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Letter Of Resignation From Sonya Harris to Oklahoma Legislators Concerning Voluntary Buyout




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Picher Mining Field, NE OK Subsidence Evaluation Report
Jan. 06, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, by Subsidence Evaluation Team

1) Tribune newspaper office, Picher—behind office, major underground rock fall goes back to the ball field; west edge of ball field there is a shaft that was filled with wood ties only, then filled with dirt.

2) Black Hawk—pillars shot away in later years. Pull drift leading west to R. Harrell park under which there is an unsupported cavern that the Astrodome would fit into.

3) Center field area of old Tristate Miners ball park—large underground rock fall, roof height 100 feet plus.

4) John Beaver-Crystal-Ritz-up to Velie Lion-all these workings mined to very high roof, sheet ground (shale) unstable plus lower strata made unstable by tar seams.

5) Syndicate—north of pits toward Treece, east of Tar Creek—very bad ground with very thin or no upper limestone supporting strata.

6) Piokee and later Dew Drop mine shaft-removed pillars in later years; a cave-in of east side of Piokee.

7) Lucky Bill to Rialto #1 and #2—pillars removed and totally mined out. Especially around shafts for a 200 foot radius. The roof gets higher toward the Admiralty mine where it was necessary to drill from 75-foot-high tower to reach the mine working face.

8) Humble gravel plant—area under chat pile which includes the Rialto mill shaft lacks support due to absence of supporting limestone, and was mined up to the shale in many areas. Reported early years cave-in south side of chat pile close to old Hwy 69 which filled itself with chat from the tailings pile.

9) Admiralty #1 and #3—unusual geological feature: Miami fault line and anticline visible in the mine; faults known to be prone to slippage.

10 & 11) Beck, southward across east A Street to Hudson mine; cave-in on north side of road, connected underground to location where A Street caved-in to the East.

12) West of Blue Goose #2—caved-in through chat pile years ago, workings unstable and had many roof slab falls during operating years.

13) Goodeagle—although not connected underground to other workings, was mined out on multiple levels to a very high roof.

14) Bendalari and Cherokee—these are in Kansas and had very unstable workings. Former shaft was recribbed 5 times due to poor stability. Typical of mines in the Treece, KS area.

15) Federal Lucky-West of Syndicate—same comments as Syndicate.

16) Howe—West side of tar creek and west of Piokee; had very thin upper strata of limestone, poses threat to Tar Creek if it subsides.

17) New ball park, east edge of street; improperly filled shaft over cavernous area unsupported by pillars.

18) Davis Big Chief & Davis White (later Otis White)—this workings northward and to the southwest was unstable due to tar seams and deposits all the way up to the “E” bed of the Boone Formation.

19) Emma Gordon—mining in commerce area was in very narrow drifts due to nature of ore deposits and lack of good rock overhead for roof support. Room and pillar method less used here.

20) Cactus to Jones & Goldberg—there is a shaft between these two mines not shown on map, right on the section line. Mined area quite shallow and not in stable rock formations probably accounting for present caveins.

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Picher Mining Field, NE OK Subsidence Evaluation Report
Jan. 06, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District, by Subsidence Evaluation Team

TABLE 4.1
PARTIAL LIST OF SHAFT-RELATED COLLAPSES
IN THE VICINITY OF PICHER-CARDIN-HOCKERVILLE SINCE 1982

Case Number Shaft Related Collapse

1) Sooner tailings pile shaft No. 5-Dec. 2001. S16 T29N R23E.

2) Velie Lion shaft No. 37-Between 1982 and 2000. Elliptical collapse-approx. 60 x 80 feet x 35 feet deep. S19 T29N R23E.

3) Harrisburg shaft No. 44-Dec. 2002. Circular collapse expanded to approx. 80 feet in diameter x 70 feet deep. Collapse remains active. S19 T29N R23E.

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TABLE 4.1 (Continued)
PARTIAL LIST OF SHAFT-RELATED COLLAPSES
IN THE VICINITY OF PICHER-CARDIN-HOCKERVILLE SINCE 1982

Case Number Shaft Related Collapse

4) Craig Lease Shaft No. 20- Dec 2003. Circular collapse 12 feet in diameter x 4 feet deep. S33 T29N R23E.

5) Craig Lease shaft No.15- Partial collapse 2002-12 feet in diameter x 4 feet deep (North side of lease in pasture adjacent to E40 Rd.). S33 T29N R23E.

6) Warner Fee (Commerce) Shaft No.1-January 2005. Circular collapse 10 feet in diameter. S6 T28N R22E.

