All News Releases By Date

EPA Orders Oakland Petroleum Operating, Inc. to Stop Discharging

Release Date: 10/21/2010
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(DALLAS, October 21, 2010) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a cease and desist administrative order to Oakland Petroleum Operating, Inc. of Tulsa, Oklahoma, for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.

A September 21, 2010, EPA inspection of the company’s oil field production and brine disposal facility in Osage County, Oklahoma, found two unauthorized discharges of oil field brine and produced wastewater generated by oil production activities into Turkey Creek. The inspection also revealed that water located at the discharge points of entry into Turkey Creek was contaminated with brine discharges and salts.

Based on these findings, Oakland Petroleum Operating, Inc. has been ordered to cease all discharges of pollutants from the facility, remove all brine and contaminated soils from the flow path located between the brine tanks and injection flow line within the facility and the discharge points into Turkey Creek. The company has also been ordered to remove all residual brine within Turkey Creek and within 30 days provide written certification that these activities have been completed.

More about activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/oct2010.html