Unidentifiable Brown Oily Sludge Coming Out Of Ground

Originally posted by drogo

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.

It cant be anything like that this property has belonged to my family for over 150 years.

It does smell rank though

To the tune of Beverly Hillbillys


Down at Amuks one bright spring day
strange brown water started stinkin up the hay
but when Amuk searched all he could find
was little a gopher tunnel leading far away.

Well the guys onlline told him "test the water pure!"
"check out the lake"
and "call the county in"
"do a google search and check out this rumor"
and start a 'spiracy so we can check it out.

Well the next dang day ol Amuk he went out
got some hounds and showed em the hole
they went off and true to their kin
found a gopher hole at his neighbors sewage pond.

So now we know all about Amuk
he couldnt get rich off that brown sewage gunk
thought he had oil but instead it was (use a word for semi-solid human waste).
And that's all there to all of it!


Yee Haaa!

*fixed*cs
*you shouldnt try to get around the censors*



[edit on 14-5-2005 by Amuk]

[edit on 15-5-2005 by Chuck Stevenson] Try to find some humor in the situation at least!

[edit on 15-5-2005 by Chuck Stevenson]

Originally posted by HowardRoark
Do they have oil wells in your neck of the woods?

Is there a utility easment across the property?

yes and no

most of the wells are over the line in Oklahoma and we dont have any easements accross our property, it cant be sewage although you couldnt tell it from the smell

Our water comes from the same underground spring that feeds the lake and I really think the answer lays there at the lake. I dont really think its the spring because our water stills smells good and looks clear but we have sent samples to have it tested too.

Its a mystery

Okay, what I was looking into can't be your problem. It's in a totally different area of Arkansas.

I'll keep checking.

My first guess would be overpressure in a natural deep well or aquifer, maybe due to the wet winter.

My second guess would be a sinkhole forming. Arkansas has had several earthquakes this year, and if I'm not mistaken, one of them was a 4.7. Japanese scientists (I read this somewhere recently) are studying a magma collum moving NW and into the area of yellowstone park, the magma is also rising, according to them. Perhaps it boiled off some impurities, or released some pressurized fumes? If this seems plausible, geographically, I could get some more info on it for you.

My third guess would be illegal dumping. Is it possible something like that went on?

My fourth guess would be impure oil. Is the smell like sulfur? Or is it more like tolulene? Could you describe the smell?

Fifth and final guess (actually my girlfriend's guess) is that the land is returning to swamp like conditions due to a temperature shift or other natural factors. It's possible I think...

Well you can get some litmus paper and see the acidity level, the smell leads me to believe that it is organic and very well could be a 'type' of petroleum. If there are wells within 50 miles of your house then it could be oil.

The lake might be seeping down and this is a displacement of a pool.


I hope it is nothing serious, it could end up being some toxins left over from them Yankees during the war of northern aggression.





disclaimer: that last statement was made hoping to give Amuk a smile as this is really not a funny matter. I hope it is oil and he gets real rich!

[edit on 15-5-2005 by edsinger]

Well from my knowlege of septic tanks overflowing. Grass seems to grow well around these areas, that aren't too wet. There could be really wet spots with green grass around it. Swampy. And an abundance of bugs might be around the area.

I would tend to think that oil would kill the grass, wouldn't it?

Anyway, I would definitely have it checked out for safety sake.

Troy

Troy

Take a small sample and try burning it outside and away from the source, if it burns like oil then it wouldn't be sewage. Try putting some in a clear jar and see if it seperates (don't keep the jar).

Originally posted by Amuk
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

Well if it looks like a duck...

I don't know anything about geology but it might be like capillary action, drawing the fluid uphill somehow. Or maybe an underground stream.

The tests should confirm it if it's sewage, but it sounds to me like you'll have to relocate your septic system and I wouldn't plan on getting permits for that new house.

edit/ missed this before. It really sounds like your stream has changed course and is flowing through your septic system. Someone mentioned an earthquake recently?

Originally posted by Amuk
Our water comes from the same underground spring that feeds the lake...

[edit on 5/15/2005 by mythatsabigprobe]

Maybe some pictures or maps of your property could be of use to some of the folks here?

There is one really effective test you can perform, but you will need some equipment...

I would suggest:
1-post a picture.
2- describe the smell.
3- How does it taste (just kidding).
4- Until you get results from the labs - Stay away!


[edit on 15/5/05 by JudahMaccabbi]

My first thought is a leaking underground pipeline, any oil and gas lines running through your property?

Originally posted by drogo
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.

That's grease with rotting organic materials (fries?) in it that you're thinking of.

I like the idea somebody put up about the lake possibly settling.

Amuk, If you could post a picture of the pool and maybe a close up shot would be great.

Keep us informed.

thanks,
-Reason

Originally posted by Amuk

It does smell rank though

The sulfer smell of hotsprings can get VERY rank and dead like.............and hot mudpots..........

MAYBE if you put ALOT of good energy thoughts towards it, your very own hotsprings is growing!


I can't WAIT to see what Vallhall has to say about this..........................

In addition to litmus paper, which would definately be a useful test, you might also try dropping a bit of a sample into a little grass somewhere away from the source and see if it kills the grass.

Also see if flies like it. trapping flies shouldn't be the hardest thing you ever did- if you have flies around your garbage then just set a little container of this muck not far from your trash and see if the flies mess with it at all (or if you find dead flies in it- that would not be a good sign.)

If this is organic it will probably get a good reaction from plants and bugs.

If George Bush sends the Marines after you, it's definately oil.


Most importantly though, I strongly suggest calling the news. Just call up any news tip-line and say you think you've found an illegal toxic waste dump and that the county is dragging their feet on any response. I bet you dollars to pesos that the news will pay for testing so they can break the story. One way or another you stand to make some money, unless it's some sort of geological anomaly- in which case I hope you find a way to contain it. Either there is oil on your property or else the county has been negligent to your complaints of something undesireable being dumped, drained, or otherwise moved into your property.


Edit to add: I strongly advise you against trying to smell this stuff. If it's some kind of chemical... who knows. If it's sewage then well... the possibilities are sort of disgusting. I remember a story about a worker falling into a septic tank. Another worker dived into recover him. The methane inside knocked them out (by displacing too much oxygen) and they both drowned. Actually I think like 5 guys died this way before the last worker refused to jump in and try to help.

[edit on 15-5-2005 by The Vagabond]

Originally posted by Jaychael

That's grease with rotting organic materials (fries?) in it that you're thinking of.

i work in an auto shop not a retraunt. so where would fries and cooking grease come from, keep in mind that it is not located outside but in the middle of the shop. we may eat while working but we certainly don't cook. it is used moter oil, coolant, tranny fluid, gas, water, laundry detergant (does a decent job on shop floors), ect. just automotive stuff, no cooking stuff sorry.

i will say that we do have cooking grease stored right beside us, and you are right it does stink, just a differant nasty smell. and amuseingly people tend to dump their waste automotive oil in it sometimes, and they recycle this mess and reuse it. i have even told the restraunt but they don't seem to care about it. we can find over 40 liters of waste oil dumped by people a night. so nice that we have to pay for it's disposal.

It may be the remnants of an illegal dumping of hazardous waste. I'd get a sample taken and analyzed. It doesn't sound organic to me.

There could be a saltwater disposal well some where off your land and the casing could be leaking.

Crude oil wast smells bad.

Roper