Photographs of the Picher Mining District/Tar Creek Superfund Site
(Ottawa County, Oklahoma)
The Picher Mining District (fig. 1), occupying 40 square miles of northern
Ottawa County, Oklahoma, was a primary source of lead and zinc to the U.S.
from the early 1900's to the 1940's and is the largest superfund site in
the U.S. Millions of cubic yards of mine tailings (locally known as "chat")
remain in the area. Although processed to remove metals, the chat is composed
of chert, dolomite, calcite, and residual oxides and sulfides of iron, zinc,
manganese, lead, cadmium, and other metals. Some chat has been gradually
removed from the area for use as gravel, concrete aggregate, and asphalt
pavement. Local residents have elevated blood lead levels and rates of kidney
disease appear to be elevated. Much of the area does not support vegetation,
leading to suspension of fine sediment particles by winds. Iron-staining of
vegetation along local streams is notable.
Boulder of cherty dolomite from the
Boone Chert of Mississippian age--the host rock for the ores.
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Substantial amounts of concrete
structures remain in the area, the concrete being made with chat.
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Drainageway from chat piles to nearby
wetland.
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Concrete ore-separation tank near
Commerce.
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Wetlands draining mined areas south of
Picher. The water table is within a few feet of land surface in much
of the District.
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Pond in chat may be a shallow
depression or may be underlain by an open mineshaft. Subsidence is
common in the area.
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Chat commonly consists of boulders or
fine particles ranging in size from small gravel to silt.
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Chat has been used as aggregate for
paved and unpaved roads in the area and perhaps on roads as far away
as St. Louis and Oklahoma City.
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Although this may appear to be a small
pile of chat overlying a thin layer of chat, this 40-acre area near
Picher is covered by a layer of chat 10-15 ft thick.
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Surficial portions of chat piles are
generally friable, but internal portions of the piles commonly
become lithified.
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Aside from scattered grasses and
stunted trees, many parts of the area resemble a moonscape.
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Nestled amongst these chat piles is a
baseball field.
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Another view of baseball field near
Picher.
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An old picnic site at the foot of a
large chat pile.
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The Picher mining district was known
as "The Hay Capital of the World" prior to mining.
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Related WWW pages
Toxic Substances
Hydrology Program, USGS Abandoned Mine Lands
Office of Surface Mining
Oklahoma Department of
Mines, Minerals mined in Oklahoma
Oklahoma Department of Environmental
Quality, Information on Governor's Tar Creek Task Force (2000)
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