Oil spill in small Ninnekah neighborhood has people on edge

NINNEKAH, Okla. (KFOR) – A recent oil spill from nearby oil batteries in a small neighborhood in Ninnekah has neighbors concerned.

“My dogs came back covered in oil and I knew something was for sure wrong,” said Chad Evetts. He lives next door to the spill and said his two dogs fell into the pool of oil.

Oil-covered dog paw prints can be seen circling the operation site.

“It’s not right and honestly, it’s environmentally wrong,” said Evetts.

KFOR contacted the operator of the site whose phone number could be found on the side of the batteries. The operator said he didn’t know that a leak had occurred and that he was going to call someone to come and pump the area immediately.

“Obviously our first priority in this situation is to clean up the area,” said Matt Skinner, spokesperson for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) which investigates spills like these.

OCC sent out an investigator Wednesday to the site who reported that the amount of spillage equaled two barrels of oil and that it had not spilled outside of the secondary site.

“Spill resulted when a saltwater tank ran over before the truck that was to empty it arrived,” stated Skinner.

Skinner also said that fines in these situations can reach up to $5,000 per day it isn’t addressed.

“The operator is required to pick up all free fluids and remediate any oil residue inside secondary containment. The site is to be brought into compliance by July 12th,” said Skinner.

Evetts said his dogs are doing fine, they still have some of the oil on their coats though.

“I’m worried about the animals that want to drink the oil, not just my dogs,” said Evetts. “It’s the animals outside that come across the pool of oil I worry about.”