EPA Letter Says State Comes Up Short In Disposal Well Safety

The Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to state leaders telling them they must do more. The information comes from our partners at The Frontier.

“We believe further actions to address disposal well-related pressure buildup in the Arbuckle Formation are imperative to protect human health and to prevent contamination of underground sources of drinking water from induced earthquakes,” Ron Curry, EPA Region Six administrator, said.

The letter acknowledges efforts to reduce wastewater being injected back into the ground, but asks for more. Curry wrote the letter to Oklahoma's three Corporation Commissioners, Bob Anthony, Dana Murphy, and Todd Hiett, and also to Mike Teague, state secretary of energy and environment.

Curry also singles out energy operations in Cushing, the pipeline crossroads of the world. He says, "(a) breach in the integrity of the Cushing pipelines and storage facilities could be catastrophic for both the environment and the national energy system given the more than 80 million barrels of crude oil storage capacity.”

The Corporation Commision has reached out to the EPA in the past, informing them Governor Mary Fallin has appointed a task force to explore better ways to deal with wastewater. Fallin's task force plans on having a preliminary report on disposal alternatives later this month.