7) Beck shaft No. 16-partial collapse beginning in 2001- 10 feet diameter x 8 feet deep. The shaft has continued to deepen. S29 T29N R23E.

8) Lucky Jenny shaft No. 11 (Hockerville)-late 2004 or early 2005. Circular collapse 50 feet diameter x 40 feet deep. S14 T29N R23E.

9) Mahutska Lease shaft No. 10 in the tailings pile-between 1982 and 2004. Circular collapse in tailings pile approx. 60 feet in diameter. S21 T29N R23E.

10) Partial collapse of Shaft No. 31 on the Barbara J Lease adjacent to Hwy 69-Occurred in 2001. Circular collapse 10 feet in diameter x 6 feet deep. S29 T29N R23E.

11 Shaft No. 34 fill material collapsed on the Beck Lease adjacent to ‘A’ Street. Concrete collar intact. Date unknown. S15 T29N R23E.

12) Shaft No.17 on the Missouri Mule Lease-Occurred around 2000. Circular collapse 20 feet in diameter. Water level 10 feet from surface. S28 T29N R23E.

13) SHAFT No. 10 on the New Chicago No. 2 Lease-Occurred in 2002. Circular collapse 20 feet in diameter x 15 feet deep. S28 T29N R23E.

14) Shaft No. 19 on the Ritz Lease in the road on Ash Street, south of Cardin Road, one block south of the old Eagle-Picher Office/Shop site. Occurred 1982. Approx. 40 feet in diameter x 30 feet deep. S30 T29N R24E.

15) Unnumbered shaft adjacent to Hwy 137 in Quapaw. Occurred in 2003. Approx. 15 feet in diameter x 30 feet deep. S35 T29N R23E.

TABLE 4.2
PARTIAL LIST OF NON-SHAFT

RELATED COLLAPSES IN THE VICINITY OF PICHER-CARDIN-HOCKERVILLE SINCE 1982
Case Number Non-Shaft Related Collapse

1) Scammon Hill- Near shaft No.12- small elliptical collapse adjacent to collapsed shaft. Approx. 20 feet In diameter x 8 feet deep. S36 T29N R22E.

2) Scammon Hill- Near shaft No. 8-small circular collapse near shaft. Approx. 30 feet in diameter x 15 feet deep. S36 T29N R22E.

3) Massel Lease-two small collapse features adjacent to mill concrete pillars. Approx. 20 feet in diameter x 15 feet deep. S23 T29N R23E.

4) Scott Lease-Circular collapse 20 feet diameter x 10 feet deep. Water level at 10 feet- Jan. 2003. S13 T29N 23E.

5) Howe tailings pile-circular recollapsed around 1997. Expanded to 42 feet in diameter by 2001. S17 T29N R23E.

6) Drill hole collapsed in James Cruzan’s yard in Picher-2004. Approx. 6 feet x 8 feet S17 T29N R23E.

7) Collapsed drill hole on the Ruth Goodeagle lease approx. 100 yards. SE from shaft No. 3. Occurred in 2003. Approx. 2 feet x 8 feet S34 T29N R23E.

8) Elliptical collapse in the pasture 100 yards. east of S590 Road. Occurred in 2003. 12 feet x 15 feet by 10 feet deep. Collapse continues to increase in size. Also a drill hole collapse 100 feet NW of the elliptical collapse. S34 T29N R23E.

9) Martha B Mine, State Line Road-8 feet collapse 4 feet deep-January 29, 2005. Large depression 25 feet in diameter x 2 feet deep adjacent to the collapse. May be karst feature? S17 T29N R24E.

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TABLE 4.2 (Continued)
PARTIAL LIST OF NON-SHAFT
RELATED COLLAPSES IN THE VICINITY OF PICHER-CARDIN-HOCKERVILLE SINCE 1982

Case Number Non-Shaft Related Collapse

10) Small collapse in S590 Road on the Dardene Lease between Sections 21/22 T29N R23E. Approx. 4 feet in diameter x 8 feet deep-2004. Collapse filled with boulders by the County road crew.

11) Collapse 1531 on the Consolidated Lease west of Commerce. Filled after 1982. In a state of major collapse in 2005. S1 T29N R22E.

12) Circular collapse 100 yds. Northeast of Velie Lion mill site-70ft in diameter x 30 feet deep. S19 T29N R23E

13) Collapse on the J. E. McGuirk Lease on the north side of E40 Road (Blue Hole Road) – Occurred Approx. 1982. Approx. 30 feet in diameter by 15 feet deep. Rural water system had to be permanently rerouted around the opening. S30 T29N R24E.

