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  Brownfields  2004

  Grant Fact Sheet

     Oklahoma Energy

     Resources Board



EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield 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, the President
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 pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The Oklahoma Energy Resources Board was selected
to receive a brownfields assessment grant.  The State
of Oklahoma (population 34.5 million) includes three
Enterprise Zones, and is home to 39 federally recog-
nized Native American tribes.  More than 11 percent of
Oklahoma families live below the poverty level, and
almost 52 percent of school children qualify for free or
reduced price meals. Since the beginning of petroleum
exploration and production in the late 1890s, an esti-
mated 450,000 wells have been drilled across Okla-
homa. There are thousands of orphaned and aban-
doned petroleum exploration and production sites, many
of which are within or near urban settings. In the past
ten years, the board has restored 5,000 of these sites
                      Assessment Grant
                      $200,000 for petroleum

                      EPA has selected the Oklahoma Energy Re-
                      sources Board for a brownfields assessment
                      grant. Grant funds will be used to inventory,
                      assess, and characterize multiple sites throughout
                      the state.
                      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
                      214-665-2180
                      http://www.epa.gov/region6/brownfields

                      Grant Recipient: Oklahoma Energy Resources
                      Board
                      800-664-1301

                      The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
                      yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
                      described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
                    across the state. The assessment grant will allow the
                    board to leverage its existing funds to maximize the
                    number of sites it can inventory, assess, characterize
                    and, ultimately, restore. This will benefit the economy,
                    environment, and health and safety of local communi-
                    ties throughout the state.
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                                           EPA 560-F-04-083
                                           June 2004
                                           www.epa.gov/brownfields

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