EPA to stop cleaning yards of vacant properties in Tar Creek area

<br>(Miami, Oklahoma-AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency will stop cleaning contaminated yards of vacant or unoccupied property in the Tar Creek Superfund site in northeastern Oklahoma. <br><br>Project

Thursday, August 7th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Miami, Oklahoma-AP) -- The Environmental Protection Agency will stop cleaning contaminated yards of vacant or unoccupied property in the Tar Creek Superfund site in northeastern Oklahoma.

Project Manager Mike McAteer says the decision is in response to criticism of the amount of money spent cleaning the contaminated soil.

An E-P-A study says more than 107 (m) million dollars has been spent since 1980 to clean the 40-square mile abandoned mining site.

The area is contaminated with mining waste from lead and zinc mines that once operated in the area.