Clinton area farmer raising concern about contaminated water

CLINTON, Okla. (AP) -- A farmer who claims contaminated water killed his dairy herd says Clinton residents are drinking from the same source.<br/><br/>Clinton's drinking water originates from two main

Monday, September 20th 2004, 5:53 am

By: News On 6

CLINTON, Okla. (AP) -- A farmer who claims contaminated water killed his dairy herd says Clinton residents are drinking from the same source.

Clinton's drinking water originates from two main sources -- Clinton Lake and Foss Lake. Clinton Lake is fed directly by Turkey Creek, which weaves through Canute farmer Floyd Twyman's property and flows past a water well he says is contaminated.

Chemists hired by Twyman in September 1997 to test his well water claim they detected dangerous levels of radioactive isotopes, such as aluminum, americium and chromium.

Later, the chemists said the materials were a fingerprint match to tests conducted at the suspected oil-field pit above Twyman's 200-acre farm.

But tests performed for the city of Clinton and the Department of Environmental Quality have turned up no evidence of contamination.