News from the Oklahoma Corporation
Commission
Phone: (405)
521-4180, FAX: (405) 522-1623, www.occ.state.ok.us
May 31, 2002
SPECIAL TO THE
BARTLESVILLE EXAMINER-ENTERPRISE
Oklahoma City)
In a special hearing, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission has approved an
emergency order allowing the use of state money to immediately begin the
cleanup of an oil site that threatened a nearby creek. The Commission agreed
with Commission Oil and Gas Field Inspector Bill Schufeldt that storage tanks
on the abandoned site posed “an imminent threat to the environment and public
safety” because they were leaking oil and salt water.
The site in
question is located in Washington County in the Dewey area. The waterway
threatened by the site is named Coon Creek.
Commissioner
Chairman Denise Bode is pleased the site will soon be remediated.
“As a
Washington County native, this situation has special significance for me,” said
Bode. “I want to thank Washington County officials for their help in attacking
this problem, and the Commission personnel who moved so swiftly to bring the
matter before the Commissioners.”
The estimated
cost of the cleanup is 12,500 dollars. Arrangements have been made with the
United States Environmental Protection Agency to reimburse the state from a
special EPA fund for the cost of the cleanup.
The Commission
approved the order Thursday afternoon.
-occ-
(All OCC advisories and news
releases are available at the Commission web site www.occ.state.ok.us)