Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet

Austin, TX

EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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.

ASSESSMENT GRANT

$200,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Austin for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to complete ten Phase I and two Phase II site assessments, plan cleanup actions, and conduct community outreach activities. The 4.2-mile target area has a higher burden of brownfields properties than the rest of the city, including 19 abandoned underground storage tanks.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The City of Austin was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The city has a population of 656,562. The target communities are in a 4.2-mile area, where the poverty and unemployment rates of 29 and 43 percent, respectively, are higher than the rest of the city. In addition, 90 percent of the residents of the target communities are minorities. The target areas also share a higher burden of brownfields properties. Of the 88 abandoned underground storage tanks in Austin, 19 are located in the target communities. The city is committed to redevelopment that will contribute to a sustainable community, particularly in relation to transit-oriented development that will serve the recently approved commuter rail system. Immediate benefits will come from community involvement and reuses that focus on community needs. The community will also benefit from the creation of new jobs, expanded businesses and social services, and new greenspace.

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
214-665-6736
http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6sf/bfpages/sfbfhome.htm

Grant Recipient: City of Austin, TX
512-974-1954

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.