14) Large collapse 300 feet west of police station in Commerce-50 feet wide x 70 feet long x 140 feet deep. 1994-1995. S1 T29N R22E.

15) North side of ‘A’ Street 1.5 miles east of Picher-1992. Size unknown.

16) Small circular collapse on the Alice Greenback Lease adjacent to Hwy 69A NE of Quapaw. Approx. 4 feet diameter x 6 feet deep. Hole collapsed 3 times in 2004. S26 T29N R23E.

17) Old Hwy 66 in Commerce at the intersection of current Main Street and “C” Street-Drill hole in the center of the road 6 feet wide x 22 feet deep 1994. S1 T29N R22E.

18) Small circular collapse on the Skelton Lease adjacent to Hwy 69 on the east side, south of Picher- March 2005. Approx. 12 feet in diameter x 6 feet deep. S28 T29N R23E.

19) Circular collapse in S ½ of SE ¼ of Section 20 T29N R23E-5/8/83. Approx. 60 feet in diameter x 30 feet deep.

20) Circular collapse in the Ritz chat pile on the Ritz Lease, July 2005. Approx. 12 feet in diameter x 20 feet deep. S30 T29 R23E.

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Oklahoma Plan for Tar Creek, Multi-agency Committee.
This is not the Governor's Task Force.

9. RECOMMENDATION AND OPTIONS

The following recommendations are intended to provide guidance to federal, state, and local officials in addressing the safety, environmental, and land use issues associated with potential subsidence events. The options provide a menu or a series of methods that can be applied to assist in the prediction, detection, and mitigation of subsidence.

These recommendations are presented in two separate categories: general recommendations, and site-specific recommendations.

9.1 GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

General recommendations developed by the Subsidence Evaluation Team are:

• Establish an advisory committee composed of federal, state, and local representatives to assist with the implementation of recommendations contained in this report and to serve as a technical and/or management resource for policy makers and elected officials.

• Establish a long-term program to locate, map, and record future subsidence events as they occur in the Picher Mining Field. Both shaft related and non-shaft related subsidence events should be included in the program.

• Establish a fund to address emergency subsidence events in the Picher Mining Field. The fund should provide for emergency evaluation of subsidence features as they occur and provide an immediate funding source for corrective measures. Existing funding mechanisms do not provide the ability to respond quickly to emergencies. The fund would be replenished as it is drawn down.

• Continue the current mine-shaft closure program to remove the immediate hazards associated with open shafts, further reduce the potential for additional shaft failures, and minimize the environmental impacts from surface water drainage and unauthorized dumping. Focus mine-shaft closure efforts first on open mine shafts within city limits and near occupied structures.

• Develop and implement a subsidence training program for workers from Picher, Quapaw, Commerce, Ottawa County District 1, and Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) maintenance staff. The program should be designed to teach workers to recognize and report subsidence events and how to take appropriate action to address the subsidence events as they occur. A similar program has been in place in Joplin, MO for several years and has worked effectively.

• Identify and inspect all shaft related and non-shaft related subsidence features being used as dump sites for commercial and household refuse to reduce the environmental impacts of open subsidence features. A priority ranking based on the potential environmental impact should be developed and additional funding provided to eliminate surface runoff into the sites and, in some instances, close the sites not currently addressed.

Governmental regulatory agencies, cities, and Ottawa County should work together to strengthen the regulations, enforcement, and penalties for unauthorized dumping and develop legal alternatives for trash disposal.

• Federal and State agencies involved in remediation and reclamation of lands at Tar Creek should reevaluate existing assumptions and approaches used to address hazards in the mining field. The information contained in this report (potential subsidence and mine shaft failure, underground mine workings) should be factored into existing projects, plans, and decisions.

A process for evaluating current and future land use plans against existing hazards and the estimated cost for remediation and reclamation should be developed. A plan for restoration and/or final disposition of mined properties, including identification and mitigation of known hazards, should be a product of the effort.

Ottawa County and impacted cities should establish a county-city land use planning process to evaluate current land use and develop future land use recommendations in the study area. Ottawa County should adopt building standards and land use guidelines for the mined lands.

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• HUD regulations related to existing housing and future construction in the mining field should be reviewed to determine the applicability and impact.

• Identify a state agency responsible for maintaining and building upon the GIS developed from this project. The GIS information should be made available over the Internet or by some other electronic media.

