Residents welcome redevelopment but want safety

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Residents living near four former hazardous waste sites welcome redevelopment of the areas, but they still have concerns about safety.<br><br>The sites, which include the Double Eagle

Monday, May 29th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Residents living near four former hazardous waste sites welcome redevelopment of the areas, but they still have concerns about safety.

The sites, which include the Double Eagle Refinery and the Fourth Street Refinery, were cleaned up as part of the federal Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program.

The Oklahoma City Council in March approved applications for E-P-A grants for redevelopment of the sites. A decision on the
applications is expected next month.

Jim Wallace is president of the Eastside Environmental Coalition. He says his group likes the redevelopment ideas, which range from golf-driving ranges to new commercial businesses.

But Wallace says the process was hurried, and concerns about saltwater contamination and whether neighbors of the facilities are suffering ill effects haven't been addressed.

Oklahoma's Department of Environmental Quality said it knows the area has a problem in the water table, but the saltwater
contamination was caused by Oklahoma's original oil field and isn't eligible for cleanup under E-P-A guidelines.