I ^ | Brownfields 2004 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet V c/ Rhizome Collective, Inc., Austin, TX EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield 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, President George W. Bush 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 programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The Rhizome Collective, Inc. was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Of Austin's 656,562 residents, 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 redevelopment of the Grove Landfill site into an environmental education park with greenspace and wildlife habitat will remove a neighborhood eyesore, and enhance the surrounding community's social, economic, and environmental well-being. 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 assessment, 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 (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team (214) 665-6780 EPA Region 6 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region6/bro wnfields ) Grant Recipient: Rhizome Collective, Inc.,TX (512)385-3695 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 560-F-04-184 Protection Agency Response (5105T) June 2004 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |