Oklahoma City has been awarded a $900,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The funds are designated for the Oklahoma City Brownfields program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made the announcement as a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The award from the EPA will go to the Brownfields Clean-up Revolving Loan Fund. This fund is used to finance the cleanup of sites contaminated by asbestos and other hazardous substances. Asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, a chronic disease that affects the lining of the lungs and is sometimes fatal.

Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive form of cancer. No cure exists, but surgery, chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and medications exist that can help to treat the disease. Surgical methods used to treat the disease include extrapleural pneumonectomy, which is a surgical technique that involves removing an entire lung, and part of the lining of the chest and pericardium. Another technique often used in later stages is pleurodesis. This surgery creates a scar that can help drain excess fluid from the lungs.

“Revolving loan funds are helpful when a development project needs a financial gap remedy to deal with environmental concerns,” Brownfields Coordinator Chris Varga said. “The low interest rates these public programs offer can assist developers in making deals work when bank financing won’t because the private sector considers a loan too risky or the interest rates are too high.”

Brownfields are properties designated by the EPA. A Brownfields site is a property that has been contaminated with environmental hazards like asbestos, lead, or PCBs, thereby rendering the property unusable for commercial or industrial purposes. Until the properties have been cleaned up, they are not suitable for redevelopment. The Brownfields program in Oklahoma City is designed to help facilitate the assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties.

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