• Complete subsidence evaluation for the remainder of the Picher Mining Field outside the study area and:
- Further refine the subsidence evaluation model
- Evaluate the effects of mine water on the stability of mine workings
- Develop a better understanding of structural geology and physical and engineering properties of rock in the area
- Incorporate additional mine maps and borehole data in the GIS
- Evaluate failure mechanisms for recent smaller, non-shaft subsidence areas

9.2 SITE-SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS Given the results and conclusions of this study, site-specific measures are required to mitigate the potential impacts on public safety. A cost-benefit analysis should be performed to determine the most appropriate approach. Areas with higher probabilities and greater maximum estimated subsidence should be given priority with regard to evaluation and mitigation.

The following site-specific measures are presented based on four categories of land use: public use areas, residential/commercial areas, major transportation corridors, and rural agricultural and undeveloped areas.

The no-action option is available for all undermined areas and may be the most appropriate for specific sites. This option will not be discussed any further in this report. Backfilling of mine workings is also an option for all categories; but due to extensive mine workings, the cost is prohibitive in all but very-high-value facilities.

Specific situations where backfilling may be feasible are discussed below. 9.2.1 Public Use Facilities—Areas Where People Congregate Having a Maximum Estimated Subsidence of Five Feet or Greater

• Three options are available: close/relocate the facility, conduct a site-specific evaluation followed by either a geotechnical evaluation, or perform regular monitoring using visual or geotechnical methods. The costs of the evaluation, and possible long-term monitoring should be determined.

The benefits of continuing to use these facilities should be evaluated against the risk and overall costs of closure/relocation, the geotechnical evaluation, and long term-monitoring.

• Locations in Picher where residents were previously evicted by the Eagle-Picher Mining & Smelting Company and public use was restricted by Eagle-Picher and BIA because of the potential for subsidence should be further evaluated prior to development of public use facilities or expansion of residential areas.

The grade school playground (location 139), the youth soccer field (location 141), Reunion Park (location 140), Picher Little League Park (old baseball field in Picher on South Main between 5th and 6th Streets), between 1st and A Streets and north of D Street between Netta and Picher Streets, as described in Section 1.1.3, and other areas of high public use should be evaluated to determine if continued use is safe for residents.
9.2.2 Residential/Commercial Areas

• Mineshafts in Residential, Commercial or Public Use Areas: City and county workers should be trained to recognize the signs of potential mineshaft failure and periodically inspect all mineshafts located in the community. These areas should be zoned to restrict future residential, commercial, or public land use. The mine shafts should be investigated to determine if they are filled with durable material. If it is not, the shaft should be backfilled or plugged with concrete at the rock interface.
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• Mineshafts Beneath Structures: If a structure is located immediately over a shaft, the structure should be relocated or demolished, or if cost effective, an angle drilling program should be conducted to determine if the shaft is completely backfilled.

If drilling determines that the shaft is not completely backfilled or otherwise adequately plugged, the shaft should be backfilled or the structure should be relocated or demolished. After relocation or demolition of the structure, the shaft should be plugged at the rock interface or backfilled with nondegradable material.

The cost of backfilling a shaft under a structure using angle drilling and grouting methods can be substantially greater than backfilling or plugging the same shaft without the structure.

This entails drilling to determine the presence of mine voids and their depth and height, along with rock mechanics properties of the formation.

• Maximum Subsidence Five Feet or Greater: When a structure or structures overlies, or is within 150 feet of such an area, one of three options should be undertaken: perform exploratory drilling to determine the actual subsurface conditions, relocate the structure or structures, or demolish the structure or structures.

Exploratory drilling may validate the original prediction, may show that the maximum estimated subsidence is either greater or less, and/or may reveal different information about the site such as the progression of mine roof collapse upward.

If drilling shows that the site is not safe for continued occupation or use and mitigation isn’t a sensible option, then relocation or demolition should be conducted. Any demolition must be followed by restrictions on future land uses. It is recommended that no new construction or relocation of residential housing, commercial buildings, infrastructure, or transportation systems be allowed immediately above or within 150 feet of undermined lands until the area is evaluated for potential subsidence.

• Residential Areas of Quapaw: Based on the small number of mine shafts identified in Quapaw, the mine workings are most likely not extensive or located near the surface. Competent limestone is found near the surface in other mines near Quapaw indicating a competent mine roof structure.

The cost to perform a geotechnical evaluation to identify the extent of the mine workings, the height of the workings and the stability of the roof structure would be very expensive and disruptive to the community.

Based on the absence of non-shaft related subsidence in the past, city workers should be trained to recognize and report any indications of subsidence or shaft failure.

