One of Oklahoma City’s hidden gems is the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge in far NW Oklahoma City.
I stumbled across the area about a year ago after taking a wrong turn on Sara Rd, and inadvertently ended up in a weird, seemingly undisturbed area filled with marshes, tall grasses and trees, and, unbeknownst to me, greedy oil overlord’s hell-bent on destroying our city’s land and stealing our water.
Earlier this week, Steve Lackmeyer reported that Oklahoma City has filed a lawsuit against Revolution Resources – an oil company led by an aspiring young asshole oil overlord named Scott Van Sickle – alleging the company stole water from the Hefner Canal and built a road and pipeline through the preserve without permission.
Via The Oklahoman_:
An Oklahoma City oil company is accused of damaging the Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge, stealing water from the North Canadian River and then asking Mayor David Holt to intervene in an investigation.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, alleges Revolution Resources and contractor Select Services asked for permits to build a road and pipeline and proceeded to do so when the applications were denied by the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board.
The lawsuit, filed by the city and the water utilities trust, also alleges the companies stole from water being sent from Canton Lake via the Hefner Canal to relieve the city’s drought last summer….
I know Oil Overlords don’t care about laws or the environment, but even Harold Hamm would admit that’s kind of a stupid and brazen things to do. The person with Revolution Resources who didn’t pay-off or bribe the right officials should be looking for a new job immediately!
Here’s more:
The lawsuit concludes the companies violated federal, state and local laws “in the name of profit and greed.” The city seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages and profits the two companies made off their actions.
Attorneys with Phillips Murrah, the firm representing the city, allege in the lawsuit that Revolution Resources “intentionally, maliciously and willfully” trespassed and damaged the wildlife refuge, going so far as to use bolt cutters to break a combination lock to illegally gain access to the refuge.
The investigation began when a city utilities worker found a hose in the Hefner Canal. Select Services was contacted, and the hose was removed. The city then discovered the companies had placed more than three miles of pipe along a protected trail and created a gravel road after being told not to.
For what it’s worth, this is the first time I’ve heard of Revolution Resources, so I did some cursory digging into the company.
As I mentioned, it’s led by an aspiring young Oil Overlord named Scott Van Sickle. He’s a Texas transplant who served for eight years as a liege to Chapperal Energy, before being granted his own lordship over Revolution Resources in 2018. After a quick look at my Oklahoma Oil Overlord genealogy map, I guess that means Revolution Resources is a once-removed vassal to House Chesapeake. Or something like that. As we know, Oklahoma Oil Overlords are very incestual.
I stumbled across an interview Scott did with a publication after being named to a 40 Under 40 list, and – if brazenly allowing his company to steal our city’s water and destroying our wildlife refuges wasn’t enough of an indication – it appears that Van Sickle is quite a smug asshole. Just look at these whiny and pouty facial expressions. Even Spaulding Hefner would say that guy looks like a prick!
Seriously, go watch the interview. I’ve never seen an Oil Overlord look so annoyed to talk about how awesome he is. With an attitude like that, I wouldn't be surprised if Governor Stitt appoints him to the Oklahoma State School Board as early as next week!
Following the guidance set forth by oil overlords before him, Scott turned to local elected officials to help get him out of his jam and emailed Mayor McSelfie. Probably because he doesn’t yet own a hip restaurant or share of the Oklahoma City Thunder, his requests were denied:
Holt on Tuesday confirmed he was contacted by Revolution Resources CEO Scott Van Sickle via email on Aug. 24, just two days after the city sent its cease-and-desist letter. Holt said Van Sickle introduced himself saying he lived near the mayor and then asked for his help on the dispute, adding his company stood to lose $2 million if it wasn’t resolved in his favor.
Holt said he referred the matter to Water Utilities Director Chris Browning and had no further involvement.
Yikes! That’s embarrassing. An Oil Overlord getting rejected by Mayor McSelfie would be like a Thunder player being turned down by a groupie at The Jones Assembly! I’m sure his fellow Oil Overlords aren’t going to let him hear the end of that at their next oil brunch at the Petroleum Club.
Anyway, you can read more about the lawsuit, Stinchcomb Wildlife Refuge, and all that fun stuff at The Oklahoman. If you have any dirt about Van Sickle or his oil company, shoot us an email.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
