Brownfields initiative in Oklahoma

Abstract

In 1996, the Oklahoma State Legislature passed legislation instructing the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) to create a new program to encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of idled or abandoned industrial properties, often referred to as "brownfields." Oklahoma law defines a brownfield as "an abandoned, idled, or underused industrial or commercial facility or other real property at which expansion or redevelopment of the real property is complicated by environmental contamination caused by regulated substances" (OS 27A §2-15-101 -110). In general, brownfields can be thought of as properties that have lost commercial value due to the perception that they might be contaminated with hazardous chemicals. Examples of brownfields include former heavy industrial properties such as smelters and refineries, as well as smaller facilities like gasoline stations and dry cleaners.