MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
LENEXA, Kan. (Feb. 23, 2026) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a Clean Water Act order to Atlas Operating, LLC following an estimated discharge of 33,600 gallons of brine production water and crude oil that affected the Chikaskia River in south-central Kansas.
According to the EPA, the agency issued a unilateral administrative order Sunday requiring the company to complete oil cleanup efforts after the discharge entered an unnamed tributary and flowed into the Chikaskia River.
The EPA said it received notification from the National Response Center on the evening of Feb. 15 regarding a suspected discharge from an oil tank battery near Spivey, Kansas in Kingman County, Kansas. An EPA on-scene coordinator was dispatched that evening and arrived the following morning to assess the situation.
EPA and local and state partners observed impacts extending approximately 12 river miles downstream from the tank battery. The agency said it immediately began working with the responsible party to strengthen containment efforts and prepare for oil recovery and cleanup operations.
Under the order, Atlas Operating has been directed to:
- Stop the flow of oil into the unnamed tributary and the Chikaskia River.
- Recover and remove oil, contaminated soils and debris in and around the immediate vicinity of the discharge.
- Recover oil and oil-impacted debris along affected shorelines.
- Dispose of all wastes in accordance with applicable state, federal and tribal regulations.
The EPA said it will ensure the company meets required deliverables outlined in the order and completes the work by March 13, 2026.
Discharges of oil and hazardous substances from onshore facilities are regulated under the Clean Water Act, as amended by the Oil Pollution Act.
The EPA’s Region 7 office, based in Lenexa, Kansas, oversees environmental protection efforts in Kansas and several surrounding states.