9.2.3 Major Transportation Corridors

Even small collapses on transportation corridors have the potential to cause serious accidents. For all transportation corridors that have an estimated maximum subsidence of 0 to 2 feet, under or within 150 feet of the road, establish and implement a routine survey grade monitoring procedure, the results of which are reviewed by a qualified engineer on a prescribed schedule.

For all transportation corridors that have an estimated maximum subsidence of 2 feet or greater, under or within 150 feet of the road, or where a mine shaft is located under the road right of way, immediate recommendations are:

• Inform transportation and utility managers of potential risk

• Consider imposing weight restrictions and speed limits on vehicles

• Establish alternate routes for school buses

Long-term recommendations are:

• Establish a systematic, continuous monitoring and reporting program including, at a minimum, a survey grade network along effected areas

• Ensure that a qualified engineer or geologist reviews the monitoring data at regular intervals as a check on the quality control for the monitoring system.
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• Conduct a geotechnical investigation to determine the stability of the roadbed surface and right-ofway

• A qualified engineer or geologist should review the results at regular intervals to ensure stability where a monitoring program is implemented

• Train city, county, and state transportation workers to recognize the signs of subsidence or shaft failure and to provide a reporting mechanism to expedite response to any suspected problem.

• Establish a standard protocol for all city, county, and state officials to use whenever they suspect that a shaft failure or subsidence may be occurring in or adjacent to a road. This should include notification procedures, road closure procedures, warning sign procedures, etc.

• Consider mitigation if cost effective
9.2.4 Residential Streets

Several residential streets in Picher, Cardin, and Hockerville have the potential for subsidence beneath or adjacent to the streets, (Table 7.2). Several streets in these towns have been built over mine workings; however, not all streets built over mine workings were identified as having a potential for subsidence.

Federal, state, and local officials should assess the need for evaluating the streets having a potential for subsidence and other streets that overlie mine workings.

For residential streets having an estimated maximum subsidence greater than 2 feet (Section 7.4.1), immediate recommendations are:

• Consider imposing weight restrictions and speed limits on vehicles

• Establish alternate routes for school buses

Long-term recommendations are:

• Establish a systematic, continuous monitoring and reporting program including, at a minimum, a survey grade network along effected areas

• Ensure that a qualified engineer or geologist reviews the monitoring data at regular intervals as a check on the quality control for the monitoring system.

• Conduct a geotechnical investigation to determine the stability of the roadbed surface and right-ofway

• A qualified engineer or geologist should review the results at regular intervals to ensure stability where a monitoring program is implemented

• Train city, county, and state transportation workers to recognize the signs of subsidence or shaft failure and to provide a reporting mechanism to expedite response to any suspected problem.

• Establish a standard protocol for all city, county, and state officials to use whenever they suspect that a shaft failure or subsidence may be occurring in or adjacent to a road. This should include notification procedures, road closure procedures, warning sign procedures, etc.

• Consider mitigation if cost effective

9.2.5 Rural, Agricultural and Undeveloped Areas

Areas used for pasture, hay, or row crops, and undeveloped areas used for hunting, off-road vehicle use, or hiking expose fewer people to dangers associated with subsidence than do roads or residential areas; yet, dangers to public safety and property still exist. Undeveloped and lightly developed portions of towns are likely locations for new construction or relocation of existing structures from other areas.

It is recommended that no new construction or relocation of residential housing, commercial buildings, infrastructure, or transportation systems be allowed immediately above or within 150 feet of undermined lands until the area is evaluated for potential subsidence.

January 2006 Picher Mining Field Subsidence Report ?Page 9-5
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9.3 OPTIONS

Options are also provided for addressing subsidence hazards associated with existing mine workings. Table 9.1, presented and discussed in Section 9.8 of this report, is a generalized matrix for decision-makers to evaluate options presented in this report. The options are divided into the following four categories:

• Management approaches that may be used to address subsidence

• Instrumentation that could be installed for early detection of potential subsidence

• Mine geometry characterization to better understand the parameters contributing to potential subsidence

• Hazard mitigation options (hazard abatement) associated with subsidence

9.4 MANAGEMENT APPROACH OPTIONS

9.4.1 Observational Method

The Observational Method essentially permits the development and use of a simple model to represent a complex process with subsequent observations of the process results, updating and refinement of the model based on the observed performance, and continued use of the model to predict process performance and manage the problem at hand.

The empirical methodology used for subsidence potential evaluation in this study is based on an analysis of actual mine subsidence events using data and information derived from archived mine maps and drill-hole data retrieved from pre-mining exploration logs.

