Groundwater pollution case pits Bethany against aerospace companies
A chemical known to cause liver problems and increase the risk of cancer in humans have been found in concentrations as high as eight times the federal limit in Bethany near Wiley Post Airport, according to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman
Now the city wants the companies to accept blame, according to a federal lawsuit. The companies blame the city's sewer system for the pollution.
Tetrachoroethylene, also called TCE, was used to degrease metal aircraft parts at the old aerospace plant, The Oklahoman's Brianna Bailey reports.
Oklahoma City Thunder's Enes Kanter takes a selfie at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman
<figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-9e596e1f9067fe182e07a7a1c3b6cb66.jpg" alt="Photo - Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman" title="Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-87cdfc23291515da21162a95b4d865d0.jpg" alt="Photo - Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney arrives to talk with reporters after eating dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at Jean-Georges restaurant, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)" title="Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney arrives to talk with reporters after eating dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at Jean-Georges restaurant, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)"><figcaption>Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney arrives to talk with reporters after eating dinner with President-elect Donald Trump at Jean-Georges restaurant, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-01cd5c1c5b479f88886e24ff52bb0f02.jpg" alt="Photo - FILE - In this March 23, 2015, file photo, former NFL football player Darren Sharper appears in Los Angeles Superior Court. Sharper's tour of shame and punishment reached its conclusion in the Los Angeles courtroom where he first admitted drugging and raping women in several states. Sharper was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 to 20 years in prison, but under terms that would total about half that time in custody. However, he's been sentenced in a Louisiana federal court to 18 years. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, Pool, File)" title="FILE - In this March 23, 2015, file photo, former NFL football player Darren Sharper appears in Los Angeles Superior Court. Sharper's tour of shame and punishment reached its conclusion in the Los Angeles courtroom where he first admitted drugging and raping women in several states. Sharper was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 to 20 years in prison, but under terms that would total about half that time in custody. However, he's been sentenced in a Louisiana federal court to 18 years. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, Pool, File)"><figcaption>FILE - In this March 23, 2015, file photo, former NFL football player Darren Sharper appears in Los Angeles Superior Court. Sharper's tour of shame and punishment reached its conclusion in the Los Angeles courtroom where he first admitted drugging and raping women in several states. Sharper was sentenced Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016 to 20 years in prison, but under terms that would total about half that time in custody. However, he's been sentenced in a Louisiana federal court to 18 years. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, Pool, File)</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-ef885a5b81871dd034182cbc8a73285d.jpg" alt="Photo - Supporters of Brazil's soccer team Chapecoense gather for Mass at the city's Cathedral in Chapeco, Brazil, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. A chartered plane carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense to the biggest match of its history crashed into a Colombian hillside and broke into pieces on Tuesday, killing most passengers, Colombian officials said. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)" title="Supporters of Brazil's soccer team Chapecoense gather for Mass at the city's Cathedral in Chapeco, Brazil, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. A chartered plane carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense to the biggest match of its history crashed into a Colombian hillside and broke into pieces on Tuesday, killing most passengers, Colombian officials said. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)"><figcaption>Supporters of Brazil's soccer team Chapecoense gather for Mass at the city's Cathedral in Chapeco, Brazil, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016. A chartered plane carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense to the biggest match of its history crashed into a Colombian hillside and broke into pieces on Tuesday, killing most passengers, Colombian officials said. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-5c1a6761457238528d4361d10ac09062.jpg" alt="Photo - Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman" title="Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-ee35affa2266fc7a89399bd665553f72.jpg" alt="Photo - Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman" title="Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Bethany water treatment plant at 8200 NW 50th St. in Bethany, Tuesday November, 21 2016. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-a21790565056ce7dcd266dc2dc01a7c0.jpg" alt="Photo - Oklahoma City Thunder's Enes Kanter takes a selfie at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman" title="Oklahoma City Thunder's Enes Kanter takes a selfie at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Oklahoma City Thunder's Enes Kanter takes a selfie at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-2e848afaf73148ae44b581194092f74a.jpg" alt="Photo - Oklahoma City Thunder's Steven Adams celebrates after a resident won a game of bingo at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Seated next to Adams is Billie Burget. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman" title="Oklahoma City Thunder's Steven Adams celebrates after a resident won a game of bingo at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Seated next to Adams is Billie Burget. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Oklahoma City Thunder's Steven Adams celebrates after a resident won a game of bingo at Brookdale Village, a senior living community in Oklahoma City, Monday November, 29 2016. Seated next to Adams is Billie Burget. Thunder players Alex Abrines, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter and Andre Roberson played bingo with residents. Photo By Steve Gooch, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-39789d96d81f34a50d642f11ede76837.jpg" alt="Photo - Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) shoots over New York Knicks' center Joakim Noah (13) in the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)" title="Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) shoots over New York Knicks' center Joakim Noah (13) in the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)"><figcaption>Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) shoots over New York Knicks' center Joakim Noah (13) in the first half of an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="//cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960-4a4043f08d9bda50bc0566c6a1c614d9.jpg" alt="Photo - Oklahoma City's Enes Kanter (11) shoots against Detroit's Aron Baynes (12) during an NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman" title="Oklahoma City's Enes Kanter (11) shoots against Detroit's Aron Baynes (12) during an NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman"><figcaption>Oklahoma City's Enes Kanter (11) shoots against Detroit's Aron Baynes (12) during an NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman</figcaption></figure>
Juliana Keeping
Juliana Keeping is on the enterprise reporting team for The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com.
Keeping joined the staff of The Oklahoman in 2012. Prior to that time, she worked in the Chicago media at the SouthtownStar, winning a Peter Lisagor Award...
Read more ›
