Austin's 656,562 resi-
dents, 39,105 live in the area surrounding the Grove
Landfill site, which is located in East Austin and south
of the Colorado River. In 1928, the City of Austin
enacted a segregational zoning plan that relocated
industries and minority communities to the east side of
Austin. To this day, nearly 80 percent of Austin's
industrial zone is on the east side, with obvious negative
effects on environmental quality. In the target area, 33
percent of residents live below the poverty level, and
69 percent are minorities. The cleanup and redevelop-
ment of the Grove Landfill site into an environmental
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected Rhizome Collective, Inc. for a
brownfields cleanup grant. The cleanup grant will
be used to clean up the 9.8-acre Grove Landfill
site. From 1967 to 1970, 3.6 acres at the site were
used as a municipal household solid waste landfill.
Tests have revealed the presence of volatile
organic compounds, semi-volatile compounds,
RCRA metals, pesticides, and herbicides at this
site. Cleanup funds will also be used for assess-
ment, site remediation and enhancement, and
community outreach and educational activities.
This site will be redeveloped into an environmental
education park that will complement the adjacent
363-acre Roy G Guerrero Colorado River Park.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields/.
EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team
214-665-2180
http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Rhizome Collective, Inc., TX
512-385-3695
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
education park with greenspace and wildlife habitat will
remove a neighborhood eyesore, and enhance the
surrounding community's social, economic, and envi-
ronmental well-being.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-04-184
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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