Land Protection - the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Land Protection

Land Protection Concentrates on Land Revitalization

Bison grazing near the Wichita Mountains

Fiscal Year 2003 Annual Report 39

40 Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

Oklahomans cherish theirState’s wide-open spaces andyet recognize the need foreconomic development andthe inherent change thatcomes with progress. Likemost Americans, whenprogress is achieved, Oklaho-mans celebrate the new whilemourning the loss of bygonedays. DEQ understands therelationship between eco-nomic development and aclean environment. To thatend, DEQ is at the forefront ofnew environmental programssuch as Voluntary Cleanupand Brownfields Redevelop-ment, Resource Conservationand Recovery Act (RCRA)Brownfields, the One CleanupProgram concept, Land Reuseand Land Revitalization,Ready for Reuse, CommunityProblem Solving and LandReclamation. All of these pro-grams share a basic tenet, toreduce the barriers thathinder the cleanup and reuseof contaminated properties.These programs enhance theagency’s priority to ensurethat contaminated propertiesare cleaned up in a mannerthat allows the land to be ben-eficially reused. Cleaning upand reusing Oklahoma’sformer industrial sites pro-tects our productive farm-lands and beautiful, scenicwilderness areas from devel-opment. Several revitalizationprojects are highlighted inthis section.

A farmer harvests his grain in Jackson County

Prickly Pear Cactus grows in the Quartz Mountain State Park


The Land Protection Divi-sion oversees numerous envi-ronmental cleanups of con-taminated land, but that is onlya portion of its responsibilities.The Division also regulates thedisposal of solid waste, non-hazardous industrial wastes,discarded tires, hazardouswastes, biomedical wastes andcertain radiation sources. DEQalso assists with householdand commercial recycling pro-grams and provides environ-mental education to the pub-lic. Protecting the land fromimproper waste disposal safe-guards the surface water,ground water and air fromthese pollutants. DEQ’s effortsto ensure that wastes are prop-erly disposed strengthens thenatural environment by pro-tecting the state’s ecosystemsthereby ensuring thatOklahoma’s lands remain vi-able and productive for futuregenerations.

Buffalo roam across the Wichita Mountains

A mountain top view in the Wichita Mountains


Dr. Mary Jane Calvey, DEQProject Manager, stands atthe precipice of a mineshaft.

The Tar Creek Superfundsite in Ottawa County, Okla-homa continues to garnerheadlines and much effortfrom DEQ and other federaland state agencies. This 47square mile abandoned leadand zinc mining area innortheast Oklahoma madethe first list of Superfund sitesand is now described by EPAas one of the “mega-sites” thatthwarts traditional cleanupmethods.

The Oklahoma legislature,recognizing that a more pro-active approach was neededto deal with this complexproblem, appropriated fourmillion dollars at the end ofthe 2002 legislative session.The money is for specific tar-geted projects, which allowsDEQ to initiate the sitecleanup from multiple direc-tions.

YYYYYararararard Cleand Cleand Cleand Cleand Cleanupsupsupsupsups - While over1,400 residential yards in thefive-city area have been re-placed with clean soil, over400 yards remain with leadlevels greater than the 500parts per million cleanuplevel. DEQ contributes 10% ofthe cost of this remediation tomatch EPA’s costs. This in-cludes addressing contami-nation found at daycare cen-ters, school yards and publicparks. Yard removals have ledto a decline in the percentage

Tar Creek Team Active on Many Fronts


ChaChaChaChaChat in t in t in t in t in Asphalt StudAsphalt StudAsphalt StudAsphalt StudAsphalt Studyyyyy - In-corporating chat in asphaltappears to encapsulate thefine sized particles. This stopsexposure to the heavy metalsin the mine waste. DEQ con-tracted with the University ofOklahoma Asphalt ResearchLaboratory to design the op-timum asphalt mixture usingraw (unwashed) chat andthen to test that material todetermine whether or notmetals’ exposure could occurwhen the asphalt weathers oris reworked. All of the chat forthe study has been collected,a survey of current area chatuse is finished and testing on

the materials is ongoing. It isexpected that the study willbe complete in the summerof 2004.

