Federal regulators have ordered an oil and gas operator in Kansas to complete cleanup work after a discharge of oil and brine production water reached a tributary of the Chikaskia River earlier this month.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a unilateral administrative order to Atlas Operating, LLC following an estimated spill of 33,600 gallons of a mixture of crude oil and brine production water from an oil tank battery near Spivey in Kingman County, Kansas.

According to the EPA, the release entered an unnamed tributary before flowing into the Chikaskia River.

Spill Reported Mid-February

The EPA said it was first notified of the suspected discharge on the evening of Feb. 15 through the National Response Center, the federal system used to report environmental incidents.

An EPA On-Scene Coordinator was dispatched that same evening and arrived at the site the following morning to evaluate the situation and determine the extent of the spill.

Agency officials, along with local and state partners, later observed impacts up to 12 miles downstream from the tank battery.

Cleanup and containment efforts began shortly after the discharge was confirmed.

Cleanup Requirements

Under the order issued by the EPA, Atlas Operating must carry out several actions to address the spill and remove contamination from the surrounding area.

The company has been directed to:

• Stop the flow of oil into the tributary and the Chikaskia River
• Recover and remove oil, contaminated soils, and debris near the release site
• Recover oil and impacted debris along affected shorelines
• Dispose of all recovered waste according to state, federal, and tribal regulations

The EPA said it will oversee the work to ensure the cleanup requirements are met.

Deadline for Cleanup Work

The agency expects the response and recovery activities described in the order to be completed by March 13, 2026.

Discharges of oil or hazardous substances from onshore facilities fall under federal regulation through the Clean Water Act, which was strengthened by the Oil Pollution Act following major oil spill incidents.

Federal authorities say the rules are intended to ensure spills are quickly contained and cleaned up to limit environmental damage to waterways and surrounding ecosystems.