Cleanup Underway for Deep Fork River Oil Spill

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Cleanup is underway for an oil spill in the Deep Fork River upstream from Arcadia Lake.

The oil leaked into the river from an old abandoned pipeline about two miles south of Arcadia Lake.

The leak was reported Monday and crews were able to stop the leak. Clean up efforts continued on Wednesday.

Crews are now working to soak up the oil which covers 8,000 feet of waterway, equivalent to 22 football fields.

A thumb-size hole was all it took to spill an estimated 250 barrels of oil into the Deep Fork River, which is about 10,500 gallons of oil.

"Apparently this pipeline has run across the Deep Fork River for some time. Now we suspect, but we don't know for sure that the recent flooding have weakened it and weakened its underpinnings and helped bring about the leak," said Matt Skinner, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesperson.

A local pipeline company volunteered to help stop the spill from spreading and now EPA workers are getting a handle on soaking up the oil with absorbent pads.

The Deep Fork River feeds into Arcadia Lake, but Skinner said the spill will not affect the lake.

"Arcadia Lake is a reservoir. It's a drinking water supply for the City of Edmond so anything in there like this is certainly detrimental at best, so we're very glad that it was able to be stopped," Skinner said.

EPA said it will take seven to 10 days to finish the cleanup and they'll work through the weekend to get it done.