RemediaRemediaRemediaRemediaRemediat ing and Re-t ing and Re-t ing and Re-t ing and Re-t ing and Re-ccccclaiming Chalaiming Chalaiming Chalaiming Chalaiming Chat-Scart-Scart-Scart-Scart-Scarrrrrred Landed Landed Landed Landed Land- A large part of the site in-cludes perimeter areas whereremnants of chat piles andother mine features remainand limit reuse of the land.Typically, the residual chat haslittle or no economic valuebecause the amount remain-ing costs more to get to mar-ket than it is worth. The heavymetal content of the residualmining waste could continue

to expose both people andwildlife and the chat-en-crusted soil will not supportplant life. Open mine shaftsand subsidence are physicalhazards and also providepathways for metal contami-nation to reach the surfacewater.

Land RecLand RecLand RecLand RecLand Reclamalamalamalamalamationtiontiontiontion - DEQcontracted with the Okla-homa Conservation Com-mission Abandoned Mine-Lands program to address allof these problems on a man-ageable tract of land to showwhat can be done with thesecurrently unusable lands.

A chat pile looms over federal lands.

of area children with elevatedblood lead levels, down fromabout 33 percent to 12 per-cent. While this is still high, theOttawa County Health De-partment reports that it istracking fewer and fewer chil-dren with elevated lead levels.

Lead-Based PLead-Based PLead-Based PLead-Based PLead-Based Paint aint aint aint aint TTTTTesting -esting -esting -esting -esting -Children exposed to heavymetals in their outside envi-ronment may be at higher riskfor long-term health effectsfrom indoor exposure to lead-based paint. Recognizing this,DEQ provided $200,000 forGrand Gateway EconomicDevelopment Authority to ini-tiate a lead-based paint test-ing program for area homesand a lead paint removal pro-gram for homes that test posi-tive. Removal eligibility is de-termined on an income-based scale. DEQ continuesits efforts to educate the com-munity on the health risksposed by lead exposure andthe devastating effects it canhave on children.

Rail Spur ConstrRail Spur ConstrRail Spur ConstrRail Spur ConstrRail Spur Constructionuctionuctionuctionuction -The 70 million tons of chathave great economic value asaggregate if used appropri-ately. Seed money for con-struction of a rail spur nearthe chat piles enabled GrandGateway to raise money tobuild this spur near the MiamiArea Industrial Park. The$300,000 DEQ contributedwill improve the economicaltransport of large volumes ofchat for safe reuse. Continued on next page


Candidate sites were identi-fied using a decision matrix,aerial photography, a list ofpotential sites, willing land-owners and problem identifi-cation at each site. The firstdemonstration site has beensurveyed and plans for recla-mation are in the contractualbidding process. Reclamationon this site includesmineshaft plugging, subsid-ence filling, removal ofsurficial chat, grading andcontouring and revegetationto grasses. The first projectwill produce pasture landand several ponds for thelandowner. Lessons learnedfrom this first project will beused to develop plans forgrasslands or pasture sites inthe area.

DEQ’s multi-disciplinaryteam was drawn togetheracross program lines to ad-dress many facets of this prob-lem from different angles. Uti-lizing both the legislative allo-cation, grant funding and co-operative agreements, DEQTar Creek Team is focused onreal progress. The followinghighlights just some of the ef-forts from the past year:

WWWWWaaaaater Qualityter Qualityter Qualityter Qualityter QualityA Water Quality Coordinatorwas named for the GrandLake watershed and a DEQWater Quality Office wasopened in Grove. The officeis responsible for monitoringwater quality in the Grand

One of many sinkholes that is being used as a dump.

Abandoned mine shaft.


Lake Basin, which includesthe Tar Creek Superfund siteand coordinating monitoringefforts with Tribal govern-ments, the United States Geo-logical Survey, Oklahoma andprograms such as OklahomaWater Watch. Data from thismonitoring will be added toDEQ’s GIS database for TarCreek to improve site knowl-edge and planning efforts.Additionally, the office will co-

ordinate with the US Corps ofEngineers as it begins a pro-posed drainage and floodingstudy of the area.

GeoGeoGeoGeoGeogggggrrrrraaaaaphic Infphic Infphic Infphic Infphic InfororororormamamamamationtiontiontiontionSystems (GIS)Systems (GIS)Systems (GIS)Systems (GIS)Systems (GIS)Information from studies ofTar Creek need to be col-lected, verified and meldedinto a three dimensionalmodel of the site, includingthe underground mine work-

ings. DEQ obtained aerialphotography and under-ground mine maps of the areafrom 1927 to the present andusing digital ortho-rectifyingsoftware, produced maps thatdisplay current and past prob-lems at Tar Creek. These mapsallow DEQ to track improve-ments in the area. Map layerssuch as land ownership,stream water quality, eleva-tions and other features pro-

vide excellent planning andmonitoring tools.

