Kim Pace will replace the Rev. Charles Clevenger, who announced this week that he is resigning from the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance Trust.

Henry says Pace will bring a unique perspective to the trust, having taught school and lived in Picher and having gone through the relocation process herself.

Labels: Tar Creek

The new plan would apparently end the need for asking for more money each year to allow the EPA to continue buying out homes in the area. Last year money was held up because of debates over passing spending bills in Congress.

Oklahoma's existing trust [will be used] to complete the voluntary buyout for residents of the Tar Creek Superfund site and estimated the costs of that three-year goal at $42 million.

That put the total price tag for what has been termed the final cleanup plan for Tar Creek at about $167 million, which is on top of the nearly $150 million already spent at the site in Ottawa County.

This announcement marks landmark progress for the people living in the area of the Tar Creek Superfund site. The EPA’s latest remediation plan not only addresses necessary clean up of soil and water contamination from chat piles and wastes at the site, it also announces the completion of relocation assistance for the residents living in the Tar Creek communities.

Labels: Sen. Inhofe, Tar Creek

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe on Tuesday announced an 18-month moratorium on federal loan payments for two Tar Creek communities whose ability to make the payments is being hampered by the ongoing buyout.

The Oklahoma Republican said the moratorium should relieve pressure on Picher and Cardin to make the monthly payments on the water infrastructure loans.

Inhofe said the moratorium was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Office.

According to information provided by the senator's office, Picher's loan is for $800,000...Cardin's USDA loan is for $300,000. more)

Many families who had lived in danger now have a chance on a new life in a safer place, thanks to this unprecedented federal-state project...We've made dramatic progress in a very short time, but we will not rest until our work is completed.

Labels: Brad Henry, Sen. Inhofe, Tar Creek