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President Clinton and Vice President Gore:
Protecting Our Environment and Public Health
Over the past seven years, President Clinton and Vice President
Gore have significantly strengthened protections for the environment
and public health, and won new resources to help states and communities
protect their water, land and coasts. Here are some of the ways the
state of Oklahoma has benefited:
Accelerating Toxic Cleanups. The Clinton-Gore Administration has greatly
accelerated the cleanup of contaminated sites, protecting communities
and revitalizing local economies by returning land to productive use.
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Superfund -- Nationwide, the Administration has completed
525 Superfund cleanups since 1993, more than three times the number
completed in the previous twelve years. In Oklahoma, 5 Superfund cleanups
have been completed since 1993.
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Brownfields Administration initiatives have steered
more than $110 million to more than 300 communities to assess, clean
up and redevelop brownfields abandoned, contaminated sites, usually
in distressed urban neighborhoods. Oklahoma has received 4 grants
totaling $800,000.
Strengthening Water Quality Protections. Through a variety
of programs, the Administration has provided significant new resources
to states and communities to safeguard public health by improving drinking
water and to protect rivers, lakes, and coastal waters. These include:
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Clean Water State Revolving Fund This fund supports
low-interest loans to help communities build and upgrade sewage treatment
plants and other wastewater systPs. Since 1993, the Environmental
Protection Agency has provided $10.7 billion to states for these loans.
Oklahoma has received $89.9 million.
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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund This fund, proposed
by President Clinton and enacted in 1996, supports low-interest loans
to help communities build and upgrade their water treatment systPs.
Since 1997, the Environmental Protection Agency has provided nearly
$3.5 billion to states for these loans. Oklahoma has received $49.6
million.
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Polluted Runoff Grants These grants help states and
communities develop programs to combat the largest rPaining threat
to water quality polluted runoff from sources such as farms and
city streets. Since 1993, EPA has provided grants totaling nearly
$900 million. Oklahoma has received $15.8 million.
Rural Water Grants -- These grants and loans provide special
assistance to small rural communities to upgrade their drinking water
systPs. Since 1993, the Department of Agriculture has provided nearly
$9 billion in loans and grants. Oklahoma has received $206.6 million.
Protecting Local Lands. The Administration has won significant
new resources to help states, communities, and landowners protect farms
and other local green spaces that support wildlife, recreation, and
water quality.
Land and Water Conservation
Fund Since 1993, the Department of the Interior has provided states and communities
with $81.5 million through the Land and Water Conservation Fund to
acquire and protect threatened lands. Oklahoma has received $1.2 million. Conservation Reserve
Program This Department of Agriculture program provides payments
to farmers who rPove environmentally sensitive lands from production
and improve thP by restoring wildlife habitat, planting windbreaks,
or creating streamside buffers. Since 1993, farmers in Oklahoma have
received funds to protect 972,949 acres.
April 2000
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