E nE nE nE nE nvirv i rv i rv i rv i ronmental Com-onmental Com-onmental Com-onmental Com-onmental Com-plaints and Local Serplaints and Local Serplaints and Local Serplaints and Local Serplaints and Local ServicesvicesvicesvicesvicesThe Tar Creek Team is coordi-nating closely with the localDEQ office in its efforts to re-spond to complaints relatedto Tar Creek. The local DEQoffice also assists the Team by

Old foundations and chat piles left by the mining industry.

Continued on next page


providing needed local histori-cal information. Geolocatingthe city blocks where childrenwith elevated blood lead lev-els live and searching for andmapping mineshafts and othermine features requires localknowledge of the Tar Creekarea.

Customer Customer Customer Customer Customer Assistance and StaAssistance and StaAssistance and StaAssistance and StaAssistance and StateteteteteEnEnEnEnEnvirvirvirvirvironmental Laonmental Laonmental Laonmental Laonmental Laborborborborboraaaaatortortortortoryyyyy

Monitoring of area fish,their water environment andthe lake and stream sedi-ments provides valuable infor-mation that guides the deci-sion-making process regard-ing future cleanup efforts andthe safety of consuming localfish. A systematic fish collec-tion program with analyses offillets, whole and whole un-eviscerated fish providesbaseline and comparisondata for the project. A recentreport shows that fillets of avariety of fish can be safelyconsumed, but that lead lev-els in whole fish suggest lim-iting consumption or choos-ing other preparation meth-ods such as filleting.

Air QualityAir QualityAir QualityAir QualityAir QualityBlowing dust from chat pilesand chat embedded roadsconcern local residents.While un-encapsulated chatis no longer applied to arearoads, dust from past chat useand from remaining piles stilllingers. DEQ’s air monitoringstaff is working with EPA and

the Quapaw Tribe to imple-ment a yearlong air monitor-ing effort around Picher andCardin (the two towns withthe most remaining chat).

Land PrLand PrLand PrLand PrLand ProtectionotectionotectionotectionotectionWhile Superfund staff efforts

continue, the recent planningfor the investigation of Oper-able Unit 4, the non-residen-tial portions of the site, re-quired exceptional effort. Thisendeavor includes long-termwater monitoring of the deepaquifer, yard cleanup oversightand other coordination withEPA. Coordination with EPAstaff and local stakeholders re-quires many site visits andmultiple meetings with localofficials and residents.

Land Reclamation workswith the Conservation Districtsto supply needed organic ma-terial for land reclamation.This is accomplished by usinglocal bio-solids from nearbysewage lagoons to provide nu-trients to the barren soil. Thisallows vegetation to grow. Thelagoons must be cleaned peri-odically to maintain their ca-pacity and land reclamation isan excellent way to recycle thesludge. Initial efforts at apply-ing this material over metalcontaminated soils producedhealthy plantings that will besampled for lead to ensure thatthe potential forage crops aresafe.

PrPrPrPrProject Cooroject Cooroject Cooroject Cooroject CoordinadinadinadinadinationtiontiontiontionDEQ’s approach using a

multi-disciplinary team is de-veloping and implementingpractical projects that willshow real improvements forthe residents of Northern Ot-tawa County. Protection ofhuman health and the envi-ronment continues to be thefocus of DEQ efforts, but co-ordination with EPA, ArmyCorps of Engineers, Bureau ofIndian Affairs (much of thisland is managed by BIA for in-dividual Indian Allottees),other state agencies and localgovernments ensures a syner-gistic improvement, increasesefficiency and allows for “BigPicture” planning for long-term use of the site.

Many of the projects thatwere initiated within the lastyear are demonstrating vis-ible improvements and im-provements have been madebehind the scenes as well.The challenge presented bythe Tar Creek Mega-Site isgreat, but not overwhelming.Oklahoma’s Governor, BradHenry, Secretary of the Envi-ronment, Miles Tolbert andthe entire congressional del-egation all indicate that nowis the time to effect realchange at Tar Creek. DEQ willmeet this challenge.

Processing chat for sale as asphalt road aggregate


A “monstrous”chat pile, weath-ered over time.

