Grants Totaling $300K Intended For Cleanup, Assessment Of East Austin Brownfields

EAST AUSTIN, TX — The City of Austin Brownfields Program has been selected to receive two Environmental Protection Agency grants totaling $300,000, the mayor announced on Wednesday. ,>

These awards will provide funding for site assessments and cleanup planning for land that may contain environmental contamination, known as brownfields, Austin Mayor Steve Adler explained. Austin Resource Recovery’s Brownfields Revitalization Office will focus environmental contamination testing in Austin’s Eastern Crescent where past zoning restrictions allowed industrial facilities such as power plants, fuel tank farms and cement plants to operate resulting in hundreds of brownfield sites today.

Site assessments, clean-up and redevelopment of vacant or underutilized properties will allow for transformation of these areas to productive reuse, Adler said in a prepared statement.

“Every dollar towards brownfields clean-up in the Eastern Crescent gives back $18 in jobs and economic opportunities for the community," Adler said. "These new EPA grants will finally address environmental justice while providing economic equity for that area of town."

Austin Brownfields Office provides assessments of existing infrastructure, clearing a path towards development of affordable housing projects with nearby parks, gardens and small businesses. Ultimately, the city will reduce the disproportionate concentration of blighted and contaminated sites in East Austin, Austin Brownfields Program Manager Christine Whitney said.

“The true goal of brownfield redevelopment is to ensure sustainability and livability by identifying sites that can be redeveloped into community-serving assets,” Whitney noted. The EPA defines brownfields as particular parcels of land that may have environmental contamination from prior uses (known or unknown) or where contamination migrated onto the property from offsite activities.

Brownfields may contain hazardous materials such as lead-based paint or asbestos-containing materials that need to be removed from the site before redevelopment. For more information about brownfields assistance or to sign up for email updates about the City’s Brownfield Program, click here.

City officials provided background information about the program:

About Austin Brownfields Revitalization Office

The City of Austin established the Austin Brownfields Revitalization Office in 1998. This office partners with local governments and other associations to support the revitalization of brownfields as a way to return properties to the community as a greenspace or as a commercial, residential or mixed-use development. ,>

About Austin Resource Recovery,>

Austin Resource Recovery provides a wide range of services designed to transform waste into resources while keeping our community clean. Services include curbside collection of recycling, trash, yard trimmings and large brush and bulk items; street sweeping; dead animal collection; household hazardous waste disposal and recycling; and outreach and education. Austin Resource Recovery offers free, voluntary and confidential consulting services to help Austin businesses reduce waste and comply with the City’s recycling ordinances. In December 2011, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, which is the City’s road map to Zero Waste. The City of Austin is committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040. Learn more at austinrecycles.com.,>

>>> Photo via City of Austin