Thousands of wastewater barrels spilled in Grant County

MEDFORD, Okla. (AP) – An oil and gas operating company has spilled several thousands of barrels of wastewater injection fluid into a Grant County creek.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission spokesman Matt Skinner says Stillwater-based Special Energy Corporation’s wastewater spilled into Polecat Creek when an underground valve malfunctioned. He says it’s unclear how much leaked into the creek but that about 18,000 barrels are unaccounted for.

Special Energy spokesman Don Terry says most of the wastewater was limited to the bottom of the creek bed and didn’t rise up and flow onto anyone’s land.

The company set up a "capture pit" to catch the toxic fluid before it made its way to another creek it feeds into. The Enid News & Eagle (http://bit.ly/1SwPKf9 ) reports that Special Energy Corporation hired environmental consulting and field services company Enviro Clean for cleanup assistance.