A panel handling the buyout of residents in the Tar Creek Superfund site in northeastern Oklahoma held a meeting on Wednesday.

The Tar Creek site is considered the worst in the nation. More than 70 million tons of mine waste containing dangerous levels of lead was left on land owned by members of the Quapaw Tribe and other individual Indians.

The state of Oklahoma has approved a plan to buyout and relocate residents, targeting those with young children. But since 70 percent of the land in the Picher area is in trust or restricted status, the Lead Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance Trust had questions about how these buyouts will be handled.

A representative of the Quapaw Tribe sits on the panel.

Get the Story:
Before buyouts, trust must resolve questions (The Joplin Globe 9/9)

Related Stories:
75 million tons of mine waste left in Tar Creek (04/12)
Bush's EPA slow to add sites to Superfund priority list (03/09)
Okla. Senate approves buyout bill for Tar Creek site (03/03)