In Our View: America’s shame

February 15, 2008 04:08 pm

— No group of people in our area has suffered for so long at the hands of corporate pillaging and government bungling than those living in the Tar Creek Superfund Area.
They remain trapped in an environmental dead zone, following nearly a century of lead and zinc mining in their community.
Picher has become the nation’s shame. It’s a community where its students couldn’t even play football because opposing schools refused to come to town for fear of abandoned mines collapsing.
All that after the government spent more than $100 million to try to clean up the area, after mining companies walked away.
Now, there’s growing evidence that money being offered to residence to move out of Picher is inadequate to do the job.
Some residents say they are accepting whatever is offered because their properties in Picher and Cardin essentially have no value because of where they live.
Any offer to get out is a good offer because it is likely to be the only offer they will get.
“It’s desperation. It’s like having a gun held to your head,’’ said Missy Beets, who believes her house was undervalued by thousands of dollars even after a review appraiser increased the offer from $70,000 to $75,000.
The federal government spent $70,000 trying to clean up yards, but now, in some cases, are offering only $20,000 for the residents’ homes.
Corporate America failed Picher.
The federal government failed Picher.
The trust is the last hope for the people of Picher.
No one can ever make this right, but we believe the people serving on this trust must find a way to restore hope to those remaining individuals who need out of one of America’s worst environmental tragedies.
If it cost a few dollars more, so be it.
It’s the right thing to do.