Casinos and Stitt

[BobbyV]

The Dallas office of the EPA told me they didn’t have jurisdiction after multiple phone calls and pics sent via text to their office.
The US coast Guard also told me that the issue was on tribal property and they couldn’t help because they only regulate spills on navigable waterways. When I sent them pics of crude oil running into a creek that lead to the Arkansas River 1/2 mile away, I was told it was on the Osage tribe side and they couldn’t help.
When I contacted the BIA environmental office for Osage county, they came out, looked at the spill and left.
The next day a crew with absorbent came out and only worked on the spill around the tank battery that did not have a liner nor a containment berm big enough to contain a spill of that volume.
The clumps of crude on my land and two other neighbors land was not touched. Utility poles, fences, posts, and trees still have crude on them to this day. Nothing was cleaned up.
Repeated calls to the BIA environmental office do not get returned.
Oklahoma Attorneys representing the DEQ don’t have glowing things to say about the Osage environmental track record.
If you have any inside information about how this situation could be relieved, I’m more than willing to listen. 8 months of living with bottled water sucks.

That's horrible . . . back about 12 years ago I worked with some Osage Nation folks who were part of their solid waste division. You'd assume that with all of their royalties, etc. that they would have a pretty solid "EPA" like office.

Did you speak to some generic Region 6 person or did you speak with their tribal program office?

https://www.epa.gov/tribal/region-6-tribal-program

 

[dennishoddy]

That's horrible . . . back about 12 years ago I worked with some Osage Nation folks who were part of their solid waste division. You'd assume that with all of their royalties, etc. that they would have a pretty solid "EPA" like office.

Did you speak to some generic Region 6 person or did you speak with their tribal program office?

https://www.epa.gov/tribal/region-6-tribal-program

I eventually spoke to the region 6 office after having to climb the ladder from the Osage County Sheriffs office via calling 911 when no one would respond or answer my phone calls.
They had emergency response numbers that went nowhere. Region 6 eventually got me to the BIA environmental officer for Osage county.
The crude in the pics is still on the ground.

 

[BobbyV]

I eventually spoke to the region 6 office after having to climb the ladder from the Osage County Sheriffs office via calling 911 when no one would respond or answer my phone calls.
They had emergency response numbers that went nowhere. Region 6 eventually got me to the BIA environmental officer for Osage county.
The crude in the pics is still on the ground.

Holy crap . . . time to call a news station.

That is absolutely pathetic.

 

[CHenry]

Damn Hoddy! That's one phuckin huge mess

 

[DRC458]

Yeah, I cannot believe you still have not been able to get anything done. I'd call anyone and everyone I thought might even listen, including TV stations and OERB. I mention those because I don't think you said you had tried that route.

 

[Glocktogo]

The Dallas office of the EPA told me they didn’t have jurisdiction after multiple phone calls and pics sent via text to their office.
The US coast Guard also told me that the issue was on tribal property and they couldn’t help because they only regulate spills on navigable waterways. When I sent them pics of crude oil running into a creek that lead to the Arkansas River 1/2 mile away, I was told it was on the Osage tribe side and they couldn’t help.
When I contacted the BIA environmental office for Osage county, they came out, looked at the spill and left.
The next day a crew with absorbent came out and only worked on the spill around the tank battery that did not have a liner nor a containment berm big enough to contain a spill of that volume.
The clumps of crude on my land and two other neighbors land was not touched. Utility poles, fences, posts, and trees still have crude on them to this day. Nothing was cleaned up.
Repeated calls to the BIA environmental office do not get returned.
Oklahoma Attorneys representing the DEQ don’t have glowing things to say about the Osage environmental track record.
If you have any inside information about how this situation could be relieved, I’m more than willing to listen. 8 months of living with bottled water sucks.

Any chance USACE would have jurisdiction? I've heard of them regulating ditches in western states. LOL

 

[MacFromOK]

Dennis, much as I hate to say it... tree-hugging environmental groups might be able to help get something done for ya.

Especially if there's some endangered bug or varmint in the area. :/

 

[Shadowrider]

@dennishoddy The EPA and DEQ are looking at this as small potatoes in terms of spills. Sucks, but that's the way they are seeing it. I think it's time to hire an oil & gas attorney. A real good and knowledgeable shyster if you can find one.

It really shouldn't matter whether the well(s) are on indian land or not. The tribes aren't operating the wells are they? They've leased to a production company who has most likely contracted to an operator. They are the ones to have an attorney go after. The land and mineral owners have no involvement in the matter. You may need to get it into federal court too.

I dunno, I'm not involved in production and have never worked Osage County primarily because it's a little bit different getting into indian leases through the BIA. We had a couple of guys in the past who only messed with that stuff. These are my thoughts. Those tanks and pump jacks that I see in the pics are small. Throw the litigation word at them! Those small old wells are almost always marginal from a money standpoint. They may well see the light and clean some stuff up and make you right instead of going to court.

 

[Glock 40]

I wonder if I can claim fluid nationality. This could help with car tags and medical.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

The Dallas office of the EPA told me they didn’t have jurisdiction after multiple phone calls and pics sent via text to their office.
The US coast Guard also told me that the issue was on tribal property and they couldn’t help because they only regulate spills on navigable waterways. When I sent them pics of crude oil running into a creek that lead to the Arkansas River 1/2 mile away, I was told it was on the Osage tribe side and they couldn’t help.
When I contacted the BIA environmental office for Osage county, they came out, looked at the spill and left.
The next day a crew with absorbent came out and only worked on the spill around the tank battery that did not have a liner nor a containment berm big enough to contain a spill of that volume.
The clumps of crude on my land and two other neighbors land was not touched. Utility poles, fences, posts, and trees still have crude on them to this day. Nothing was cleaned up.
Repeated calls to the BIA environmental office do not get returned.
Oklahoma Attorneys representing the DEQ don’t have glowing things to say about the Osage environmental track record.
If you have any inside information about how this situation could be relieved, I’m more than willing to listen. 8 months of living with bottled water sucks.

Governor Stitt might want some dirt on the tribe.