An Environmental Protection Agency administrator says three oil producers may be asked to temporarily shut down near an Oklahoma creek contaminated with saltwater.
EPA administrator Sam Coleman told the Tulsa World that producers near Bird Creek, near Pawhuska in Osage County will be asked for their daily production reports and may be asked to shut down while officials seek the source of the saltwater.
The water is a byproduct of extracting oil. The oil and water are separated and the water is injected back into rock formations.
The contamination in the creek was first discovered in August when a sheet of oil was found in the creek along with dead fish and turtles, but the source of the saltwater has not been determined.