PAWNEE, Okla. (AP) — The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality says medical waste including used vials and syringes has been found in the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma.
Agency spokeswoman Erin Hatfield says the department was notified Monday of the discovery in Pawnee County and will send investigators to the scene about 60 miles west of Tulsa "in the next few days."
She said the river does not supply drinking water in Oklahoma. She also said there appears to be no immediate danger, other than to river users who might encounter any vials or syringes.
The county sheriff's office and the county department of emergency services did not return phone calls for comment.
Hatfield said it was not known how much or what type of waste was found, or where it might have originated.