A proposed wastewater disposal well to be located north of El Reno near the Darlington school and the Cheyenne Arapaho Lucky Star Casino is being opposed by the two organizations.
A company named H2OK LLC, listed by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission as headquartered in Texas, has proposed the well along highway 81. Reports indicate the site is less than 200 yards from the Darlington school and only a mile from the casino.
But the school and the casino have filed a protest petition with the Commission and a hearing is scheduled in mid-June.
“We don’t need that there, no way,” Loren Tackett, Superintendent of the School told News 9’s Dana Hertneky.
“There’s a lot of problems below the ground, but onne of mymain concerns is above the ground,” he said. “Spills, the smell, anything like that. Right now, we have a south wind, My kids are going to be eating that all day long if there are those kinds of things.”
The well would also be located close to a water supply for the city of El Reno and the Cheyenne Arapaho Tribe.
Rancher David Griesel is also worried about the potential impact to his nearby ranch.
“We are concerned that there potentially could be a leak from the casing or the cement joins and if that gets into our ground water, we’re going to h ave a problem on our hands.”
The Cheyenne Arapaho tribe is fighting it as well.
“It may not do anything but we’re not willing to take the gamble to see what happens with our water—it’s not worth it,” said Lt. Gov. Gilbert Miles.
As for H2OK, the company is registered as operator 24060 with the Corporation Commission. It is listed as being headquartered in Marble Falls, Texas. But it did not respond for a comment.