TULSA, Okla. — Oklahoma spent more than half a million dollars to one company to clean up homeless camps during the state-led “Operation SAFE,” 2 News learned this based on records obtained by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
What really drove up the cost: the state used a company based out of Oklahoma City to travel to Tulsa every day.
In mileage and other travel charges alone: $93,286.14.
The total cost of the bill for a two-week cleanup: $545,680.
ODOT tells 2 News it has a number of environmental cleanup contractors that are closer in location, but because of the “rapid response,” they needed one with immediate availability.
We asked what was behind the urgency, but did not receive an explanation.
The cleanup staff clocked long hours, too. Boomer Environmental billed the state for 17 ½ hour days for the project manager and up to 18 technicians. The technicians made $94.38 per hour.
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The state entered into a contract with Boomer Environmental in 2021 and has renewed the contract with varying price increases.
The most notable increase: rental fees for tractor-trailers. In 2021, the daily rate was $225. In 2025, the daily rate is $1,399.20.
Multiple tractor-trailers were used each day for Operation SAFE.
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Taxpayer dollars also went toward personal protective equipment for staff at $55.00 per day. From video 2 News captured of the cleanup crew, it is unclear what type of PPE the state is being billed for.
Our requests for an interview were denied by ODOT and OMES, the agency that deals with state contracts.
ODOT said their own labor and other costs for Operation SAFE were just under $16,000.
We reached out to Boomer Environmental and will update this article if there is a response.
We also have a larger request for more financial records related to Operation SAFE — the cleanup company is just one bill related to the effort.
The contract with the company states the invoice must have supporting documentation — we plan to ask for that, as well.
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