Abstract
This paper details the causes and extent of the pollution at Tar Creek Superfund site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. This Superfund site is a heavy metal-contaminated area that was created by the aftermath of zinc and lead mining operations throughout the 1900s. The pollution has put local inhabitants at risk of different health issues, and while risk assessments have shown that no significant health risks are obvious compared to the rest of the state of Oklahoma, blood lead levels have been recorded to be high in Ottawa county children. Many different organizations, both government and private, are involved in the remediation of Tar Creek Superfund site. The cleanup process is ongoing and will likely not be complete for many years. …show more content…
Location of Tar Creek Superfund Site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma
This Superfund site covers 40 square miles in Northeast Oklahoma. Small-scale lead and zinc mining activities were conducted in this area beginning in the early 1900’s [1]. Mining activities expanded during the 1920’s, and in the 1930’s large mining operations began. Large-scale mining operations ended in 1958, however small-scale operations continued into the 1970’s until all operations ceased [2]. Early on, smaller operators conducted most of the mining on small tracts of land. The lead and zinc that was mined at Tar Creek had many different uses and was very profitable. Interestingly, the lead and zinc that was mined at tar creek was used to make bullets during World War I and World War II [3]. However, these profits came at a high cost and are putting today’s Tar Creek population in danger as pollution in the form of toxic heavy metals and acidic mine water remain.
Most Tar Creek mining operations utilized the underground room-and-pillar technique. This entailed the carving of rooms, or caverns, as the ore was removed. The rooms were connected with tunnels known as drifts. The rooms were then back braced with pillars to prevent the rooms from caving in. Once the lead and zinc ore was mined it was sent …show more content…
This pollution affects the local population of around 30,000 people. The mines that are filled with water are generating acidic mine water that has impacted aquifers in the area. Additionally, the surface water quality has greatly deteriorated. This is significant as some of this surface water is used for recreational areas. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) public health assessment for Tar Creek, most of the health conditions in Tar Creek are comparable to that of the overall state of Oklahoma [5]. However, the overall death rate for Ottawa County is consistently slightly higher than that of the state as seen in Table
This paper details the causes and extent of the pollution at Tar Creek Superfund site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. This Superfund site is a heavy metal-contaminated area that was created by the aftermath of zinc and lead mining operations throughout the 1900s. The pollution has put local inhabitants at risk of different health issues, and while risk assessments have shown that no significant health risks are obvious compared to the rest of the state of Oklahoma, blood lead levels have been recorded to be high in Ottawa county children. Many different organizations, both government and private, are involved in the remediation of Tar Creek Superfund site. The cleanup process is ongoing and will likely not be complete for many years. …show more content…
Location of Tar Creek Superfund Site in Ottawa County, Oklahoma
This Superfund site covers 40 square miles in Northeast Oklahoma. Small-scale lead and zinc mining activities were conducted in this area beginning in the early 1900’s [1]. Mining activities expanded during the 1920’s, and in the 1930’s large mining operations began. Large-scale mining operations ended in 1958, however small-scale operations continued into the 1970’s until all operations ceased [2]. Early on, smaller operators conducted most of the mining on small tracts of land. The lead and zinc that was mined at Tar Creek had many different uses and was very profitable. Interestingly, the lead and zinc that was mined at tar creek was used to make bullets during World War I and World War II [3]. However, these profits came at a high cost and are putting today’s Tar Creek population in danger as pollution in the form of toxic heavy metals and acidic mine water remain.
Most Tar Creek mining operations utilized the underground room-and-pillar technique. This entailed the carving of rooms, or caverns, as the ore was removed. The rooms were connected with tunnels known as drifts. The rooms were then back braced with pillars to prevent the rooms from caving in. Once the lead and zinc ore was mined it was sent …show more content…
This pollution affects the local population of around 30,000 people. The mines that are filled with water are generating acidic mine water that has impacted aquifers in the area. Additionally, the surface water quality has greatly deteriorated. This is significant as some of this surface water is used for recreational areas. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) public health assessment for Tar Creek, most of the health conditions in Tar Creek are comparable to that of the overall state of Oklahoma [5]. However, the overall death rate for Ottawa County is consistently slightly higher than that of the state as seen in Table