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Austin Nonprofit Group to Receive $200,000 EPA Brownfield Grant

Release Date: 6/15/2004
Contact Information: For more information contact the Office of External Affairs at (214) 665-2200.

      The Rhizome Collective will receive a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to facilitate redevelopment of an underused property, EPA announced today.   The grant is part of a nationwide selection of 219 applicants sharing more than $75 million in EPA Brownfields grants.  The Brownfields program helps support revitalization efforts by funding environmental assessment, cleanup activities, and job training.

      "This federal grant is awarded under the Brownfields Act signed by President Bush in January 2002.  The landmark legislation continues to help local and state leaders throughout the country in their efforts to revitalize abandoned properties," EPA Regional Administrator  Richard E. Greene said.  "The importance of making these properties available to the community, providing jobs, needed tax revenues and recreational benefits that were not there before is a priority for us as we work towards our goal to recycle and renew polluted land."

      The Rhizome Collective will use the grant to clean illegally dumped debris on a closed landfill and recycle as much debris as possible for its education activities.  The Collective plans to restore the diverse native habitat of the area and create an outdoor Environmental Educational Center showcasing reuse of all kinds of materials.

      Brownfields cleanup grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at eligible sites contaminated with hazardous substances or petroleum. EPA's Brownfields program also provides funding to assist states and tribes in developing area-wide Voluntary Cleanup Programs.  These programs provide states, tribes, municipalities and communities useful information and strategies to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties.

      In March 2004, 16 communities received job training grants totaling $2.47 million to teach environmental cleanup job skills to 1,080 individuals living near Brownfields sites.  

      More information about EPA's Brownfields program and grants awarded nationwide is available at www.epa.gov/brownfields.  More information about EPA's goals is available at http://epa.gov/adminweb/leavitt/500dayplan.htm.