Oil Spill Leaks Into Skull Creek Near Cushing; EPA Leading Clean-Up Effort

Crews are working to clean up an oil spill northeast of Cushing in Payne County.

According to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, on July 8th the Osage Pipeline owned by Holly Energy Partners ruptured, releasing around 1,000 barrels of crude oil into Skull Creek. They say the pipeline was fixed ten days late and is back in service at 20 percent less pressure. A huge cleanup led by the EPA is now underway.

The EPA says the spill affected about 1 and a quarter miles of shoreline of the creek, which is a tributary of the Cimarron River. Cleanup crews are using boom and dams to contain the spill, and water from the Cimarron River is being used to aid in the recovery process.