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 ------- 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 ------- |