By Roger McKinney
rmckinney@joplinglobe.com
TREECE, Kan. — The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed legislation that includes authority for the buyout of residents in the former mining town of Treece.
The authority is included in the 2010 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Conference Report, and will head to President Barack Obama’s desk for his signature into law.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson issued a statement that the EPA was on board.
“EPA has determined that relocation is the primary option to address the concerns of Treece residents — just as it was in neighboring Picher, Okla.,” Jackson said.
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., said he had received a phone call from Jackson to that effect.
“I’m very pleased,” Roberts said by phone. “It’s been a long, dusty, chat-covered road.”
Roberts said he expects the president to sign the measure in the next few days, and he is confident that it will lead to a buyout of Treece residents.
“This will be on a fast track,” Roberts said.
Roberts credited U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan.; U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.; and U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan., for advancing the measure.
Residents of Treece, like those in Picher, have suffered from the ill effects of mine waste left over from decades of lead and zinc mining.
The results of blood-lead screening last month on 73 Treece residents found that they are consistently exposed to environmental lead hazards, and that children from birth to age 6 are three times as likely as children elsewhere in the state to have elevated levels of lead in their blood.
The report found that a Treece resident’s median blood-lead level is 4 milligrams per deciliter of blood, while the statewide norm is 2.5 milligrams per deciliter.
Gayla Woodcock, a Treece resident who has been a longtime advocate for a buyout, said she has confidence that a buyout is coming.
“It is a lot more hopeful than what we’ve seen before,” Woodcock said by phone. She said Treece residents are thankful to state Rep. Doug Gatewood, D-Columbus, for bringing Treece to the attention of people in Washington.
“We’re excited,” Woodcock said. “That’s very good news.”
Gatewood, speaking by cell phone, said he is encouraged by the Senate’s passage of the measure. He said a buyout is the best thing that could happen for Treece.
“It’s not going to happen tomorrow,” Gatewood said. “It’s still going to take a while. It’s still going to be a long process.”
The current estimate for a Treece buyout is $3 million.
The EPA also is in the midst of a 10-year cleanup in Treece and Baxter Springs, with a price tag of $66 million.
Jackson said in her statement that an August visit to Treece by some top EPA officials was instrumental in convincing the agency of the wisdom of a Treece buyout.
“After sending a team to meet with residents and local officials, EPA determined that the people of Treece, Kan., faced a unique and urgent threat from a legacy of pollution in their community,” she said.
Jackson said the EPA wants to be responsive to Treece residents and provide them with solutions to their challenging circumstances.
“It is our hope that this will give them the opportunity to raise their children, run their businesses and get on with their lives free of the burdens of pollution and environmental degradation,” she said.
Theater money
U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., noted in his news release about Senate passage of the 2010 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Conference Report that it also includes $500,000 for restoring the Colonial Fox Theatre in Pittsburg.
Local News
Authority for Treece buyout approved by U.S. Senate
- Local News
-
-
Prosecutor’s office asking state if campaign used county assets
The Jasper County prosecuting attorney’s office is asking the Missouri attorney general’s office to investigate whether Sheriff Archie Dunn has used the assets of his office for his re-election campaign.
-
Service dogs participate in ceremony recognizing them for their work
The Carl Junction post office has a reputation for promoting the release of special postage stamps in unique ways. Wednesday was no different.
-
Volunteers from Tuscaloosa paying it forward in Joplin
As the teens moved farther along the bleachers they were painting, splotches of bright red paint kept appearing where it didn’t exactly belong. On the ground. On their arms and legs. On their clothing.
-
Webb City mural taking shape at corner of Main, Broadway
Last Thursday, the north wall of the Middlewest Building at Main Street and Broadway was white. Eighteen gallons of paint and a whole lot of red Solo cups later, it will be a completed community mural depicting the Webb City Farmers Market.
-
Filing deadline approaching for county offices in Kansas
The candidacy filing deadline for those seeking Kansas county offices that are subject to the Aug. 7 primary election is noon Friday.
-
Economic development strategies emerge from Joplin Regional Prosperity Initiative meeting
More than 30 people shared ideas Wednesday on ways to promote economic development in the seven counties that are participating in the Joplin Regional Prosperity Initiative.
-
Mike Pound: Singing the praises of music teacher
When I was in sixth grade, Sister Susan, the music teacher at St. Xavier’s Catholic School, walked over to me while I and my fellow students were singing at Easter midnight Mass and said a bit loudly: “Mike, don’t sing.”
-
Electric bill to drop $6 a month in Joplin
The Missouri Public Service Commission has approved a request filed by The Empire District Electric Company, based in Joplin, to lower the fuel adjustment charge (FAC) on the bills of its electric customers.
-
Mo. Legislature officially ends its 2012 session
Missouri's annual legislative session has officially come to a close.
-
Strong to severe storms forecast for Joplin region
Storms developing across the central and southern plains this afternoon are expected to migrate into the Joplin region this evening.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Prosecutor’s office asking state if campaign used county assets
