Oklahoma U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mulln reaffirmed his support this week for continued use of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields program for rural and Tribal communities.
He did so during a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate change hearing. Oklahoma is considered a national leader in the use of the Brownfields program.
There have been 135 assessments statewide and 24 in the Second Congressional District. Additionally, there have been 80 sites across the state and six in the Second District that have completed the program. Since 2015, Oklahoma has garnered over $10 million in new state income taxes annually on remediated sites. There has also been a 147 percent increase in job growth on redeveloped Brownfields and surrounding sites.
EPA’s Brownfields program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, Tribes, and others to assess and safely clean up contaminated properties and encourage economic development. The University of Delaware’s economic study found that every dollar spent through the Brownfields program generates a $17.50 return on the state’s initial investment.
Click here for video of Mullin’s full remarks.