Vast chat pilesdot the land-scape.


Fish Flesh Monitoring in the Tri-State Mining Area for

Safe Fish Consumption

Customer Services Division(CSD) performed a study todetermine the safety of con-suming fish caught in watersaffected by runoff from theTri-State Mining Area and theTar Creek Superfund Site. Re-sponding to concerns of lo-cal residents and tribes, thestudy was designed to deter-mine levels of metals in fishtissue. A level of metal in fishtissue that could be harmfulto human health if consumedin excess amounts was alsodetermined. Tribes from theTar Creek area indicated thattraditional customs includedeating whole fish, including

bones, which had beencanned using a pressurecooker. Since metals accu-mulate in the bones and or-gans of fish, there was a con-cern that these traditionalmethods of preparationmight be unsafe.

CSD field personnelworked cooperatively withthe US Fish and Wildlife ser-vice to collect fish from theNeosho and Spring Rivers aswell as local ponds receivingmine waste runoff. The StateEnvironmental Laboratory(SEL) developed specialsample preparation andanalysis methods specifically

Brian Magott and Randy Parham collecting fish for analysis. Randy Parham holding a completed sample ready for analysis.

Brian Magott collecting river water for fish monitoring.


for this study. Risk assessmentpersonnel used EPA guid-ance to calculate acceptablefish tissue levels for cadmiumand zinc and developed amethod for determining safelead concentrations in fish.

Results of the study con-cluded that whole fish fromthe Tri-State Mining Areashould not be consumed, butfillets were safe to eat. Inother words, preparation thatremoved the bones in whichmetal accumulated prior tocooking resulted in fish thatwas safe to eat. Fish from theTar Creek area had higherconcentrations of lead thanthose found in fish collectedin a national study. The higherfish tissue lead concentra-tions were positively corre-lated to lead concentrationsin the sediments of the areawaters.

Above : Anthony DeGeare andJennifer Fennil preparing fish foranalysis.

Left: Brian Magottalso grinding fishfor laboratoryanalysis.

Left: Erin Lovelady working in the StateEnvironmental Laboratory.

Right: Steve Forrest analyzingsamples.

More Photographs of the Customer Services Fish Monitoring Team


In support of efforts to ad-dress environmental prob-lems associated with the TarCreek Superfund Site, DEQ hasbeen tasked with compilinggeographical information forthe area and providing visualtools for evaluation and plan-ning. A significant amount ofinformation has been col-

Use of GIS in the Tar Creek Arealected that includes both his-torical and newly generateddata.

Information ranging fromhistorical mine maps to aerialphotography has beenbrought into various Geo-graphic Information System(GIS) applications to aid staffin determining appropriate

options for addressing envi-ronmental concerns in thearea. Although the benefits ofGIS are too numerous to list, agood example would be usingaerial photography from vari-ous points in time (1927-1999)to evaluate cause and effect ofmining activities throughoutthe years.

In many areas, existing sur-face features simply do not tellthe whole story for a site. It isimperative that we have theability to evaluate historicaldata as well as provide accu-rate information on mine ex-tents, areas that may be sus-ceptible to subsidence and lo-cations of mine shafts.

Map showing before and af-ter views of the City of Picheras it existed in 1927 andpresent day.


Map showing before and after views of the Central Mill near the City of Commerce as it existed in 1927 and present day.


The abandoned and un-used refinery in Cushing,Oklahoma, posed a signifi-cant environmental hazard.DEQ, EPA and the City ofCushing, with the assistanceof the U.S. Army Corps of En-gineers and the U.S. CoastGuard Gulf Strike Team, re-sponded to this hazard bydemolishing the remainingrefinery superstructure at theHudson Oil Refinery inCushing. The demolition wasconducted as a SuperfundNon-Time Critical RemovalAction. The project was ac-complished quickly and un-der budget. DEQ is preparingto start the Remedial Investi-gation/Feasibility Study of thesite to find out what addi-tional environmental cleanupmay be needed. There is bothprivate and public interest inredeveloping the propertyonce it is remediated.

The Sun Sets on the Hudson Oil Refinery in CushingSuperfund

Hudson Refinery’s last days.

The partners in the demolition.

Above: Asbestos workers remove asbestos insu-lation from the superstructure.

Cranes bring down the smaller towers.


A worker begins cuttingsupporting structures.

