Toxic wastewater from oil fields keeps pouring out of the ground across Oklahoma. It has bubbled up near homes and a school — and it has killed farmers’ crops and ranchers’ calves.
These incidents, sometimes called “purges,” have also contaminated the private water wells of people in rural areas.
Over the years, some Oklahoma residents have made complaints. But they haven’t always found an easy solution.
A rancher in northeastern Oklahoma told us he’s complained for years about wells leaking oil. The state plugged one well, which he said shot salt water and oil 40 feet in the air, but left others. In the southwestern part of the state, a couple found their drinking water had high levels of salt and benzene, a carcinogen. They sued an oil company, but their case is on hold.
As we continue our reporting on this issue, we need your help to understand how it’s affecting your community. Have you noticed purges or polluted water supplies in your area? Tried to address them? Do you have other information about oil and gas in Oklahoma that you’d like to share? Take a few minutes to fill out our form below.
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