Cathy Cowan Becker (@ccbecker271.bsky.social)

Why Oil Field Wastewater Is Bubbling Up All Over This State | ProPublica Docs The United States is the largest oil and gas producer in the world. A toxic byproduct of all that drilling — billions of gallons of oil field wastewater — is rising to the surface and threatening communities across Oklahoma. For decades, energy companies have disposed of this briny, chemical-laden fluid by injecting it deep underground. Now, it’s contaminating drinking water, blasting out of old wells and even bubbling through the floor of one family’s dream home. In "Toxic Ground," a new investigative documentary from The Frontier and ProPublica, reporter Nick Bowlin crisscrosses the state to uncover the impact of this environmental crisis on Oklahomans. Oklahoma’s oil field wastewater problem is a stark warning for oil-and-gas-producing states across the country: What happens when over a century of drilling catches up with us? Help us tell the story of how Oklahomans are affected by oil and gas pollution: https://propub.li/4dRXuqt Read the full series here: https://propub.li/4dRF6y0 00:00 - Introduction 01:16 - Wastewater floods a family home 02:16 - Reporter searches for orphan wells 03:00 - Oklahoma’s oil field wastewater problem 04:34 - Why the Merediths can’t go home 06:09 - Where and why do wastewater purges happen? 07:34 - An engineer explains the risks 09:40 - Another family faces unsafe drinking water 12:22 - The Merediths struggle for stability 14:31 - Investigating the state regulator 16:39 - The families fight for answers 19:26 - Pressing for accountability at town hall 21:38 - The future for impacted families 25:36 - Credits - ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. + Follow us on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/propublica.org + Follow us on X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/propublica + Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/propublica/ + Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@propublica + Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/propublica + Follow us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@propublica + Follow us on Mastodon: https://newsie.social/@ProPublica + Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/propublica/ + Donate to support our work: https://propub.li/3WE9AMv + Sign up for our weekly newsletter: http://propub.li/2oyN8DY + Submit a tip: https://www.propublica.org/tips/ https://bit.ly/4e1Xcxv