While the derived model is believed to be conservative (i.e., it is expected to over predict subsidence potential), its actual performance has not yet been confirmed. The observational method would therefore be focused on validating the empirical approach along with refining both the model and approach as indicated.

Physical observation, exploration and instrumentation would be the primary observational method tools that can be applied in the Picher Mining Field. Continuing expansion of the case-study data set and further proofing and analysis of the overall case-study data set may also be appropriate.

9.4.2 Adaptive Management

In general, adaptive management is an iterative, learning-oriented methodology for managing complex systems that are characterized by high levels of uncertainty. It is an iterative (cyclical) process of adapting management solutions to complex problems based on applying assumptions followed by observation and then re-applying new assumptions based on those observations to achieve a better management solution to the problem

Adaptive management is well suited to be used in conjunction with the observational method and implemented for the Picher Mining Field project for the following reasons:

• The Picher Mining Field area is part of a complex system.

• The Picher Mining Field area is constantly changing.

• Land uses may change and evolve. For example, undeveloped land may be developed by commercial or private parties. This would change the associated potential effect if underground workings were to potentially subside in the area.

• Immediate action is required because of potential severe consequences to people living in the area currently and in the near future.

• There is uncertainty in the data set used to evaluate the Picher Mining Field system. Although there is a large amount of historical data associated with the mining activities that have occurred, there is much information that has been lost or destroyed. In addition, the physical and engineering properties of the soil and rock in the study area have not been characterized with respect to subsidence.

• The management system for the Picher Mining Field must be adaptable to new data, policies, land uses, and other factors.

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Mine Talk Glossary

Alluvium
A general term for clay, silt, sand, gravel or similar unconsolidated detrital material deposited during comparatively recent geologic time in a stream or other body of rushing water.

Analysis Of Covariance
A statistical measure of the variance of two random variables measured in the same mean time period; equal to the product of the deviations of corresponding values of the two variables from their respective means.

Analysis Of Variance
An analysis of the variation in the outcomes of an experiment to assess the contribution of each variable to the variation.

ArcGIS
A Geographic Information System computer software. assaying To analyzing the proportions of metals in an ore.

Back-Analysis
A method developed to look at existing subsidence features and analyze the drill logs and mine maps to determine common traits in the group of failures. The logs and maps from the failures are compared to several maps and logs of mines that did not subside to identify the greatest risk factors for subsidence.

Boone
The name of the uppermost aquifer in the Tri-State mining region. Mining occurred within this geologic formation.

Borehole
A circular hole made by boring, especially a deep vertical hole of small diameter, such as a shaft, a well, or a hole made to ascertain the nature of the underlying formations.

Boulder Ground
Miners’ descriptive term for a geologic formation encountered during mining activities.

Buffer
A pre-determined zone around the actual zone of interest that adds a greater amount of protection to determinations made about risks in the mining area.

Bulking Factor
The increase in volume of a material due to manipulation. Rock bulks upon being excavated; damp sand bulks if loosely deposited, such as by dumping, because the apparent cohesion prevents movement of the soil particles to form a reduced volume. (ASCE). Or: The difference in volume of a given mass of sand or other fine material in moist and dry conditions; it is expressed as a percentage of the volume in a dry condition.

Chat
Name for finely crushed gangue remaining after the extraction of lead and zinc minerals in the Tri-State District of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. The term is derived from chert.

Chert
A sedimentary form of amorphous or extremely fine-grained silica, partially hydrous, found in concretions and beds.

Chester
Refers to the Chester series of rock formations within the uppermost Mississippian period.

Chester Shale
A shale formation within the Chester series of rocks.

Collar Elevation
The ground surface elevation of the timbering or concrete lining around the top of a shaft.

Competent Bed
Said of a bed or stratum that is able to withstand the pressures of folding without flowage or change in original thickness. Or: Said of a fold in which the strata have not flowed or changed their original thickness.

Crop Out
Verb form of outcrop: a rock formation appearing at the ground surface.

Dichotomous
Divided into two parts for classification.

DEM
Digital Elevation Model. A digital set of x, y and z data.

Digitized
Put into digital form, as for use in a computer.

Disconformable
An unconformity in which the bedding planes above and below the break are essentially parallel, indicating a significant interruption in the orderly sequence of sedimentary rocks.

Drill Log
A record, filled out on a tabulated form by the chief of the crew that dills an

Exploratory Hole
Hole showing drill progress and rock formations in sequence.

Easting
The difference in longitude between two points as a result of movement to the East.

Floatation Fines
The waste material from a floatation process.