A tetraethyl lead tank is removed from its house.

Larger towers were brought down with explosives.

An aerial photo of the site after demolition.


The Kerr McGee Refinerysite operated in Cushing, Okla-homa from 1915-1972. KerrMcGee also operated anuclear plant on the site from1962-1966. In 1990, KerrMcGee agreed to clean up thesite under DEQ and NuclearRegulatory Commission’s(NRC) supervision. KerrMcGee’s approach to the sitewas to take care of the “worstfirst;” therefore, five large acidsludge pits were excavated,treated and disposed in a con-structed cell on-site. This workwas completed in 2002.

Kerr McGee is conductinga site characterization of thesite. This will include the sam-pling of the soils, subsurfacesoils and groundwater on thesite. Once site characteriza-tion is complete, Kerr McGeewill evaluate remedial op-tions, present the alternativesto DEQ and DEQ will evalu-ate the alternatives and issuea Proposed Plan for thecleanup, which will be avail-able for the publics’ reviewand comment.

Concurrent with thecleanup of the chemical con-tamination, Kerr McGee hasbeen actively decommission-ing the radiological contami-nation. Radiological wastewas recently shipped off site

Kerr McGee Refinery, CushingVoluntary Cleanup Program

Before and afterphotos of the former

Kerr-McGee refinery inCushing.

for permanent disposal inUtah under the oversight ofthe NRC. The decommission-ing is expected to be com-plete in 2005.

Approximately 80-acres ofthe southeast portion of thesite will be transferred toSeminole Transportation andGathering (STG) for crude oiltransmission and storage op-erations. Kerr McGee willmaintain ownership of the re-maining 360-acres of the siteand preserve that acreage asa greenspace.


The Home Depot Corpora-tion was interested in locat-ing a new store in Tulsa onproperty that had previouslybeen used for manufactur-ing electrical products. Dur-ing an environmental assess-

Tulsament, groundwater contami-nation was detected. HomeDepot entered DEQ Volun-tary Cleanup Program tocharacterize the site. Thecompany is currently moni-toring the groundwater. The

Home Depot

Photograph of the site after the redevelopment.

monitoring does not inter-fere with the development oruse of the property, whichallowed Home Depot to pro-ceed with its enhancementof the property.


The former Federated Met-als zinc smelter site is longgone. In its place rises thenew Sand Springs Wal-MartSupercenter. Construction is

Wal-Mart Supercenter

almost complete and theSupercenter should be openfor business in August. Thesite is a former zinc smelterthat closed in the early 1980s.The site was cleaned up un-

der DEQ’s Brownfield Pro-gram by Federated Metals andis being offered for develop-ment by the newowner, KucharskiD e ve l o p m e n t .

Wal-Mart expects that 250new jobs will be created atthe new location. The Wal-Mart is spurring additionaldevelopment in the areaand the city is in discussionswith major national devel-opment corporations.

Wal-Mart Supercenter, Sand Springs, constructed on the former Federated Metals Brownfield site.

Former Smelter SiteRevitalizesWal-Mart Supercenter Moves onto Brownfield Site


New Tillman County Barn

County CommissionerKent Smith stands infront of Tillman County’snew County Barn.

Drilling on theGrandfield refinery site

Brownfield Targeted Site AssessmentsIn 2002, DEQ performed a Brownfields Targeted

Site Assessment of a former refinery in Grandfield.Portions of the old refinery are owned by the City ofGrandfield, Tillman County and various private own-ers. The City of Grandfield plans to market its por-tion of the property to commercial and industrialusers and Tillman County built a new County Barnon its portion of the site. DEQ provided a site assess-ment of the subsurface and wastes on site. DEQ,Grandfield, Tillman County and the Association ofSouth Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG)are working with a responsible party to remove theremaining refinery wastes that are scattered aroundthe site.

Tillman County received a grant to construct itsnew county barn and was able to build on a por-tion of the refinery property that was shown to beunaffected by refinery wastes.


On June 1, 2003, a three-yearrules development processwas completed when newsolid waste rules came into ef-fect. OAC 252:515 is the cul-mination of a three-year pro-cess in which DEQ, in partner-ship with members of theregulated community, envi-ronmental consultants, localgovernments and other inter-ested parties, performed athorough review and rewriteof the solid waste manage-ment rules. This is the firsttime in DEQ’s history that sucha coordinated effort has beenundertaken to evaluate and

Stakeholder Rulemaking Process Completestreamline its regulations. Thenew chapter governs manage-ment of solid and industrialwaste at 41 landfills acrossOklahoma.

