Remediation of the Tar Creek Superfund Site: An Update

Abstract

Abstract:The Tar Creek Superfund Site is a portion of an abandoned lead and zinc mining area known as the Tri-State Mining District (OK, KS and MO) and includes approximately 104 km 2 of disturbed land and contaminated water resources in extreme northeastern Oklahoma. Underground mining from the 1890s through the 1960s degraded over 1000 surface ha, and produced nearly 500 km of tunnels, 165 million tonnes of processed mine waste materials (chat), 325 ha of tailings impoundments, 94 million m 3 of contaminated ground water and over 2600 shafts and boreholes. In 1979, metal-rich waters began to discharge into surface waters from natural springs, bore holes and mine shafts. The site was listed on the National Priorities List in 1983. Approximately 70% of the Superfund site is Native American owned. In 1993, an Indian Health Service study established that 35% of children had blood lead levels above threshold levels dangerous to human health. Since 1995, residential remediation efforts have been ongoing, but a holistic watershed restoration strategy has not been implemented. Current research focuses on the biogeochemistry, ecology and hydrology of existing natural wetlands, and the development of sub-watershed restoration plans. These efforts indicate that environmental problems at this site are not insurmountable, but that solutions do require substantial cooperation among federal, state, tribal and local entities. The principal final recommendation of a recent state task force was the creation of a massive wetland and wildlife refuge to ecologically address health, safety, environmental and aesthetic concerns. This plan involves the removal of two communities, construction of a large reservoir and several treatment wetlands, and creation or restoration of marshes and prairie habitat. However, significant concerns regarding the longterm effectiveness and feasibility of this plan need to be addressed.

Challenges in Design and Construction of a Large Multi-Cell Passive Treatment System for Ferruginous Lead-Zinc Mine Waters

“…The first documented discharge of mine drainage was at a location near southeast In general, water quality of mine drainage discharges in the Tar Creek watershed was originally characterized in the mid-1980s as follows: pH 3.6-5.7, 80 ug Pb/L, 154,000 ug Zn/L, 80 ug Cd/L and 331,000 ug Fe/L (EPA, 1999). More recently, several authors (Nairn et al 2001(Nairn et al , 2002(Nairn et al , 2007(Nairn et al , 2008Nairn 2002;Coffey and Nairn 2003;DeHay et al 2003;Iverson and Nairn 2003)…”