News Releases from Region 06
EPA Awards City of Tulsa, Okla., $300,000 for Brownfields Assessments
DALLAS – (April 26, 2018) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $300,000 in Brownfields assessment grants to the city of Tulsa, Okla. The award is part of $54.5 million EPA is distributing to 145 communities nationwide to assess and clean up underutilized properties while protecting public health and the environment.
“EPA’s Brownfields Program expands the ability of communities to clean up and recycle blighted properties for productive reuses that will utilize existing infrastructure and generate economic growth," said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. "Brownfield grants leverage other public and private investments and improve local economies through property cleanup and redevelopment.”
“Tulsa has a strong history of effectively leveraging Brownfields funding into economic success,” said Regional Administrator Anne Idsal. “This grant will help the city bring that success to the historic Route 66 corridor.”
“This grant is a tremendous opportunity for Tulsa and will continue our community’s investment along the Route 66 corridor,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “During the last several years, interest in Route 66 has grown, with more businesses wanting to locate on the historic Mother Road. This grant will help Tulsa take a proactive approach into converting brownfield sites to commercial and recreational spaces that will serve as economic engines along our Route 66 corridor.”
Tulsa will receive two assessment grants for activities focused on the Route 66 corridor. A community-wide hazardous substances grant of $171,500 will be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments and prepare cleanup plans. A $128,500 grant for petroleum will also be used for similar site assessments and cleanup plans. Both grants will also be used to support community outreach activities.
The Brownfields Program targets communities that are economically disadvantaged and provides funding and assistance to transform contaminated sites into assets that can generate jobs and spur economic growth. A study analyzing 48 Brownfields sites found that an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue was generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is two-to-seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of these Brownfield sites. Another study found that property values of homes located near Brownfields sites that are cleaned up increased between 5 and 15 percent post cleanup.
Communities can use Brownfields funding to leverage considerable infrastructure and other financial resources. For example, EPA’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund can be used to address the water quality aspects of Brownfield sites and the assessment and construction of drinking water infrastructure on Brownfields, respectively. EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program may also serve as a potential source of long-term, low-cost supplemental financing to fund Brownfields project development and implementation activities to address water quality aspects of Brownfields.
List of the FY 2018 Applicants Selected for Funding: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicants-selected-fy18-brownfields-assessment-revolving-loan-fund-and-cleanup-grants
For more information on the grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
For more information on how Brownfields restoration has positively impacted local economies and the quality of life for neighboring communities: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-success-stories
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Activities in EPA Region 6: http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.htm
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