NOTE
SUBJECT:
Notes
from
Field
Visit
to
Tri­
State
Mining
District
TO:
Docket
FROM:
Stephen
Hoffman
DATE:
11/
7/
05
On
October
25,
2005
I
visited
a
number
of
locations
throughout
the
Tri­
State
mining
district
to
familiarize
myself
with
the
nature
and
scope
of
chat
piles.
I
was
accompanied
during
this
visit
by
Mark
Doolan,
USEPA.

We
started
the
visit
in
Baxter
Springs
and
then
drove
to
Treece,
Kansas
where
I
observed
the
Bingham
Sand
and
Gravel
facility.
I
observed
a
number
of
chat
piles
located
along
Treece
Road(
which
runs
along
the
Kansas/
Oklahoma
border).
These
piles
are
part
of
the
Tar
Creek
NPL
site.
I
observed
that
raw
chat
was
used
as
road
gravel
on
that
portion
of
the
road
and
was
also
used
to
line
area
ditches.
I
also
observed
occupied
homes
either
immediately
adjacent
to
chat
piles
are
located
with
200­
300
feet
of
them.

We
then
drove
into
Picher,
Oklahoma
along
S570
which
appears
to
be
constructed
of
raw
chat.
I
observed
a
number
of
chat
piles
which
were
fenced
in
and
had
signs
indicating
that
they
were
federal
property.
Mark
indicated
that
he
thought
some
of
these
fenced
piles
belonged
to
the
Quapaw
Tribe.
On
S570
approximately
one
half
mile
north
of
the
Picher
School
I
observed
abandoned
mill
foundations
and
chimney
which
appeared
to
be
composed
of
a
chat/
concrete.
I
could
clearly
see
chat
particles
in
the
concrete
matrix.
I
then
observed
serval
very
large
chat
piles
located
immediately
behind
the
Pricher
Junior/
Senior
High
School
baseball
field.

We
drove
back
into
Picher
and
observe
another
three
very
large
chat
piles.
We
drove
by
the
Teeter
Asphalt
plant
which
currently
produces
hot
mix
asphalt
with
chat
and
also
drove
by
Flint
Rock
Products
who
wash
chat.
I
observed
motorcycle
and
4­
wheel
drive
vehicle
tracks
along
the
tops
of
the
chat
piles.

We
then
drove
into
Cherokee
county
Kansas
and
observed
several
locations
where
chat
has
been
remediated
since
1994
around
Galena.
We
drove
into
Web
City,
Missouri
to
observe
chat
piles
in
the
Jasper
county
area.
There
is
a
considerable
amount
of
redevelopment
in
this
area.
Many
streams
however
are
filled
in
with
chat
(
I
observed
Center
Creek)
and
that
appears
to
increase
metal
loadings
downstream
every
time
it
rains.
New
housing
is
being
placed
on
top
of
one
foot
of
clean
material
which
in
turn
sits
on
chat.

We
concluded
the
visit
by
observing
chat
piles
located
between
Web
City
and
Centerville
where
there
are
two
mine
pits
filled
with
mine
waters.
Water
is
neutral
at
a
pH
of
6.8
to
7.2.
Plans
are
being
evaluated
to
use
chat
to
fill
in
these
pits.
I
observed
children
riding
ATVs
across
the
top
of
chat
piles.
