Remediation Challenges and Opportunities at the Tar Creek Superfund Site, Oklahoma

Self Cite

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.

Section: Current Situationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remediation of the Tar Creek Superfund Site: An Update

Nairn¹

2002

Self Cite

“…Faculty, staff and students from the University of Oklahoma have focused environmental research and education efforts throughout the Tar Creek area and nearby watersheds since 1998 (e.g., Nairn et al, 2001;Coffey and Nairn, 2003;Iverson and Nairn, 2003;White and Nairn, 2007;Winfrey et al, 2010;LaBar et al, 2010). Additionally, the University of Oklahoma Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds (CREW) implemented a comprehensive watershed-scale environmental monitoring program from 2004-2010 (Nairn et al, 2008;Nairn et al 2010b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive Treatment Opportunities in a Drastically Disturbed Watershed: Reversing the Irreversible?

Nairn¹,

LaBar²,

Strevett³

2011

Like many large abandoned mining areas, the Tri-State Mining District of the central US is plagued by numerous environmental problems, including contaminated soils, tailings, waste rock, and water, with subsequent detrimental impacts to human and ecological health. In one of the major basins of the district, the Tar Creek watershed, impacts to surface waters were once deemed to be due to "irreversible man-made damages", resulting in minimal effort to address environmental risk from these legacy mine waters over the past 30 years. However, recent watershed-scale environmental monitoring studies, along with completion and evaluation of a full-scale passive treatment demonstration project, indicate that this may no longer be the case. Evaluation of artesian discharges indicates significant evolution of mine pool water quality (e.g., decreased metal concentrations, increased pH and alkalinity) since first flush. In-stream water quality, although still not meeting designated beneficial uses, has also changed. Substantial surface water degradation due to waste rock and tailings runoff and leachate is still problematic, but large-scale land reclamation (including wholesale removal and underground injection) is ongoing. Conceptual designs for watershed-scale passive treatment implementation have been developed and indicate that both artesian mine discharges and remaining runoff/leachate waters may be treatable in a cost-effective and sustainable manner. Recent voluntary relocation efforts, resulting in the dissolution of historic mining communities, provide opportunities for watershed-scale remediation and restoration. However, long-term operation and maintenance obligations for the proposed passive systems, incorporating the cultural and social needs of Native American tribes, requires sustained commitment of technical and financial resources. Promising initial results, coupled with results from other ongoing remediation efforts, warrant further exploration and reevaluation of previous administrative decisions.

“…Mine drainage from abandoned hard-rock mines continues to pose substantial ecological and human health risks (USEPA, 2004;Limerick et al, 2005). The Tar Creek Superfund Site, part of the Tri-State Mining District in Ottawa County of northeastern Oklahoma, is one of the most challenging hard-rock abandoned mine reclamation sites in the United States due to the extensive areal extent and considerable volume of contaminated ground and surface water (Nairn et al, 2001). Mine drainage from abandoned Pb-Zn mines (both artesian flows and waste pile runoff) has resulted in physical, chemical, and biological degradation of Tar Creek through direct inputs to the stream itself as well as through discharge into tributaries that flow into the stream.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Relatively laborious and cost-intensive active treatment technologies are not viable options for most abandoned mines (e.g., Younger et al, 2002;Watzlaf et al, 2004), not excluding those in the Tar Creek Superfund Site. Based upon conclusions from the Tar Creek Superfund Task Force, passive treatment was identified as the most promising remediation technology for these waters (Nairn et al, 2001). This paper describes the observed changes in contaminant concentrations and mass loadings in a first-order tributary and Tar Creek after receiving discharge from the first passive treatment system in the mining district.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stream Water Quality Improvements After Installation of a Passive Treatment System

LaBar¹,

Nairn²,

Strevett³

et al. 2010

Perennial borehole discharges have flowed unabated from abandoned lead-zinc mines in the Tri-State Mining District for 30 years and considerably degraded the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of a first-order tributary to Tar Creek in Ottawa County in northeastern Oklahoma. Water quality has been monitored at the discharges and the receiving tributary monthly since fall 2004. Construction of a large multi-cell passive treatment system was completed in late 2008. Prior to construction of the treatment system, metals loads immediately downstream from the confluence of the discharges and tributary were 163 kg Fe/d, 20 kg Zn/d, 52 g Cd/d, and 106 g Pb/d. In the first year of operation, the passive treatment system has been successful at removing Cd, Pb, and As to below detection limits and Fe and Zn to <1 mg/L. These changes have resulted in substantial decreases in in-stream loading to 23 kg Fe/d, 6 kg Zn/d, 12 g Cd/d, and Pb to below detection limits. Mining influences, upstream of this confluence, continue to degrade water quality. However, the passive treatment system has resulted in significant decreases in metal mass loadings.