Fossiliferous
Contains fossils, the remains, trace or imprint of a plant or animal that has been preserved by natural processes in the Earth's crust (rocks) since some past geologic time.

Friable
Said of a rock or mineral that crumbles naturally or is easily broken, pulverized or reduced to powder such as a soft or poorly cemented sandstone.

Froth Flotation
The method of mineral separation in which a froth created in water by a variety of reagents floats some finely crushed minerals whereas other minerals sink.

Galena
A mineral, lead sulfide, PbS. Principal ore of lead.

Georeferenced
The process of linking a file or an image to a map using Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.

Geotechnical Evaluation
Drilling and data gathering carried out to determine soil and rock characteristics. Used to determine if unfavorable rock or soil conditions are present under proposed building sites.

Graben
A block, generally long compared to its width, that has been downthrown along faults relative to the rocks on either side.

Hazard
Danger; risk or peril; something causing danger or peril.

Hertz (Hz)
The SI unit of frequency. One hertz is defined as one cycle per second. The unit may be applied to any periodic event – for example, a clock might be said to tick at 1 Hz.

Hogchow
Miners’ descriptive term for a chalky, porous chert; tripoli.

InSAR
A technique to measure and map changes on the Earth's surface as small as a few millimeters by bouncing radar signals off the ground surface from the same point in space but at different times.

Interferograms
Maps of relative ground surface change constructed from InSAR data.

Interpolation
The process of estimating a value of a function or series between two known values.

Jack
A name for zinc ore; blackjack.

Karst
A type of topography that is formed on limestone, gypsum, and other rocks by dissolution and that is characterized by sinkholes, caves, and underground drainage.

LIDAR
An aerial survey to map the topography of the ground surface elevation.

Limestone
A sedimentary rock consisting chiefly of calcium carbonate.

Load
The act or process of placing an explosive in a borehole; also, the explosive so placed. Or: Of a stream, the amount that it carries at any one time.

Logistic Regression
A form of regression that is used when the dependent (or response) variable is a dichotomous (or binary) and the independent (or explanatory) variables are continuous, dichotomous, or categorical.

Marcasite
White iron pyrites, FeS2, the orthorhombic dimorph of pyrite, having a lower specific gravity, less stability, and a paler color. Often called white iron pyrites, coxcomb pyrites, and spear pyrites.

Metadata
An explanation of where and how the data was gathered and stored.

Multivariate
Involving more than one variable.

Mundic
A drillers' term for pyrite.

Natural Neighbors
A weighted moving average interpolation technique that uses geometric relationships in order to create a continuos surface from data points.

Nodular Chert
Chert in the form of nodules; small sedimentary hard and irregular rounded or tuberous body (knot, mass, lump) of a mineral or mineral aggregate, normally having a warty or knobby surface and no internal structure, and usually exhibiting a contrasting composition from and a greater hardness than the enclosing sediment or rock matrix in which it is embedded.

Ore
The naturally occurring material from which a mineral or minerals of economic value can be extracted.

Northing
The difference in latitude between two positions as a result of movement to the North.

Ore Horizon
The zone in which an ore body resides.

Overburden
Material of any nature, consolidated or unconsolidated, that overlies a deposit of useful materials, ores, or coal, especially those deposits that are mined from the surface by open cuts. Or: Loose soil, sand, gravel, etc., that lies above the bedrock. Also called burden, capping, cover, drift, mantle, surface.

Oxygenated
To treat, combine, or enrich with oxygen. probability The likelihood of occurrence; often expressed as a ratio of the number of actual occurrences to that of possible occurrences.

Raise
A vertical or inclined opening within a mine, driven upward to connect two levels.

Raster
A data file or structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, on a computer monitor, paper, or other display device

Regression
A mathematical method of determining the empirical relationship between a dependent and one or more independent variables.

Risk
Exposure to the chance of injury or loss.

Rise
A vertical or inclined shaft from a lower to an upper level in a mine.

Rockfall
The relatively free falling or rapid movement of a newly detached segment of bedrock (usually massive, homogeneous, or jointed) of any size from a cliff or other very steep slope; it is the fastest form of mass movement and is most frequent in mountain areas and during spring when there is repeated freezing and thawing of water in cracks in the rock. Movement may be straight down, or in a series of leaps and bounds down the slope; it is not guided by an underlying slip surface. Similar rock falls occurred underground in mines, caused by faults or weaknesses in the rock structure, or faults created during blasting.

Room & Pillar Method
Said of a system of mining in which typically flat-lying beds of coal or ore are mined in rooms separated by pillars of undisturbed rock left for roof support. Or: In coal and metal mining, a method that supports the roof by pillars left at regular intervals.

