Tulsa World: New system cleans part of Tar Creek

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New system cleans part of Tar Creek
The passive system is treating contaminated mine drainage.

Robert W. Nairn, of the Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds in the University of Oklahoma's School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, stands in front of Cell 1 with the acid water of the passive treatment system Wednesday in North Miami, Okla. GARY CROW/for the Tulsa World

By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent
Published: 10/8/2009 2:30 AM
Last Modified: 10/8/2009 4:51 AM

COMMERCE — A new organic water treatment system has cleaned up one-fifth of contaminants that enter into the lead- and zinc-polluted Tar Creek stream in northern Ottawa County.

Robert W. Nairn with the University of Oklahoma Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds provided a walking tour Wednesday of the $1.2 million passive treatment system that is treating contaminated mine drainage.

"One-fifth of containment is pretty significant," said Nairn. "I believe it is a successful project but we will know more when we come back in five years."

Nairn said the nine acres was not mined but did contain three bore holes which allowed for the flow of surface mine water.

The 10 cells, or ponds, have been operational since November 2008. The system is designed to remove 200 pounds of aluminum, 40 pounds of arsenic, eight pounds of cadmium, 105,000 pounds of iron, 500 pounds of nickel, 33 pounds of lead and 6,000 pounds of zinc every year, he said.

The 43-square-mile area of Picher, Commerce, Cardin, Quapaw and North Miami make up the zinc- and lead-contaminated area known as Tar Creek. The former mining area was fertile ground for lead and zinc mining but now is considered an environmental disaster after mining companies abandoned the area.

"The design life is 30 years," Nairn said referring to the water treatment system.

The passive use of a solar panel and a windmill requires minimal maintenance and uses a natural process — not fossil fuels,

he said. The area is filled with wildlife, including golden winged butterflies, muskrats and red-wing blackbirds.

The mine water starts out in a U-shaped pond filled with bright orange water where a muskrat family has made a nest and is surrounded by cattails. The pond has three sites producing a combined 160 gallons of contaminated mine water per minute, Nairn said.

After the iron is removed, the water flows to a series of four ponds which are filled with 18-inches of limestone followed by 18-inches of organic material.

The water then flows to two aeration ponds, fueled by a 20-foot windmill and a solar panel that adds oxygen back into the water. The water flows into two gravel beds where the zinc is destroyed and finally into a tributary.

It takes about three weeks for the mine water to enter into the first pool and exit a large white pipe into a tributary, Nairn said.

Miami Mayor Brent Brassfield declared the project "impressive." He said the process should be used on the entire Tar Creek area.

"It appears to be a success when you see how clear the water was (at the end)," Brassfield said. By SHEILA STOGSDILL World Correspondent

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Organic water treatment system has cleaned up one-fifth of Tar Creek contaminates ," which was published on 10/7/2009.

	Report Comment s.c., NE OK (10/7/2009 9:28:31 PM) This is fantastic! More, more, more... Kudos to the scientists who developed this experiment.
	Report Comment Eagle 4, Tulsa (10/8/2009 6:45:19 AM) And now for the chicken poop! Bugles, please!
	Report Comment eddieo, Tulsa (10/8/2009 7:44:10 AM) After all the years and millions upon millions spent by the EPA... this simplistic approach works... makes you go hmmmmm. Who lined their pockets in the prior years?
	Report Comment oldrustytulsa, Tulsa (10/8/2009 8:01:50 AM) Oh, I have always said they could have cleaned up the entire area years ago, Who ownes the land now?, Nobody seems to know.
	Report Comment T.B'Ville, Bruins (10/8/2009 8:23:45 AM) This was all done backwards. I guess its better late than never.
	Report Comment LEO, (10/8/2009 8:30:37 AM) Finally some numbers exposing what Tar Creek is about. If these three holes contain 20% of the contaminates at Tar Creek one could assume that the last 25 years these holes produced the same if not more each year, what about the other thousands of bore holes? Do the math and what happen to the other 80% of contaminates being discharged, also what happen to the runoff from the other chat and mine waste on the surface being discharged to Grand Lake, Eastern Oklahoma and Tulsa’s drinking water? Four years ago I presented a permanent solution to Senator Inhofe, President of the United States (past and present) EPA and many others to stop this nightmare, all rejected, told to go elsewhere did not want a permanent solution. Maybe now every one can see just how critical and dangerous this superfund site is to health and safety. Thanks guys for protecting Oklahoma families and children and for endorsing another 25 plus years of the same. Want to talk health issues, transparency, and government waste?
	Report Comment Charley, (10/8/2009 2:23:51 PM) Good, does this mean that 20% of the people using the water, will be saved from an untimely demise?
	Report Comment Charley, (10/8/2009 2:25:44 PM) Good, does this mean that 20% of the people using the water, will be saved from an untimely demise?

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