Discover the Filthiest City in Oklahoma

What is one city that’s so dirty it just makes you feel like you need to get out of there and shower? It isn’t difficult to pick out of many states, though some can be trickier. One such state is Oklahoma. We will embark on a journey to discover the filthiest city in Oklahoma and dive deep into the uncleanliness to uncover what makes the city so repulsive.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma is commonly known as a state in tornado alley, where devastation occurs frequently and suddenly. Even with the dangers associated with the weather, plenty of people make up Oklahoma City. More than one million people live within the city’s limits.

When large, populated cities are scrutinized, they are always found to be considerably dirtier than small towns. Oklahoma City has come in as one of the top ten dirtiest cities in the country time and time again. The latest ranking for the city was 9 out of 150 other large cities, and those numbers don’t look good for those considering moving there.

Several reasons have driven the city to remain one of the filthiest cities in Oklahoma. As we’ve touched on already, it’s a city with over a million people living there, which means lots of trash and people doing what they shouldn’t, like tossing their trash out the window of their vehicles. Another top contender is the water quality due to oil refinery industry giants and other various plants. The drug use, unemployment, and homeless rates are both very high, and that can also be a contributing factor. The crime rates are also high, which goes hand in hand with the city being called filthy. It can also be weighed in economic value, which appears very poor. Let’s look at who or what the biggest contenders are in maintaining the filth level. Some may come as a surprise.

Who’s to Blame for the Filthiest City in Oklahoma

First, we have the largest energy companies in Oklahoma. Chesapeake, Devon, and Continental energy companies all ranked in the top 10 worst companies for greenhouse gas emissions. They were caught specifically leaking methane and CO2 in 2019. Each company swore to be unaware of the severe leaks and promised to rectify the situation.

Next up is the Soldier Creek/Building 3001 at the Tinker Air Force Base. The Soldier Creek building was found to be in serious violation of the EPA. The building is used for aircraft rebuilding and refurbishing facilities. It, of course, comes with the need to use large quantities of industrial-strength solvents. The soil and groundwater were contaminated because of the disregard for properly disposing of the solvents.

In Midwest City, the Eagle Industries Superfund site, which was used to inspect and repair oxygen and fire extinguishers, used the carcinogen trichloroethylene. It was being dumped on the ground at times, which led to everyone within a half-mile radius needing to have their water tested.

And lastly, in late 2023, a road crew hit a crude oil line, dumping 88,000 gallons of oil near the bluff creek. This was a massive cleanup and the worst oil spill the area has seen in 10 years. They are no stranger to oil spills.