AUSTIN, Texas — If you've driven over Lady Bird Lake using the MoPac Boulevard bridge, you've probably noticed that a chunk of overflow parking at Zilker Metropolitan Park is covered with mulch.
Three of the five acres, the ones closest to the bridge, are off limits with temporary fencing in place to protect the mulch. That temporary fencing will soon be replaced by a permanent one and native grasses will be planted on top, according to a news report by KVUE's news partners at the Austin American-Statesman.
This is all being done in an effort to maintain the surface of the old Butler Landfill underneath the overflow parking lot. According to the report, an analysis published last year found the presence of hazardous substances, including arsenic, lead, cadmium and others that can cause cancer and other health issues over time.
Meanwhile, investigations over the years have found that the buried household waste was exposed in multiple areas throughout the landfill, with the material in the lower part of the landfill saturated with water from Lady Bird Lake, per the report.
Over the years, the City has completed projects to keep the trash covered, and planting native grasses is the latest. The lead of the maintenance projects for the old landfill told the Statesman that the grass will be planted after the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Permanent fencing will soon go up, with the temporary one set to come down after ACL.
The lead told the Statesman the project won't change the amount of parking available at the area, as parking has always remained on the gravel.
The City also plans to add an irrigation system and more gravel to the area used for parking to improve draining, per the report. The latest project should be done by November or December.
Read the full report by the Statesman here.
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