Seth Bodine / KOSU
Contamination from what was once the world’s largest zinc and lead mines have turned Tar Creek’s water orange. One million gallons of contaminated water per day is released into the creek. The effort to clean the site has extended 42 years. That’s why the environmental advocacy organization American Rivers ranked it one of the most endangered rivers in the country.
The report lists the contamination from minerals like lead and arsenic in the creek, which harms wildlife and pose a risk to residents who live in Miami, Okla.
Rebecca Jim, executive director of the environmental advocacy group Local Environmental Action Demanded, worries about the risks when it rains heavily.