200 acres in southwestern Arkansas City, 1/2 mile north of the Oklahoma State Line, make up the Arkansas City Dump Site. This site was originally the Millikin Refinery, which operated from 1916 until an explosion in 1927. During that time about 1 million cubic feet of sludge were disposed of in the northwest waste area. In this area between 500,000 and 1 million gallons of residual oil products were present in the subsurface soils, which also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Other contaminants include sulfuric acid in the sludge and unspecified heavy metals, which can be toxic to humans if exposed. The PAHs are discussed in the Doepke Disposal site page. Some examples of heavy metals are discussed on the Cherokee County site page and the Fort Riley site page. (3, 4, 5)

Sulfuric acid is an extremely corrosive, oily liquid that is colorless. It is water soluble and contributes to acid rain. Most of the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere is the result of the release of sulfur dioxide during the combustion of fossil fuels. Health hazards from sulfuric acid include burns on skin if there is tactile contact, tooth erosion and respiratory tract irritation if it is inhaled and burns to mouth, throat and stomach as well as death if it is ingested. Sulfuric acid has been shown to cause cancer of the larynx if large quantaties are inhaled. (2)

In 1991 the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, began cleanup of the northern waste area of the site. The practices chosen for this task include neutralizing the acid in the sludge through the circulation of a high pH lime solution through the sludge waste, followed by the covering of the waste area with a soil cap after the treatment is finished. ((3, 5))