EPA Awards Over $1.6 Million to the State of Oklahoma to Support Environmental Programs

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $1.6 Million to the State of Oklahoma to Support Environmental Programs

(DALLAS – July 27, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $1,603,137 to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to assist with environmental permitting, enforcement and facility inspections. This Performance Partnership Grant will also be used to perform outreach and education, accreditation of training providers and certification of firms and individuals performing lead-based paint abatement activities.

The EPA and states share responsibility for protecting human health and the environment. This unique relationship is the cornerstone of the nation's environmental protection system. Working together, we have made enormous progress in protecting our air, water and land resources. Under traditional environmental program grants, states receive funds to implement the various water, air, waste, pesticides and toxic substances programs.

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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EPA Awards Over $11 Million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to Support the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

Press release:

EPA Awards Over $11 Million to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to Support

the Clean Water State Revolving Fund Program

 (DALLAS – July 27, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $11,419,000 to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to support the Clean Water State Revolving Fund program. The funds will be used by the state of Oklahoma to provide loans and other types of financial assistance to local communities and intermunicipal and interstate agencies for wastewater improvements. The loans will be used to improve water quality in streams, lakes and rivers benefiting aquatic life, drinking water sources and eliminating diseases caused by raw sewage discharges.

 The Clean Water State Revolving Fund program is authorized by the federal Clean Water Act to provide an innovative method of financing a range of environmental projects. Under the program, the EPA provides grants to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to capitalize state loan funds. The states, in turn, make loans to communities, individuals and others for high-priority water quality activities. As money is paid back into the revolving fund, new loans are made to other recipients to maintain water quality.

 Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

 More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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EPA Awards Over $139,000 to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for Groundwater Protection

Press release from EPA:

EPA Awards Over $139,000 to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

for Groundwater Protection

(DALLAS – July 10, 2012) The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) $139,217 to ensure continued protection of groundwater in Oklahoma. The EPA has delegated authority to the OCC to administer and enforce the underground injection control (UIC) program in Oklahoma. The funds will be used to issue permits for injection wells that meet program requirements and for shutting down wells when pollution has occurred. The funds will also be used to inventory injection wells, perform technical reviews of all permit applications, perform on-site field investigations and conduct interviews and visual observations for compliance assurance.

The mission of the EPA is to protect public health. This ensures American citizens have safe sources of drinking water through a cooperative effort between the EPA, state and tribal governments. The UIC program works toward protecting underground sources of drinking water from contamination by regulating the construction and operation of injection wells.

More information on the EPA Region 6 UIC program is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/water/swp/uic/

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

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EPA Awards > $200K to Reduce Asbestos Exposure

EPA Awards Over $200,000 to the Oklahoma Department of Labor

to Reduce Exposure to Asbestos

(DALLAS – March 7, 2012) A grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will assist in reducing asbestos exposure in schools and state buildings in Oklahoma. The grant for $234,713, given to the Oklahoma Department of Labor (ODOL), will be used for inspections and encouraging compliance with the Asbestos in Schools Program which is designed to protect the health of school children and other occupants as well as the community. ODOL will complete 100 audit inspections in Oklahoma schools during 2012 and verify asbestos workers are properly trained and accredited prior to and during asbestos abatement work.

More information about the Asbestos in School Program is available at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/asbestos_in_schools.html

Additional Information on EPA grants is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/gandf/index.htm

More about activities in EPA Region 6 is available at http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/region6.html

EPA audio file is available at http://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/mar2012.html

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