Miami church to introduce Tar Creek resolution at United Methodist state conference

<br>(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A Miami church is planning to introduce a resolution at the state United Methodist Church conference urging officials to come up with a solution for problems at the Tar Creek

Monday, May 26th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A Miami church is planning to introduce a resolution at the state United Methodist Church conference urging officials to come up with a solution for problems at the Tar Creek Superfund Site.

The First United Methodist Church in Miami adopted a resolution to urge local, state, tribal and federal authorities to act quickly.

Associate Pastor Lisa Beavers says the Tar Creek problem is a spiritual issue as well as an environmental one.

About 250-thousand Methodists are represented at the annual conference, which runs today through Thursday in Oklahoma City. About 550 Oklahoma churches will be represented.

The site in far northeastern Oklahoma's Ottawa County poses new hazards at every turn, including mine collapses, open mine shafts, acid mine water and mountains of lead-contaminated mine waste.

Local children repeatedly test high for dangerous levels of lead in their blood.