Roubidoux
The geologic formation of Ordovician age and the deep aquifer in which much of the drinking water supplies for much of Ottawa County occur.

Sandstone
A medium grained clastic sedimentary rock composed of abundant and rounded or angular fragments of sand size set in a fine grained matrix and more or less firmly united by a cementing material.

Shaft
An excavation of limited area compared with its depth; made for finding or mining ore or coal, raising water, ore, rock, or coal, hoisting and lowering workers and material, or ventilating underground workings. The term is often specifically applied to an approximately vertical shaft, as distinguished from an incline or inclined shaft. A shaft is provided with a hoisting engine at the top for handling workers, rock, and supplies; or it may be used only in connection with pumping or ventilating operations.

Shale
A fine grained detrital sedimentary rock formed by the consolidation of clay, silt, or mud and characterized by a finely stratified structure.

Shines
Generally reefers to trace minerals such as zinc in drilling logs. Analyses of that segment of the drilling core that reveals whether enough metal was present to mine a particular area.

Sinkhole
Depression in the surface of the ground caused by collapse subsidence of roof over solution cavern. General term sometimes given to mine roof failure.

Spectral Acceleration
Approximately the acceleration that is experienced by a building during a period of peak ground acceleration (during an earthquake), as modeled by a particle on a massless vertical rod having the same natural period of vibration as the building.

Sphalerite
A mineral, zinc sulfide, ZnS. Nearly always contains iron. Principal ore of zinc.

Statistical Analysis
An analysis of, pertaining to, consisting of, or based on statistics (classification, analysis, interpretation of numerical facts).

Stope
An excavation from which ore has been removed in a series of steps. A variation of step. Usually applied to highly inclined or vertical veins. Frequently used incorrectly as a synonym for room, which is a wide-working place in a flat mine. Or: To excavate ore in a vein by driving horizontally upon it a series of workings, one immediately over the other, or vice versa. Or: Commonly applied to the extraction of ore, but does not include the ore removed in sinking shafts and in driving levels, drifts, and other development openings.

Stratigraphy
The study of rock strata. It is concerned not only with the original succession and age relations of rock strata but also with their form, distribution, lithologic composition, fossil content, geophysical and geochemical properties; indeed, with all characters and attributes of rocks as strata; and their interpretation in terms of environment or mode of origin, and geologic history. All classes of rocks, consolidated or unconsolidated, fall within the general scope of stratigraphy. Some nonstratiform rock bodies are considered because of their association with or close relation to rock strata.

Subsidence
The lowering of the Earth's surface, caused by such factors as compaction, a decrease in groundwater, or the pumping of oil. Or: The sudden sinking or gradual downward settling of the Earth's surface with little or no horizontal motion. The movement is not restricted in rate, magnitude, or area involved. Subsidence may be caused by natural geologic processes, such as solution, thawing, compaction, slow crustal warping, or withdrawal of fluid lava from beneath a solid crust; or by human activity, such as subsurface mining or the pumping of oil or groundwater.

Surface Expression
A depression of the ground surface above an underground excavation caused by the failure and collapse of the excavation. An underground failure or collapse that is large enough to cause a depression up to the surface.

Syncline
A folding of the geologic formations in which the core contains the stratigraphically younger rocks; it is concave upward.

Tectonic Origin
Originating from Earth's crustal movements resulting in structural or deformational features.

Topography
Shape and physical features of land.

Vector Data Structure
A coordinate-based data structure commonly used to represent map features. Each liner feature is represented as a list of ordered x, y coordinates. Attributes are associated with the feature (as opposed to a raster data structure, which associates attributes with a grid cell).

Winze
A vertical or near-vertical opening sunk from a point inside a mine to connect with a lower level or to explore the ground to a limited depth below a level.

Acronyms

COE
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

DEM
Digital Elevation Model

DEQ
Department of Environmental Quality

DTM
Digital Terrain Model

EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

ESRI
Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc

GIS
Geographic Information System

GPS
Global Positioning System

InSAR
Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar

LIDAR
Laser Identification Detection and Ranging

OCC
Oklahoma Conservation Commission

OGS
Oklahoma Geological Survey

OSM
Office of Surface Mines

TIN
Triangulated Irregular Network

USGS
United States Geological Survey

January 2006 Picher Mining Field Subsidence Report ?Page A-1
T/Tar Creek/Report/Compliance Report Version/Text/Final/ Picher Subsidence Report Rev 14
1/16/06 slw

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