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Leedey school board votes to protest proposed saltwater disposal well near local water wells
Summary
The Leedey Board of Education voted Nov. 11 to file a formal protest against a proposed saltwater disposal well in 1-15-24, citing concerns about its proximity to Red Star Rural Water’s (Roger Mills RWD #2) wells that serve the district; the motion passed 4–0 with one absence.
Board President James Smith presided as the Leedey Board of Education voted Nov. 11 to protest a proposed saltwater disposal well located in legal description 1-15-24, saying the well’s planned location is too close to water wells that supply the district.
The motion to “approve protesting a potential saltwater disposal well in 1-15-24 due to the proximity of the proposed well to Red Star Rural Water’s (Roger Mills RWD #2) water wells serving the district” was made by board member Darrell Switzer and seconded by Jason Paulsen. The motion carried on a roll-call vote of four yes, zero no, with board member Jared Dirickson recorded as absent.
Why it matters: Board members said the proximity of industrial saltwater disposal operations to public drinking-water sources presents potential risks to the district’s water supply. The board’s formal protest records the district’s official objection with local or state permitting authorities and preserves the district’s opportunity to submit technical comments or additional evidence during the permitting process.
What the board approved: The motion, as recorded in the minutes, directs the board to approve lodging a protest against the proposed well at the 1-15-24 location. The minutes do not specify additional actions such as hiring outside counsel, commissioning independent testing, or filing a technical report; those steps were not recorded in the provided transcript.
Context and next steps: The minutes identify the water provider as Red Star Rural Water (Roger Mills RWD #2). The board did not record additional motions to fund legal review or to request environmental testing in the provided transcript; the formal protest should be visible in the permitting docket if filed with the agency handling saltwater disposal well permits. The transcript does not record responses from the well proponent, Red Star Rural Water, or permitting authorities.
Board action details: Motion by Darrell Switzer; second by Jason Paulsen. Vote: Darrell Switzer, yes; Jared Dirickson, absent; Landon Holcomb, yes; Jason Paulsen, yes; James Smith, yes. The board adjourned later that evening at 7:49 p.m.
The district may follow up with additional meetings or correspondence; the minutes do not state a deadline for any protest filing or the permitting authority to which the protest will be sent.
