More Clean-Up, Studies Needed At Tar Creek Superfund Site

After more than 30-years of clean-up at the Tar Creek Superfund site, people living in the area learned it's going to be years before the site is considered re-usable.

Not only that, but people also learned more clean-up and studies are needed.

Thursday night, people met with workers from the EPA at the Miami Civic Center. They were told the Tar Creek Superfund site is still in an investigation phase, meaning the EPA is still learning how bad the damage is and how to clean up the area.

The Tar Creek Superfund site is a collection of Chat piles - waste rock rejected during milling operations while lead and zinc were being mined more than 70 years ago.

5/19/2017 Related Story: Scientists Finding Way To Clean Up Contaminated Tar Creek Ground Water

Lead and zinc dust has since been blown around, seeped into groundwater, ponds, rivers and lakes - many of which are still being used.

At the meeting, people were encouraged to explain how they use the land and water, so EPA workers can study, test, and address safety concerns people are encountering today.

The Tar Creek Superfund site is in the Oklahoma section in the Tri-State District, which also includes Kansas and Missouri.

It was once the biggest lead and zinc mining location in the country.