Picher, Oklahoma

E615928

Picher, Oklahoma is a largely abandoned former lead and zinc mining town infamous as one of the most toxic environmental disaster sites in the United States.

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Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf environmental disaster site
former mining town
town
cityDissolutionVote 2009
country United States of America
surface form: United States
county Ottawa County, Oklahoma NERFINISHED
currentStatus ghost town
largely abandoned
designatedSuperfundSite 1983
disincorporated 2009
environmentalIssue acid mine drainage
airborne heavy metal dust
contaminated groundwater
contaminated soil
evacuationReason ground subsidence danger
toxic contamination
evacuationRecommendedBy U.S. Army Corps of Engineers NERFINISHED
featuredIn environmental documentaries
federalBuyoutProgram mid-2000s
foundedAs mining camp
historicalEconomicRole major lead supplier during World War I
major lead supplier during World War II
incorporated 1918
knownFor chat piles
ground subsidence risk
high childhood lead poisoning rates
severe lead contamination
toxic mine tailings
zinc contamination
locatedIn Tar Creek Superfund site NERFINISHED
northeastern Oklahoma
majorTornadoEvent May 10, 2008
miningBoomPeriod early 20th century
namedAfter O. S. Picher NERFINISHED
near Kansas state line
Miami, Oklahoma NERFINISHED
notableRanking one of the most toxic towns in America
partOf Tri-State Mining District NERFINISHED
populationPeakApprox 14,000
populationPeakPeriod 1920s
postalCodeFormer 74360
primaryIndustry lead mining
zinc mining
region Midwest NERFINISHED
state Oklahoma
superfundProgram U.S. Environmental Protection Agency NERFINISHED
timeZone Central Time Zone
tornadoImpact significant destruction and fatalities

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Tri-State mining district hasCity Picher, Oklahoma