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Cesspool, Indiana, USA
You are here: MineralCollecting.org >> Localities >> Cesspool, Indiana, USA

| Locality Data | Description | Locality Pictures | Collecting | Minerals | Tools
| Directions | Area Maps | Weather Conditions | Area Businesses | Closest Campgrounds |
| Other Points of Interest | Other Collecting | Area Rock Shops | Literature | Related Websites |

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Locality Data

Name: Cesspool
Alternate Name: Monroe County Treatment Facility
Location: near Bloomington, Monroe county, Indiana, United States
GPS:
Locality Type: Extinct Construction Site
Prodominent Host Rock: St. Louis Limestone (sedimentary)
Prodominent Mineralization Host: St. Louis Limestone
Mineral Species Count: ~10
Accessibility: Extinct
Collectibility: Extinct
Explanations

Description

In Spring of 2001, the Waste Treatment Facility south of Bloomington, Indiana on Highway 37 began operations to expand their landfill capacity. A construction crew was hired to create a new basin for solid waste disposal. The operation exposed a very mineral rich layer of the upper St. Louis Limestone. The dimensions of the basin were approximately 1500 feet long, 900 feet wide and about 75 feet deep. This locality is now extinct.

Locality Pictures

Collecting

When the northern most wall was freshly exposed, large vugs with calcite were undeniably visible in a dark gray limestone. Further exploration revealed quite large cavities up to 2 and a half feet in diameter. At first glance only calcite was apparent, but when the material was cleaned quite a slough of minerals were discovered. To date the spot has produced faint pink, clear, white, and yellow calcite crystals in rhombs, scalenohedrons, and what are referred to as "Nailhead Calcites", potato chip colored calcites on vivid pink dolomite, pink and almost purple dolomite, strontianite balls regularly occurring up to half an inch with some on sphalerite, single strontianite crystals, massive imbedded sphalerites up to an inch and a half, aragonite, a reported blue celestite, barite, unbelievable, stout, silver millerite sprays up to an inch across and agate with millerite inclusions. The material was very fractured due to blasting. This site did not exist past mid summer 2001. A rather large amount of material was used as fill at a nearby industrial development. This dump may continue to produce specimens beyond the life of the waste basin.

Minerals

Local minerals may include, but are not restricted to, aragonite, ankerite, barite, calcite, celestite, dolomite, millerite, sphalerite, strotianite, milleritic agate, quartz crystals. View the available specimens in the pictures listed below:

calcite (yellow) on dolomite (pink)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

calcite (yellow) on dolomite (pink)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

calcite (white) on figure (basset hound)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

millerite (black) with strontianite and calcite (white and clear)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

strontianite (white) on calcite (clear)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

strontianite (white) on sphalerite (black)
Barwood Collection. Photographer: Adam Barwood

Tools

None needed, extinct locality.

Driving Directions

Take Highway (State Road) 37 south from Indianapolis to Bloomington, Indiana and continue south past "That" Road (Yes, that's actually the name of the road). You will see a Sunoco Station on the east side of the highway shortly after "That" Road. The Waste Facility is approximately 0.3 miles beyond the Sunoco Station on the west side of the highway.

Area Maps

Weather Conditions

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Area Businesses

Lowes
K-mart
Big Lots
Golden Corral
Outback Steakhouse
Texas Roadhouse
O' Charlies
Wendy's
McDonald's
Arby's
Subway
3rd Street exit in Bloomington off of Hwy. 37
Wal-Mart
Steak-N-Shake
2nd Street exit in Bloomington off of Hwy. 37

Closest Campgrounds

Other Points of Interest

Other Collecting in the Area

Fluorite Cut, Bedford, IN
Highway 446 Road Cuts

Area Rock Shops

Literature

Indiana Literature Listings

Related Websites

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