The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently awarded $2,023,115 to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality to support the state’s water pollution control program. The grant will help prevent, reduce and eliminate water pollution through monitoring, standard setting, enforcement and compliance activities.
“This funding will build on the good work our partners at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality have done to protect Oklahoma’s waterways from pollution,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen. “Ensuring clean water is essential to EPA and the state of Oklahoma.”
“DEQ is excited to be the recipient of the annual 106 grant, which along with state General Revenue and fee funding, allows DEQ to implement the Clean Water Act in Oklahoma. This funding contributes to DEQ’s ability to protect public health and the environment and support our way of life and economic development,” said Oklahoma DEQ Water Quality Division Director Shellie Chard.
The Clean Water Act provides funding to water pollution control programs to build and sustain effective water quality programs that ensure the health of our nation’s water bodies. The funds are awarded under section 106 of the Clean Water Act.
The objective of the Clean Water Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters. Programs under the act support monitoring, assessment, protection, and prevention of polluted runoff in waterways.