Tribe signs agreements for waste site cleanup

QUAPAW, Okla. (AP) — The Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma has signed an agreement with the state to clean up contaminated waste leftover from decades of mining.

The tribe announced Wednesday that it has signed the agreement with the State of Oklahoma and the Environmental Protection Agency to perform additional remediation within the Tar Creek Superfund site. The tribe earlier this year became the first in the nation to successfully clean up a federal hazardous waste site.

Under the agreement, the tribe will remove approximately 72,000 tons of contaminated material and haul it to a nearby repository.

The tribe has also signed another agreement with the EPA to clean up various properties in southeast Kansas.

The Tar Creek Superfund site is a 40-square-mile area that includes portions of Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.