The process began in Feb-ruary 2000, when DEQ sent aquestionnaire asking for vol-unteers to participate in thisprocess. Approximately 60persons expressed interest inparticipating and becamepart of what was known as the“rules development group.”Between May 2000 and De-cember 2001, the group held16 meetings. While not every-one attended every meeting,

all members of the group, aswell as members of the SolidWaste Management AdvisoryCouncil, were kept informedof the meeting discussionsand outcomes via an e-maillist that was developed for theproject. In addition, all infor-mation related to the processwas posted on DEQ’s webpage.

Some of the major benefitsof the new regulations includeclarifying which rules apply towhich facilities, reducing re-quirements without jeopardiz-ing environmental protection,streamlining various pro-

cesses and eliminating unnec-essary requirements. In con-junction with the rulemakingeffort, DEQ staff developedseveral guidance documentsto help owner/operators com-ply with the new rules.

OAC 252:515 represents asignificant revision to thesolid waste rules, which DEQexpects will remain in placefor many years. The successof the rules development pro-cess has shown that DEQ andthe regulated community canwork closely to develop rulesthat are agreeable to all af-fected stakeholders.

The Allied Waste Systems Landfill in Newcastle.

Solid Waste


Hazardous Waste Compliance SECTION

DEQ inspector, Mike Stickney (right), inspects a facility.Inset: DEQ inspector, Jonathon King collects a sample from a drum.

The Hazardous Waste Com-pliance Section of the LPD iscomposed of Inspection andEnforcement personnel andData Management personnel.The Inspection and Enforce-ment personnel are respon-sible for inspections of permit-ted hazardous waste treat-ment/storage/recycling/dis-posal facilities and hazardouswaste generator facilities. Inaddition, personnel conducthazardous waste complaintinvestigations, criminal inves-tigations, facility waste sam-pling, preparing and issuingenforcement actions and regu-latory research. The Inspec-tion and Enforcement person-nel initiated an effort to de-velop new generator inspec-tion forms to be used in fiscalyear 2003 in lieu of morelengthy narrative generator in-spection reports. With the de-velopment of the new genera-tor inspection forms, person-nel have been able to visitmore generator facilities toassess not only hazardouswaste, but also the various fa-cilities’ nonhazardous wastedisposal practices. Generatorfacility inspections for fiscalyear 2003, which included thesame number of available in-spectors, increased 54% fromfiscal year 2002 with the devel-opment of the generator in-spection forms.

develops new generator inspection forms


Land Protection Data Man-agement staff is responsible forcollecting and managing haz-ardous waste data in both aninternal database and a federaldatabase. The data inputs in-clude facility inspections, facil-ity violations (identificationand closure), facility enforce-

Hazardous Waste Datament actions, fines assessedand collected, facility notifica-tion form information, biennialreporting information, monthlyand quarterly report informa-tion, permit issuance, permitmodifications, corrective actionactivities and groundwater ac-tivities. Various reports can be

prepared from input data suchas to identify the number of fa-cilities’ inspections in a speci-fied time period, types of viola-tions at individual facilities,types of enforcement action is-sued to individual facilities,permit modification approvals,corrective action status and

state disposal plan status reports.Data Management personnelalso prepare reports from thedata to identify amounts of haz-ardous waste generated and dis-posed in Oklahoma, includingamounts of hazardous wasteimported to Oklahoma for treat-ment, storage and disposal.

Hazardous wastes placarded for disposal.

Management


DEQ in conjunction withthe Oklahoma State Depart-ment of Health, the OklahomaBureau of Investigation andthe Oklahoma Bureau of Nar-cotics and Dangerous Drugsdeveloped guidelines to helpclean up houses in which amethamphetamine lab oper-ated. DEQ receives severalcalls a week from concernedcitizens requesting informa-tion in this area. The citizensare either referred to DEQ/LPD web page for the guide-lines or a printed copy of theguidelines is mailed to them.

Local law enforcementagencies have requestedDEQ’s assistance in the inves-tigation of several propertieswhere they suspected that thesoil and water had been con-taminated by illicit metham-phetamine production. DEQhas participated in severaltraining events to educate lo-cal law enforcement agenciesand the real estate commu-nity about the environmentalhazards of clandestine labs.

in the investigation of Methamphetamine Labs

Busted!The rem-nants of ameth lab.

