Some of the contaminated waters from the mines have seeped into the drinking water and surface water systems of the area. In the early 1980's, the Department of Mines worked closely with other state agencies on a task force which focused on the pollution problems resulting from this situation, and extensive funding was provided by the State of Oklahoma and the federal government to control contamination of water. These chats, found as huge man- made mounds in that county, are utilized as construction aggregate, principally for railroad ballast, highway construction, and concrete production. Approximately 450 million tons of limestone have been mined in Oklahoma in the last quarter century. Limestone is used mainly in the crushed state as concrete aggregate for building highways and other structures, railroad ballast, glass manufacturing, cement production, preparation of lime and agricultural purposes.
Some limestone is used as dimensional building stone.
The variety of colors of granite found in Oklahoma make it desirable for use as dimension stone and monument stone. Principal uses are in mixing concrete for highway building and other construction, and for railroad ballast. Silica sands, used in the manufacture of various grades of glass and other chemical and industrial activities, are found chiefly in the Arbuckle Mountain region of south-central Oklahoma. The major production of clay occurs near the state's two major cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. The three counties with highest output are Wagoner, Oklahoma, and Seminole Counties.