Background Information
The Tar Creek Superfund site is located in far northeastern Oklahoma (Ottawa County), near the Oklahoma/Kansas state line (Figure 1). The site comprises a 40-square mile area and includes the communities of Picher, Cardin, Quapaw, North Miami, and Commerce. From the early 1900s through the late 1970s, northeastern Oklahoma was mined extensively for lead and zinc ore. The milling process for lead and zinc ore produced waste mine tailings, known locally as “chat.” Over the years miners disposed of the chat by accumulating it in large, aboveground piles, and by dumping it into flotation or tailing ponds.
ATSDR Activities
ATSDR and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) will soon release their
public health assessment (PHA) entitled Occurrence of Selected Health Conditions
in Ottawa County, Oklahoma. The PHA addresses health issues relevant to the Tar
Creek Superfund Site, including childrens’ health and cancer. The PHA and the summary fact sheet can be downloaded from
the Selected Resources section below.
ATSDR and OSDH have worked to include in the health assessment process concerned citizens and community groups. In June 2006, ATSDR held an official Tribal Consultation with tribal leaders and with representatives from many of the American Indian nations concerned about the Tar Creek Superfund Site. From these discussions and discussions with staff from a citizen’s group known as the Local Environmental Action Demanded (L.E.A.D.) Agency, The plan describes nine public health activities ATSDR will address at the site. ATSDR's Plan for the Tar Creek Superfund site can be downloaded from
the Selected Resources section below.
On November 28th and November 29th in Miami, Oklahoma, ATSDR and OSDH will host
meetings to present their findings from the PHA and to present ATSDR’s plan to
the community. Click here to view the full text of the meeting
announcement.
In October 2004, ATSDR released a Report to Congress on the Tar Creek Superfund
Site. The report assessed trends in children’s lead levels in the area and
presented recommendations to protect public health.
Selected Resources