Michael Freeman, DEQenforcement officer, edu-cates real estate profes-

sionals.

DEQ assists


The Land Protection Divi-sion issued three major per-mit renewals, as well as anumber of minor permits andpermit modifications, duringthe 2003 Fiscal Year. In theRCRA hazardous waste pro-gram, renewing a permit canbe nearly as difficult and time-consuming as obtaining anew permit, since all techni-cal aspects of the permit arereconsidered. Of note werethe Post-Closure MonitoringPermit issued for CavenhamForest Industries, in Sallisaw,the Operations Permit for To-tal Petroleum (TPI), inArdmore and the OperationsPermit for the ConocoPhillipsRefinery in Ponca City.

CaCaCaCaCavvvvvenhamenhamenhamenhamenham The CavenhamSallisaw plant producedwood and timber productsand treated wood using creo-sote as a preservative. Wastesproduced by the plant weredisposed on-site and wereconsolidated into a singlelandfill. The permit addressesmaintenance of the closedlandfill and performance ofgroundwater monitoring dur-ing the post-closure period toassure that no hazardous con-stituents are escaping fromthe site. Several decades ofpost-closure maintenanceand monitoring will beneeded.

The plant originally openedin 1946 and has been closedfor several years. Cavenhamis headquartered inHattiesburg, Mississippi.

TTTTTotal Potal Potal Potal Potal Petretretretretroleum (TPI,oleum (TPI,oleum (TPI,oleum (TPI,oleum (TPI, Inc Inc Inc Inc Inc.).).).).)TPI owns and operates a pe-troleum refinery in Ardmorethat produces a wide range ofpetroleum distillates and re-lated products. Wastes fromthese processes have beenmanaged and disposed onsite for many years and arebeing produced today fromthis active facility. The permitprovides for better manage-ment of wastes produced bythe continued operation ofthe refinery, as well as post-closure maintenance andmonitoring of several areaswhere petroleum wastes weredisposed of by “land-treat-ment” methods. Some of theland treatment plots remainin operation for disposal ofnon-hazardous wastes. In ad-dition, the permit covers anon-going Corrective Actionprogram at the refinery to lo-cate, investigate andremediate (as needed) oldspills or disposal areas.

“Land Treatment” for wastesinvolves the spreading of con-trolled quantities of organicwastes (such as petroleum-related materials) onto pre-pared land areas. These

wastes are then tilledinto the soil and theplots are fertilizedand watered asneeded to en-courage bacte-rial action todegrade andweather thewastes to re-duce their tox-icity.

The TPI refineryhas operated undera number of ownerssince the 1920s andcontinues in operationtoday.

ConocoPhillips RefConocoPhillips RefConocoPhillips RefConocoPhillips RefConocoPhillips RefinerinerinerinerineryyyyyThe operating permit for theConocoPhillips Refinery inPonca City, was renewed late inFY 2003. It is very similar in con-cept to the TPI Permit describedabove although it presents anumber of different challenges.The ConocoPhillips permit wasover five years in the making,due to the complexity of itswaste management situation.

The Ponca City refinery be-gan operations early in the lastcentury and remains the larg-est active oil refinery in Okla-homa.

WWWWWaiting in the aiting in the aiting in the aiting in the aiting in the WWWWWingsingsingsingsings Onemore major permit renewal isnearing completion as of theend of the 2003 Fiscal Year.The draft of the post-closure

permit for the ZCA (Zinc Cor-poration of America) facilityin Bartlesville is nearingcompletion and will be avail-able for public comment bylater this year. The ZCA facil-ity had operated since earlyin the 20th century as a smelterfor lead and zinc and othermetallic components and isnow closed. The facility iscompleting a large, multifac-eted Corrective Action pro-gram to consolidate thou-sands of tons of waste materi-als into several landfill unitsand cap and close them.Long-term monitoring of thegroundwater will be requiredto assure that no contami-nants are leaving the site.

MAJOR RCRA PERMITS ISSUED | Others Pending


The practice of injecting liq-uid wastes into deep under-ground formations for dis-posal is highly complex andclosely controlled, since theactual “disposal site” can beseveral thousand feet under-ground. This makes monitor-ing of the performance andbehavior of an injection wella complicated task. The Un-

UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAMderground Injection Controlprogram has seen major en-hancement during FY 2003 toprovide even greater assur-ance that the behavior of in-jection wells is understoodand regulated as needed.

