On January 29, 2024, at 1:00 PM,
the EPA was notified by the National Response Center (NRC) of a crude oil spill
of an unknown quantity from an unverified location
two miles north of Skiatook, Oklahoma. Skiatook is in Osage and Tulsa Counties.
According to the NRC, the spill is estimated to be one mile long and traveling
along a ditch east of Highway 11; an odor was reported as well. The ditch is
approximately 900 ft from Bird Creek which leads to the Verdigris River
approximately 30 miles downstream. EPA was notified by the Department of
Interior Regional Environmental Officer that the Site location is in Cherokee
Nation Tribal Statistical Area.
Since the spill
location is in the Area of Responsibility, EPA is the lead agency. EPA staff
and contractors were activated to the site. EPA conducted a Site walk along
Highway 11 from East 176th Street N to the Perrier Bridge, covering
approximately 5,130 feet. Water from recent rain events was observed along the
eastern and western sides of Highway 11, but no sheen, product, or petroleum
odor was found in any parts of the drainage pathway.
EPA conducted
community air monitoring for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) using a
MultiRAE. All air monitoring locations yielded readings below the MultiRAE
detection limit. EPA staff demobilized
on January 29, 2024.
