Unidentifiable Brown Oily Sludge Coming Out Of Ground

I am posting this hoping to get some idea of what this is.

For the last few weeks a thick oily brown liquid has been coming up in the area between our smallest garden and the lake. It has a harsh chemical like smell and needless to say we wont be planting this year in that spot.

After repeated calls to the County which has shown ZERO interest in the problem we have taken a sample and sent it both to the county and state.

Our water smells OK but we are using bottled water for cooking and drinking anyhow. There has never been a septic tank our anything like it in the area.


Any Ideas would be appreciated

Is your area earthquake-prone? Do you know of underground pipes there? By "harsh chemical like smell" do you mean acidic smell? (easy to test for acidic or basic - cabbage or litmus paper).

LOL, All I could think about while reading that was the Beverly Hillbillies theme song.

"And up from the ground came a bubblin crude.....Oil that is, black gold, texas tea.............The BEVERLY HILLBILLIES!"

Does your house have an old undeground fuel oil storage tank?

When was your house built?



Try calling the county health department.


[edit on 14-5-2005 by HowardRoark]

[edit on 14-5-2005 by HowardRoark]

I don't think anyone here can tell, but if you're really interested, you should get a sample and have it tested yourself, if the county will not take the inititative. I have to admit that "bubbling crude" was the first thing that popped into my mind.

That's the first thing that popped into my mind too.

Maybe you should call an oil company Amuk.
Tell them there's oil in your backyard and they'll come by and test it for free to see what it really is.

[edit on 14-5-2005 by AceOfBase]

We have lived here since before the Civil War but right now on our property are two houses, my moms which has been there since about 1930-40 but remodeled several times and mine which has been here since the 70s. We are fixing to build another for my oldest boy.

There has never been any type of underground tanks here.

We have took samples of both the sludge, our water and the water from our lake and sent them to the county and state and are awaiting replies.

I was hoping someone else might have seen something like it.

You probably already thought of this but what about a call to the local newspaper or tv station? If it gets on the news, maybe then the local officials would be a little more responsive.

I wish.......LOL

No its not oil it smells like sewage but is a LOOOOONG way away from, and uphill from, our septic tank, theres no way it could be from there

Not if its just a buried UST that's been forgotten about for 30 years.

There are hundreds of those all over the place.


edit:


Ok, if it doesnt smell like oil, then is it possibly from a neighbor's septic system?


time to get out the shovel.








[edit on 14-5-2005 by HowardRoark]

My first guess was also oil then when you said the above you locked it in.


We are still bestest friends right?

I have lived here myself for 55 years and my family has lived here since before the Civil War.

Tanks are out.

Neighbor is a relative term around here, I would say about half a mile to someones elses house (except mom)....LOL

not to mention its between us and the lake. I wonder if someone dumped something they shouldnt in the lake?

[edit on 14-5-2005 by Amuk]

Amuk,

Could you either post or u2u a more specific area of Arkansas? I'm researching something on this.

Thanks.

I sent you a U2U Val

What do you think it could be?

[edit on 14-5-2005 by Amuk]

Amuk, you could try contacting a local university or college to see if their chemists might be able to identify it.

There are also independent laboratories all over the place. A popular one around where I live is called NorWest labs. Not sure if they have one around your neighbourhood, but there should be something similar. They do water quality and soild sampling for farmers, residents, and whoever wants to pay.

www.norwestlabs.com...

[edit on 14-5-2005 by Hajduk]

If I dont get an answer back I will

Now that you got our interest up you gotta promise to tell us what it is when you finally find out, 'kay?

Btw, how much of this stuff is there? A puddle, a pool, a pond?

[edit on 14-5-2005 by jsobecky]

Its growing larger by the day. it covers about a 100 foot circle now with a center of about foot deep in mud and fluid. Around the edges its not too bad but its obvious its growing.

I will let yall know how it turns out.

what does it smell like? have you ever smelled water contaminated oil? trust me water contaminated oil stinks. i have been arround while our interceptors at work have been pumped out many times. you might considder takeing a sample to a company such as safty clean to check it. they deal with contaminants and normaly take saples to be checked. so even if they don't do it "in house" they will have the apropriate contacts.

you might also check out what the land was used for before the house was built. it could be something left over from before such as a farms fuel supply.

you might also start packing some things up as you might be required to move while any acessmant and possible cleanup is done.

Do they have oil wells in your neck of the woods?

Is there a utility easment across the property?