Update: Oklahoma Memo sent questions to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission on Thursday. The questions and the responses included at the bottom of this story.

One Oklahoma family says oilfield wastewater contaminated their well water.

Another says oil and methane invaded their home.

Though their cases are about 130 miles apart, both families say they encountered the same obstacle: an Oklahoma Corporation Commission they believe was unwilling to fully investigate or resolve their complaints.

The allegations were reported in depth by Nick Bowlin of The Frontier. I wanted Tammy Boarman, along with Kara and Mitch Meredith, to join the Oklahoma Memo Podcast so they could tell their full stories to this audience. Tammy and her husband, Chris, live near Arcadia, while the Merediths live in Fort Gibson.

Boarman said her family moved into their home near Arcadia in early 2022. Several months later, they noticed their well water had developed a salty taste.

After testing by multiple agencies, Boarman said Oklahoma Corporation Commission investigators determined her water showed indicators consistent with oil and gas wastewater contamination, including elevated chlorides, bromide, strontium and barium.

Here is a resource from the Centers for Disease Control about the effects of barium contamination.

Boarman said a mechanical integrity test was eventually performed on a nearby disposal well and found leaks in both the casing and tubing.

Despite those findings, Boarman said the OCC later closed the case.

"We received a notice that they closed our case as no source found," Borman said.

Borman told Oklahoma Memo that she believes the agency spent years investigating her complaint only to ultimately abandon the effort.

In Fort Gibson, Mitch and Kara Meredith described a different but similarly troubling situation.

In August 2025, Kara Meredith said her daughter alerted her to water and a black substance on the bathroom floor of the family's home.

The family initially believed they were dealing with a plumbing problem.

"You obviously don't go straight to, 'There's oil in your house,'" Kara Meredith said.

Instead, the substance continued flowing into the house for hours, the family said.

After contacting state regulators, the Merediths said testing eventually found petroleum-related compounds. Unsatisfied with the agency's conclusions, they commissioned independent testing.

"The lab that had our tests run, we called and spoke with them, and he said, 'This is definitely oil,'" Kara Meredith said.

The family also described methane readings taken beneath the property.

According to the Merediths, OCC Oil and Gas Conservation Division Director Jeremy Hodges visited the property and delivered alarming news.

"He told us that underneath our house, the methane was at 100% lower explosive limit," Kara Meredith said.

Real quick: What is ‘Lower Explosive Limit’ (LEL)? It is the lowest concentration of a particular gas that has the potential to be flammable or combustible.

Ultimately, the Merediths said they became increasingly frustrated with what they viewed as repeated delays and attempts to explain away testing results rather than identify a source.

As the podcast conversation progressed, both families shifted from discussing their individual cases to broader concerns with the Corporation Commission.

Boarman argued that most Oklahomans do not understand the agency's power or the impact its decisions can have on property owners.

"I have yet to find one individual who has any idea what this is," Boarman said of the Corporation Commission.

The Merediths expressed similar concerns, saying they struggled to identify anyone with the authority to hold the agency accountable when they believed regulators had failed them.

"We didn't know what the Oklahoma Corporation Commission was or what their responsibilities were," Kara Meredith said.

Both families agreed that the agency is more responsive to the oil and gas industry than to homeowners who report contamination concerns.

"They're serving the oil and gas industry, not the people of this state," Kara Meredith said.

The conversation also touched on Senate Bill 1319 (now a law), approved during the 2025 legislative session and signed by Gov. Kevin Stitt after the Meredith family's situation became public.

The Merediths said they appreciated the efforts of lawmakers who worked on the bill and viewed it as an attempt to help families facing contamination events linked to oil and gas activity.

Those lawmakers were Avery Frix (R-Muskogee), who authored the bill in the Senate, and Chris Sneed (R-Fort Gibson), who secured its passage in the House.

At the same time, both families questioned whether legislation alone can solve the problem if regulators do not first acknowledge contamination cases or assume jurisdiction over them.

The family said that remains one of their central frustrations.

Both families encouraged Oklahomans to pay closer attention to Corporation Commission races and learn more about the candidates seeking office.

Boarman specifically discussed the upcoming election and pointed to candidate Justin Hornback, noting that he has not accepted PAC or lobbyist contributions and has attended Corporation Commission hearings to better understand the agency.

The Merediths said their experience has convinced them that Oklahomans need to become more informed about the commission's role and responsibilities.

For both families, the fight goes beyond their own properties.

