Missouri Southern is sitting in the middle of one of the worst ecological disaster areas in the continental United States. It seems like no one really notices the danger that we, as residents, are facing. The mine waste and the problems stemming from the waste that has developed throughout the years is not affecting just Picher, Okla. Many people forget that the money put into the cleaning up of the yards of every Picher resident has also been put forth in other communities in the area.

Not long ago Joplin had several yards dug up and new soil put down. Not that far away in Kansas there was an effort made to replace the soil in highly affected areas. Within the past 10 years the Environmental Protection Agency has been working to make this area a safer, healthier place, but to no avail.

Contractors are still putting topsoil down on top of old mining areas, after cleaning the area, and building houses on top of the new soil, that is still infected with lead. The EPA will have to come in and replace the soil in five years.

So, what is the answer to all of this? There really isn’t one. The government could remove the chat piles and use it for other things, but this would be polluting an even bigger area. The buyout plan for Picher, along with the creation of a wet lands is quite possibly the best solution put forth.

As for the rest of the area, we need to allow the EPA to do its work and clean up a site before any major construction begins. This will save a lot of time and money.