Tar Creek Listed for Second Consecutive Year
Among America’s Most Endangered Rivers
For the second consecutive year, American Rivers included Tar Creek among America’s Most Endangered Rivers® of 2022, citing the serious threat that toxic pollution from one of the country’s biggest Superfund sites poses to public health.
Toxic mining wastewater has been flowing into Tar Creek for decades, killing most aquatic life and contaminating Grand Lake downstream. State and federal agencies must come up with a comprehensive solution to address pollution throughout the watershed NOW.
LEAD Agency, American Rivers, and our partners call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Grand River Dam Authority to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to address Tar Creek metals contamination in the relicensing of the Pensacola Dam, which is currently underway. These metals endanger the health of local Indigenous communities and other residents. Agencies must address this public and environmental health emergency in the record of the dam relicensing.
Toxic mining wastewater has been flowing into Tar Creek for decades, killing most aquatic life and contaminating Grand Lake downstream. State and federal agencies must come up with a comprehensive solution to address pollution throughout the watershed NOW.
LEAD Agency, American Rivers, and our partners call on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Grand River Dam Authority to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding to address Tar Creek metals contamination in the relicensing of the Pensacola Dam, which is currently underway. These metals endanger the health of local Indigenous communities and other residents. Agencies must address this public and environmental health emergency in the record of the dam relicensing.
LEAD Agency's
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Residents Call on City of Miami
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On June 9, 2021, Miami residents John Holt, Jacklyn Robinson, and James Couch became proponents of Miami, Oklahoma's first municipal initiative petition.
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Residents Standing Up and Speaking Out
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When you shop on Amazon, please consider supporting LEAD Agency at no extra cost to you! Click on the link below to shop at Amazon Smile, and Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to LEAD Agency. Thank you for your support!
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Virtual Public Meeting Recording Now Available
EPA has prepared Preliminary Remediation Goals (cleanup standards) for human health with regard to OU5, which includes the sediments and surface water in continuously flowing creeks, streams and rivers that may be impacted by historical mining activities within Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. LEAD has asked technical advisors from EPA to explain to the public what EPA is proposing for its remediation goals, as well as the methods they used to arrive at their proposals. This meeting will help the public write effective comments to EPA about their proposals so that the cleanup is as protective as possible of human health. Public comments will be due April 16. Click on the image above to review the technical team's written summary of EPA's proposed remediation goals. Be sure to join us March 23 to learn more and get your questions answered. 2020 Virtual Conference Completed
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We were thrilled to partner with the Western Mining Action Network for a dynamic and enlightening virtual conference. Click on this link to watch archived recordings of all the sessions,
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Tar Creek Superfund Site OU5 Human Health
Risk Assessment Comments Now Closed
Thank you all for submitting comments. You DO make a difference! We will let you know when EPA responds.
VIDEO AND DOWNLOADS AVAILABLE:
EPA recently released its draft Human Health Risk Assessment for Operable Unit 5 of the Tar Creek Superfund site. EPA is requesting comments on the risk assessment. The comment deadline is August 17, 2020.
To learn more about the risk assessment, EPA's Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program hosted a live webinar that you can watch at this link. During the webinar, the TASC team explained the purpose and contents of the Human Health Risk Assessment. They also answered questions from members of the public. Please take the time to watch this presentation.
After watching the video, consider whether YOU think the EPA has adequately described and explained the human health risks posed by OU5. Then write a comment to EPA with your opinions and, just as importantly, your questions. EPA must hear from residents in order to improve the Risk Assessment. If the Risk Assessment doesn't reflect the extent of the human health risks that exist, then their plan to clean up OU5 will not address all the risks.
Comments are due August 17 and should be emailed to coats.janetta@epa.gov.
To learn more about the risk assessment, EPA's Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) program hosted a live webinar that you can watch at this link. During the webinar, the TASC team explained the purpose and contents of the Human Health Risk Assessment. They also answered questions from members of the public. Please take the time to watch this presentation.
After watching the video, consider whether YOU think the EPA has adequately described and explained the human health risks posed by OU5. Then write a comment to EPA with your opinions and, just as importantly, your questions. EPA must hear from residents in order to improve the Risk Assessment. If the Risk Assessment doesn't reflect the extent of the human health risks that exist, then their plan to clean up OU5 will not address all the risks.
Comments are due August 17 and should be emailed to coats.janetta@epa.gov.