Published: August 26, 2008 10:34 pm      

8-27 State news

Cleanup begins in earnest in Picher after tornado

PICHER (AP) — More than three months after a tornado ravaged the Ottawa County town of Picher, contractors have arrived to begin clearing debris.

The EF-4 tornado hit the fading lead and zinc mining town on May 10, resulting in the deaths of seven people. Cleanup of the debris left by the storm is expected to take about a month.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay 80 percent of the cleanup bill, which is projected to be about $2.3 million. State and local governments will cover the remainder of the cost. Mayor Sam Freeman has said that ultimately, the city is responsible for ensuring the debris is cleared.

As the cleanup process continues, the debris will be separated and taken to a landfill in Kansas. An Environmental Protection Agency spokesman has said the debris should pose no health concerns.

The cleanup process was complicated by Picher’s location within a federal Superfund site and the ongoing process of a federal buyout of homes.

, including some of the 206 in the town destroyed by the twister, which packed winds estimated at 165 to 175 mph. The buyout left property in the hands of numerous different state and federal agencies.

Once a thriving hub of 20,000 people, Picher’s population had dwindled to about 800 in recent years as residents accepted buyout offers and moved elsewhere. The Superfund area is beset with mine collapses, open shafts, acid mine water that stains nearby Tar Creek orange and mountains of lead-contaminated mine waste, known as chat.

Picher city leaders have met with FEMA officials to discuss what will become of the town’s wastewater system. City leaders said it’s likely that because of the decrease in population following the storm, only half of Picher’s lagoon will be repaired.