With the assistance of anEPA grant, DEQ purchased acommercial computer soft-ware program that has greatly

expanded the Division’s capa-bilities to analyze the behav-ior of a given well throughcareful evaluation of well pres-sures during pumping and“fall-off” testing. ThePanSystem 3.0 software pur-chased is unique and is usedby the petroleum industrythroughout the U.S. This soft-ware can provide multiple si-

multaneous data plots andevaluations, allowing LPDstaff to closely examine theeffect that changes in well pa-rameters have upon well per-formance. It also allows pre-dictions regarding the usefullife of an injection well, whichis vitally impacted in planningfor future disposal needs.

The second annual Okla-homa Use Less Stuff Week wasproclaimed for April 19-26,2003. DEQ coordinates thiscampaign and partners itwith Earth Day, which is heldannually on April 22. Sinceusing less stuff is somethingeveryone can easily do to cel-ebrate Earth Day, the agency

“USE LESS STUFF” CAMPAIGN ensures that less of our natural resources is useddecided to combinethese events. Ways to“Use Less Stuff “ in-clude recycling andsource reduction.

Recycling is a wayto ensure that less ofour natural re-sources is used tosatisfy our dailyneeds and maintainour modern life-styles. However, to

make a real impact on savingresources and energy, wemust learn not to create somuch waste in the first place,by reducing and reusingproducts and packaging.

Source reduction can bepracticed effectively on a cor-porate, community or per-sonal level. It helps the envi-ronment, but it can also be

financially rewarding. If yousimply “Use Less Stuff,” somegood things will happen. Forone thing, you’ll save moneyevery time you shop. Also,your town will save money.That’s because the cost ofpreventing waste is zero,while the cost of recycling,not to mention landfilling,can be very expensive. Thus,prevention means moremoney for important ser-vices such as education,crime prevention, roadmaintenance and humanservices. Using less stufftherefore plays a major rolein efforts to develop a sus-tainable society, one thatmakes efficient use of re-sources while minimizingman’s impact on the envi-ronment.

DEQ provides many mate-rials to Oklahomans who areinterested in the idea of UsingLess Stuff. The agency hasdeveloped a series of articles,which have been dissemi-nated as press releases, ontopics such as composting,ozone awareness, water con-servation, grass recycling andhousehold pollutants. DEQhas also developed a re-source list and a series of ar-ticles on the Secret Lives ofStuff to help inform Oklaho-mans about the large quantityof resources that go into pro-ducing a product. DEQ alsohas educational handouts tohelp promote the concept ofUse Less Stuff such as re-cycled Styrofoam pencils and“Use Less Stuff” buttons, de-cals and posters.

ENHANCED


DEQ hosted the RCRAInspector’s Workshop, April 22– 24, 2003, at the Marriott Ho-tel (Northwest Highway), inOklahoma City. This 3-dayseminar is held yearly to pro-vide a training environmentfor inspectors and permittingstaff in the hazardous wasteprograms of the five statescovered by EPA Region 6. Forthe past several years, theWorkshop has been held inTexas, but DEQ worked tire-lessly to move it to Oklahomathis year.

Some 110 attendees were atthe Workshop, representingvarious states, city or county

OKLAHOMA DEQ HOSTS 5-STATE RCRA INSPECTOR’S WORKSHOP

At the request of the OklahomaReal Estate Commission, DEQ pro-vided environmental seminars toreal estate professionals acrossOklahoma. Both residential andcommercial issues were ad-dressed in the seminars. Topicsincluded many subjects that affectreal estate transfers such as meth-amphetamine labs, septic tanks,mold, lead paint, dilapidatedbuildings, radon, mercury, pesti-cides, illegal dumps, contami-nated property and DEQ’s Brown-field Program. The seminars werewell received and DEQ continuesto receive requests to conductthese meetings.

DEQ

Seminar for the real estate professionals in Duncan.

Hazardous Waste placards.

Fenton Rood, left fields aquestion from the audience.Also shown is MarvinBoatright.

Environmental Seminars for Real Estate CommissionConducts

law enforcement and envi-ronmental programs and sev-eral Tribal environmental pro-grams. A total of 27 speakersmade presentations over thecourse of the Workshop.

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Land Protection - the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality

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