On
April 21, 2026, at about 11 AM, the EPA was notified of the release of an
unknown amount of crude oil from an underground pipeline operated by Plains
Pipeline LP in Woodward County, OK. Oil discharge impacted soil and a nearby
tributary that leads to Ewers Creek. The Responsible Party investigated and
isolated the leak, and conducted oil recovery operations using absorbent boom,
drum skimmers and underflow dams to contain the discharge in the waterway.
EPA
deployed to investigate the extent of impact, amount of oil recovered and
amount of remaining oil, and to determine if the waterway is considered Waters
of the United States (WOTUS). As the lead federal agency, EPA is coordinating
closely with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
