United States
                      Environmental
                      Protection Agency
                      Washington, D.C. 20460
                            Solid Waste
                            and Emergency
                            Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-01-244
April 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
vvEPA
Brownfields  Cleanup
Revolving   Loan  Fund  Pilot
                         State of Oklahoma Department of
                                        Environmental Quality
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
                                                Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders
in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for
redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $250,000 over two
years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup
of brownfields sites and prepare trainees forfuture employment in the environmental field; and, brownfields cleanup revolving
loan fund (BCRLF) programs (each  funded up to  $1,000,000 over five years), to provide financial assistance for the
environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and
communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to
site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND

Oklahoma was once dominated  by a booming oil
industry that employed many state residents. Following
the energy crisis of the early seventies, the collapse of
much of the state's oil industry left behind areas of
heavy contamination, and devastated communities, and
led  to  nearly  20 years of economic distress. The
average per capita income in the State is $22,953, and
ranks  43rd in  the nation. More than 15% of the
population live below the poverty line. Oklahoma
currently has three Federal Empowerment Zones and
Enterprise Communities  (EZ/EC) - one in central
Oklahoma City, one in Southeastern Oklahoma, and
one in the Town of Ada.

Oklahoma has been  active  in cleaning  up  and
redeveloping brownfields for many years, and the State
has established both a Voluntary Cleanup Program and
a Brownfields  Program.  In  1996, the  Oklahoma
Brownfields  Voluntary  Redevelopment  Act was
enacted.  This   law  gives  the  Department  of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) the authority to release
successful program participants from environmental
liability.
                          PILOT SNAPSHOT
                          State of Oklahoma
                          Contacts:

                          Waste Management Division
                             Oklahoma DEQ
                              (405)702-5127
                                                  Date of Announcement:
                                                  April 2001

                                                  Amount: $1.0 million

                                                  BCRLF Target Area:
                                                  Projects in designated
                                                  Empowerment Zones and
                                                  Enterprise Communities
   Region 6 Brownfields
      Coordinator
     (214) 665-6688
                                Visit the EPA Region 6 Brownfields web site at:
                            http://www.epa.gov/Region06/6sf/bfpages/sfbfhome.htm

                          For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional
                           Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications
                               and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
                                      www.epa.gov/brownfields

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BCRLF OBJECTIVES

The  objectives of the BCRLF Pilot are to provide
qualified applicants with the necessary capital to clean
up contaminated properties.  A successful BCRLF
program will be self-sustaining and will assist the
DEQ's  Brownfields  Program  achieve  its goal of
returning abandoned, idled, and underused properties
to sustainable uses.

The Oklahoma BCRLF will give priority to projects
located in designated EZ/EC areas. Potential BCRLF
candidate  projects  include  a former contaminated
property that Kaw City wishes to convert into a park; a
former National Guard Armory in Haskell that the City
plans to turn into a community center; and a former
refinery in Grandfield on which the town wishes to
build an industrial park. Additional sites identified by
EPA and DEQ Brownfields Pilot programs include the
Oklahoma Steel Castings facility in Tulsa.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

DEQ will be the  lead agency and will work with the
Oklahoma Department of Commerce to manage the
loans. DEQ's Waste Management Division will serve
as the brownfields site manager.
 LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES

 A variety of additional funding sources are available
 to BCRLF loan recipients:

 •   The Public Infrastructure Development Fund,
    provided  by the Oklahoma Department  of
    Commerce;
 •   The Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund;
 •   Two revolving  loan  funds capitalized by
    previous awards from the U.S. Department of
    Housing and Urban Development's Community
    Development Block Grant program;
 •   Funding from the Oklahoma Energy Resources
    Board for sites that were contaminated by past
    oil exploration activities;
 •   The Oklahoma  Department of  Commerce's
    Quality Jobs Program, which provides economic
    incentives; and
 •   Tax breaks for materials used for environmental
    cleanup.

 Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
 CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions  on use  of
funding also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
April 2001	
                                 State of Oklahoma
                                 EPA 500-F-01-244

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