I did an evaluation on a vat for Eglin Air Force Base in northwest
Florida some years ago.  The base occupies about 50 square miles mostly
in the pine barrens, and they have (had) several of them.  The Owls Head
Branch vat was the LEAST contaminated, so only the soil around the vat
had to be removed because of arsenic.  Many of them are also
contaminated with DDT and BHC. The worst cases contaminate groundwater
and nearby surface water. Actually, this wasn't even the most toxic
substance I encountered on Eglin.  There have been many chemicals tested
on that facility (Agent Orange, for one), and there are probably still
tests we don't really want to know about. Oh, the things we do to feed
ourselves in graduate school.

For a look at the vat:
http://www.eglin.af.mil/em/virtualtours/owlshead/index.htm

Norma Harris
Archaeology Instructor
Univ of West Florida


Michael Pfeiffer wrote:

>Yep, so I DON'T dig around them.  Among the sites tested, the Arsenic  only
>seem to go deep into the soil in Louisiana and Florida.  On all sites, the
>amount in the soil drops off sharply with distance from the vat.
>
>Smoke.
>
>
>Smoke (Michael A.) Pfeiffer, RPA
>Ozark-St. Francis National Forests
>605 West Main Street
>Russellville, Arkansas 72801
>(479) 968-2354  Ext. 233
>e-mail:  [log in to unmask]
>
>It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
>
>
>
>
>                      Ron May
>                      <[log in to unmask]         To:      [log in to unmask]
>                      M>                       cc:
>                      Sent by:                 Subject: Re: Arsenic Testing at Cattle Dipping Vats
>                      HISTORICAL
>                      ARCHAEOLOGY
>                      <[log in to unmask]
>                      u>
>
>
>                      10/01/2003 02:01
>                      AM
>                      Please respond
>                      to HISTORICAL
>                      ARCHAEOLOGY
>
>
>
>
>
>
>So, you are saying these toxic chemicals are in the soil that you have been
>digging?
>
>Ron May
>Legacy 106, Inc.
>
>
>