Tar Creek is a documentary film that highlights the environmental and social impacts of lead and zinc mining in the Tar Creek Superfund site in Oklahoma. The film was released in 2009 and directed by Matt Radecki and Melissa Troutman.
Tar Creek is located in the Tri-State Mining District, which was once a thriving hub for lead and zinc mining in the early 20th century. However, the mining operations left a legacy of environmental contamination and social upheaval in the area. The Tar Creek Superfund site, which was established in 1981, is one of the largest and most complex Superfund sites in the United States, covering over 40 square miles.
The documentary tells the story of the people who live and work in the Tar Creek area, and how their lives have been affected by the mining operations and the subsequent contamination of the land and water. The film features interviews with local residents, government officials, and environmental experts, who all provide insight into the issues facing the Tar Creek community.
One of the main themes of the film is the health impacts of lead and zinc mining on the people of Tar Creek. Lead is a toxic metal that can cause serious health problems, particularly in children. The mining operations in Tar Creek released large amounts of lead into the air and water, leading to high levels of lead contamination in the area. Children living in Tar Creek have higher rates of lead poisoning than the national average, and many suffer from developmental delays, learning disabilities, and other health problems as a result.
The film also explores the social and economic impacts of the mining operations on the Tar Creek community. Many of the residents have been forced to leave their homes due to the contamination, and those who remain struggle to find work and make a living. The mining companies have largely abandoned the area, leaving the residents to deal with the aftermath of the contamination.
Tar Creek is a powerful and poignant film that shines a light on the devastating effects of lead and zinc mining on the environment and the people who live in the Tar Creek area. It serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked industrial development and the importance of protecting the environment for future generations.
Global Environmental Justice: Tar Creek
The pond, a leaching pond, catches the water coming off the chat pile, he said. Tarter said people used to, and sometimes still do, climb the piles or ride motorcycles and dune buggies on the piles. It is scheduled to be shown at the Kansas International Film Festival on Sept. The dangers of open mine shafts, sinkholes and chat piles making land unusable for crops will often drive farmers to take extreme measures, Tarter said. The hole was filled in and the are was dedicated as a municipal park. In general, Nairn, who is David L. These man made hills will then be monitored forever to make sure no contamination is leaking out, Hatley said.
Tar Creek: The Tragedy and Legacy of a Superfund Site
After all the valuable minerals had been extracted, the Quapaw were left with land that had no economic value. Mining waste, also known as chat, was left behind and still remains. The film draws attention to the long history of marginalization and willful neglect that Native Americans have experienced at the hands of the U. Then, at about 160 feet, movement can be seen on the camera — silt disturbed by the camera hitting the bottom of the shaft. He is to play at the Oriental Theatre tonight after the film is shown. For over four decades, Tar Creek in northeastern Oklahoma has been off-limits for fishing, water sports and other outdoor recreational activities. Tarter points to a grove of trees standing starkly in an otherwise empty field.
Tar Creek documentary premieres tonight
Tar Creek top converges with Lytle Creek center and water flowing from a mine shaft down a ditch alongside 40 Road bottom. That basically did the town in for good, Tarter said. Tar Creek and the Superfund: National Priorities List In 1979, the orange acid mine water that had been filling the old mines, started to flow into surface waters. He points to the west towards a plowed field stretched out before a hill covered in yellow native grass shining in the sun that had by then broken through the clouds. In 1980, Picher first recorded contaminated water drawn from the town's Lead has marked adverse environmental effects in aquatic systems. As the group climbed the hill, Hatley, walking stick in hand, began walking west on the road by himself toward a bridge. He regularly points out signs indicating where work has occurred and where it has not.
OU Professor’s Ongoing Work on Tar Creek Featured in Report on America’s Most Endangered Rivers
The banks of tar creek were lined with dead fish all the way down to the Neosho River, Jim said. The concentration of manganese in the blood of women of Tar Creek at or near the time of delivery was inversely associated with lower neuro-development scores of their children at 2 years of age. To the north, just off the road, is a massive, grey pile of chat. Universities, organizations, churches, and schools used the story of Tar Creek to discuss what could happen in their communities. She was never able to find the owner. The film was shown a few weeks ago to local residents, many of whom appear in the 95-minute film, in a private showing at the Picher Housing Authority.
Tar Creek (film)
Despite the scale and severity of the problem, it is not an unsurmountable one, given enough effort, resources and some ingenuity, says Robert W. One 2011 estimate claims an additional 3. One collapse in 1967 took nine homes. This is America's oldest and worst. Local resident Virgil Tarter sits behind the steering wheel of a yellow school bus, looking out at the water flowing from the berm. Finally, the plan calls to restore and revegetate the land damaged by mining activities.
