A post that’s getting some attention online is not what it seems to be, according to city officials.
Pictures and videos of what posters say is a pollution emergency in the Arkansas River have been shared on multiple social media platforms.
“Maybe we could get Hanson or a giant rubber duck down here to capture the attention a hydrocarbon spill emergency of this scale deserves,” wrote Craig Immel on Facebook, referring to Tulsa's Labor Day party that marked the opening of Zink Lake.
Immel’s post, which has logged 36,000 views, features a video of brown water with a sheen on top flowing into the river from a rocky area near the shore.
The city of Tulsa sent Public Radio Tulsa a statement saying the video is not of a pollution emergency but of a naturally occurring process.
Here’s the city’s full statement:
“An investigation along the west bank of Zink Lake was completed by City of Tulsa environmentalists on September 12, 2024, in response to a citizen request. Officials found no signs of petroleum or hydrocarbons on or in the water. A sheen created by iron oxidizing normal bacteria, which is found in many local streams and lakes, was present, which can create a film and turn water a rust color. This normal and naturally occurring phenomenon occurs when oxygen, water, and iron combine. It is generally associated with acidic soils or can be enhanced by iron in surface runoff. Additionally, HF Sinclair conducted its own investigation and confirmed its containment cap was working as designed. Water samples will continue to be taken at the site and water condition indicators can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/zink.”
