Oil spill cleanup continues
Leaky storage tanks blamed for mess near Lake Skiatook.
Leaky storage tanks blamed for mess near Lake Skiatook

By John David Sutter

Published: June 27, 2008

An emergency cleanup continues in Osage County after more than 10,000 gallons of oil spilled into a tributary of Skiatook Lake earlier this month.

Tulsa's drinking water, some of which comes from the lake, has not been affected by the spill, according to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

An agency report also says fish and birds appeared not to be hurt by the incident.

The spill was reported June 16. According to agency documents, oil leaked out of storage tanks at Tall Grass Petroleum in Skiatook.

Heavy rains washed the oil into a tributary of Eagle Creek. A faulty piece of equipment caused the overflow, according to the EPA.

In January, a pipeline at the same facility leaked oil into Eagle Creek in the same area, according to agency records.

Workers have sprayed the banks of the creek with pressure washers to clean plants and rocks of oil.

Dave Bary, EPA spokesman in Dallas, said the oil spill was relatively "minor,” in terms of volume, but was a required cleanup because it affected a creek.

Diane Daniels, director of the environmental and natural resources department at the Osage Nation, said she is pleased with cleanup efforts.

"From time to time, some of these accidents are going to happen,” she said. "I don't think it was necessarily negligence. It was, in a sense, unavoidable.”

The Osage Nation owns all of the mineral rights in Osage County.

Daniels said oil slicks in the middle of a stream near Eagle Creek were three inches thick in some places.

Cleanup efforts are expected to continue at least through this week.

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