Audit of underground storage tank cleanup fund finds problems

Wednesday, April 30th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma's state auditor says tens of (m) millions of taxpayer dollars may have been misspent under a program created to clean up underground petroleum storage tanks.

Auditor Jeff McMahan says an investigative audit by a Florida firm questions (m) millions of dollars in payments to contractors under the program.

The storage tank program is administered by a division of the state Corporation Commission.

McMahan says the audit uncovered allegations of falsified documents and possible ``collusion and conspiracy.''

He says that in some instances, contractors apparently were paid several times for the same cleanup equipment.

McMahan says his office will conduct an investigative audit of the program at the request of Attorney General Drew Edmondson.