The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO

Local News

September 24, 2009

<img src=" http://www.joplinglobeonline.com/images/zope/new.gif" border=0> Treece buyout amendment endorsed by U.S. Senate

The U.S. Senate today approved legislation that could lay the groundwork for a buyout of Treece residents, says U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan.

“It’s a first step,” Roberts said by phone from Washington, D.C.

Roberts said the information is included as an amendment in the annual Interior and Environment Appropriations Act. He said it provides a pathway for relocation of Treece residents using buyouts of their houses.

“The Treece amendment was adopted by voice vote,” Roberts said.

Mine waste from decades of lead and zinc mining contaminate the town. Residents of Picher, Okla., neighboring Treece to the south, already have received a federal buyout from the EPA.

Top EPA officials visited Treece last month, getting an earful from residents frustrated by the situation.

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