In the northeast part of Oklahoma, along Route 66, lies the largely abandoned town of Picher. Once a bustling hub for lead and zinc mining, Picher has seen its population plummet from 1,640 in 2000 to just 20 by 2010. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) purchased and demolished nearly all homes, businesses, and rental properties in the town due to the risk of ground collapse caused by decades of mining activity. This decline followed the discovery of a major ore deposit in 1914, which led to the opening of over 300 mines across a 40-mile area, making Picher a national center for lead and zinc extraction. Mining operations in the area slowed in the early 1960s and completely ceased in 1974. However, the environmental impact of this industry continued to affect the community. In 1994, Indian health services found that 35 percent of children tested in the area had dangerous lead levels in their blood, up to 11 times the state average. The EPA spent approximately $150 million to remove contaminated materials, which helped reduce the number of affected children by half. By 2013, the rate of children with high lead levels in Ottawa County had dropped to 0 percent. Despite these efforts, the ground in Picher remains unstable, with millions of tons of mining waste still present. Authorities estimate that a collapse could occur at any time. In 1980, a study led to the EPA designating a 40-square-mile area, including Picher, as a Superfund site in 1983. This designation allows for federal funding to clean up hazardous waste. In 2008, an EF4 tornado killed six people and destroyed over 100 homes, prompting federal assistance. A relocation program, initiated in 2009, involved purchasing 628 residences, 74 businesses, and 125 tenants in Picher, Cardin, and Treece, with the average compensation for property owners around $64,000. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality took over management of the Tar Creek cleanup from the EPA in 2014. Despite these efforts, over 30 million tons of contaminated material, known as "chat," remain scattered across the site. Some residents have refused relocation and continue to live among the waste. The Quapaw Nation has reclaimed some land for rehabilitation, showing a continued effort to address the environmental and health challenges left by the mining industry.