Oilfield wastewater is seeping out of the ground across Oklahoma, sometimes blasting out of old, abandoned wells. It has poisoned groundwater, scarred acres of land and killed cattle. I started reporting on the problem as a freelance journalist a year and a half ago. It took months to get my hands on the relevant state records and many more to sift through the thousands of pages of emails and other documents.
I criss-crossed the state, visiting oilfields and speaking to impacted citizens. Many were hesitant to talk, in some cases because their livelihoods were entangled with the oil and gas industry. But in time, they told me about drinking water tainted by oilfield contaminants, some that cause cancer.
I hoped ProPublica would publish the project as part of its Local Reporting Network, but I also needed a newsroom in Oklahoma on board. l was thrilled when The Frontier agreed to take it on. I’d been a fan of their fearless journalism for years. I’m honored to be part of this team now, made up of talented reporters who take on powerful interests in Oklahoma and hold state leaders to account.
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🔶 Donate NowThe Frontier and ProPublica published the first story in October, which found that regulators have known about the problem of oilfield purges for years, yet failed to take meaningful action.
We plan to publish more stories about oil and gas, still one of our state’s most important economic sectors. But to continue this work, we need your help. Investigative reporting isn’t easy, and it requires the time and money that are in short supply in journalism these days.
That’s where you come in. Your donations allow us to give important stories the time and attention they deserve. When you give money to The Frontier, you’ll be supporting a newsroom dedicated to getting the facts right and publishing stories that matter to Oklahomans.
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