Picher, OK

Picher, Oklahoma, once a bustling city in the heart of the Tri-State mining district, has become a ghost town. Named after the owner of the Picher Lead Company, the town thrived following the discovery of lead and zinc in 1913.   Mining operations boomed, and Picher was incorporated in 1918. During World War I and World War II, the town provided the majority of the lead and zinc used in the war efforts. It became the most productive mining field in the Tri-State Lead and Zinc District, which spans southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and Ottawa County, Oklahoma.

However, as the war ended and the ore was depleted, mining activity dwindled, leading to a sharp decline in both economic vitality and population.   The abandoned mines, filled with water contaminated by toxic metals, began to leak, leading to widespread land contamination. Chat piles, the waste material from mining, became a significant health hazard.   Residents, unaware of the risks, exposed themselves and their children to lead poisoning by playing in and using chat piles in their sandboxes.

To address these dangers, the state of Oklahoma and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated buyouts and mandatory evacuations. On May 10, 2008, an EF4 tornado devastated Picher, destroying over 100 homes and causing six fatalities. Instead of rebuilding, the tornado accelerated the evacuation process. By September 1, 2009, Picher was officially unincorporated, with the population dwindling by the 2010 census, to a mere 20 people who refused to leave.   Today, the town is estimated to have no residents, with hazardous materials and potential sinkholes making many areas unsafe. 

Picher's land originally belonged to the Quapaw tribe, who had lived there since 1834. The tribe was persuaded to lease their land for mining, receiving mining royalties. However, the economic benefits promised were slow to materialize, with chat piles still being sold for use as asphalt fillers. The Quapaw tribe, seeking a full cleanup of the contaminated land, has taken a leading role in remedial efforts. In October 2023, they marked a decade of partnership with the EPA, becoming the first tribe in history to lead such cleanup efforts.  

Despite an estimated 30 million tons of chat still remaining—down from an initial 50 million tons—the Quapaw nation’s ongoing efforts are showing significant progress. Though the cleanup will take decades, the tribe's commitment offers hope for the eventual recovery of the environment.