Boarman said she has heard from other Oklahomans who believe they have experienced similar issues.

"We cannot fight this alone," Boarman said.

The Merediths said they continue speaking publicly because they want other homeowners facing contamination concerns to know they are not alone.

"I can't have gone through what we've gone through for the past 10 months and just sit back and say, 'Everything's fine,'" Kara Meredith said.

Both families said they hope greater public attention will ultimately lead to changes at an agency they believe has failed to protect Oklahoma property owners.

Questions, comments? Message me anytime at [email protected].

**

Oklahoma Memo reached out with several questions for Corporation Commission spokesperson Jack Damrill, who provided these answers:

First, the questions I sent the Corporation Commission:

Are you aware that the Merediths have had it confirmed that the substance oozing into their house is, in fact, oil? If that is true, as they say it is, what would be the OCC's next step in helping them?

My other questions are about processes.

1 — What steps does the OCC take to help Oklahomans with problems like these? But also, what are the OCC's limits? 

2 — Rightly or wrongly, there is a broad sentiment amongst the public that the OCC serves the oil and gas industry and the utilities, and not the people of Oklahoma. Is the OCC aware of that sentiment, or does it even believe it's true — and what evidence might you share that indicates this isn't true? What might you be executing from a PR / strategic comms perspective to counteract that?

**

Below are Jack’s answers on behalf of the Corporation Commission:

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission recognizes the seriousness of the concerns raised by the Meredith and Boarman families. We understand these matters have been frustrating and deeply personal for those involved, and we do not dismiss those concerns.

Because these matters involve ongoing regulatory review, technical analysis, and information received from multiple parties, it would be inappropriate for the OCC to speculate on potential causes or characterize evidence that has not been fully evaluated through the agency's processes. Any new information submitted to the OCC is reviewed by appropriate staff and considered alongside existing investigative findings and technical data.

Regarding the Meredith matter specifically, the OCC has devoted significant investigative time, technical expertise, and regulatory resources to reviewing the concerns raised by the family. Agency staff have conducted 16 site visits over a period of approximately nine months and coordinated with multiple state agencies and technical experts to determine the source of the concerns raised by the Meredith family.

More broadly, the OCC's role is to investigate matters that fall within its statutory authority and determine whether there is evidence connecting a concern to activities or facilities regulated by the agency. In many situations, residents understandably look to the OCC for answers. While the agency works to assist Oklahomans whenever possible, there are instances where the available evidence does not establish a regulatory violation or where the matter extends beyond the Commission's legal authority. In those cases, the OCC may not have the authority to provide the outcome a resident is seeking, even when agency staff have spent considerable time investigating the issue.

Recognizing that gap, state lawmakers recently enacted Senate Bill 1319, which creates a potential pathway for relief in certain circumstances involving contamination from substances regulated by the OCC. However, it is important for the public to understand that the law does not automatically place these matters under OCC jurisdiction, nor does it guarantee a particular outcome.

Under the legislation, the process begins at the local level. A property owner must first seek assistance through the city or county where the property is located. Depending on the circumstances and the requirements of the law, a local government may pursue acquisition of the property and seek reimbursement through mechanisms established by SB 1319. Only after specific statutory requirements are met could the OCC potentially have a role under the framework established by the Legislature.

While the details of the process will depend on the facts of each case, SB 1319 represents an important step because it creates a mechanism that did not previously exist under Oklahoma law. The legislation provides a potential avenue for assistance in situations where homeowners believe they are experiencing contamination issues, but where traditional regulatory remedies may be limited or unavailable.

As for public perception, the OCC is aware that some Oklahomans question whether the agency serves the industries it regulates or the public. The Commission's responsibility under Oklahoma law is to serve the public interest through independent regulation, oversight, and enforcement. That includes protecting utility consumers, ensuring safe pipeline operations, plugging orphaned wells, enforcing environmental and safety regulations, overseeing transportation industries, and holding regulated entities accountable when violations occur.

The OCC routinely issues penalties, compliance orders, corrective actions, and other regulatory measures when warranted by the facts and the law. The agency's work spans far beyond any single industry and touches nearly every Oklahoma household, whether through utility regulation, pipeline safety, environmental protection, oil and gas oversight, consumer services, transportation regulation, or public safety initiatives.

From a communications perspective, one of our goals is to better explain the agency's work, authority, and limitations so Oklahomans can better understand both what the OCC can do and what it cannot do under state law. Transparency, accessibility, and public education remain important priorities for the agency.