Editing Treece, Kansas (section)

==History==
Treece and neighboring former cities [[Picher, Oklahoma|Picher]], [[Cardin, Oklahoma|Cardin]] and [[Douthat, Oklahoma|Douthat]] were formed as a result of mining operations in the early 20th century. Realtor J. O. Treece lent the town his name.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=5078 | title=Profile for Treece, Kansas | publisher=[[ePodunk]] | access-date=6 June 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714143912/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=5078 | archive-date=14 July 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> The first post office in Treece was established in 1917.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kshs.org/geog/geog_postoffices/search/page:2/county:CK/sort:date_established/direction:asc | title=Kansas Post Offices, 1828-1961, page 2 | publisher=Kansas Historical Society | access-date=2 August 2014}}</ref> Treece was a major supplier of [[lead]], [[zinc]], and [[iron ore]]. During its maximum production, Treece and Picher combined had a population of over 20,000 and produced $20 billion worth of ore mainly during [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. After the 1970s, ore production declined rapidly as did the city's population.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/us/14kansas.html?no_interstitial | work=The New York Times | title=Welcome to Our Town. Wish We Weren't Here | first=Susan | last=Saulny | date=September 14, 2009 | access-date=May 26, 2010}}</ref> In 1981 the Environmental Protection Agency deemed the Tri-State Mining District as contaminated and promised to take actions to clean up the area.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kirby |first=Bob |date=July 2006 |title=Scared for life: Treece, Kan. seeks buyout, closing of town |url=https://krwa.net/portals/krwa/lifeline/currentissue/0607_032.pdf |journal=The Kansas Lifeline |page=33 |pages=}}</ref>

The cleanup of Tri-State Mining District lands was divided for EPA purposes into a total of four National Priority List (NPL) [[Superfund]] Sites: the Cherokee County Site, Cherokee County, Kansas; the Orongo-Duenweg Site, Jasper County, Missouri; the Newton County Mine Tailings Site, Newton County, Missouri; and the Tar Creek Site, Ottawa County, Oklahoma.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.Cleanup&id=0601269#bkground |title= Superfund Site: Tar Creek (Ottawa County), Ottawa County, OK, Cleanup Activities| publisher= United States Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref>  The Cherokee County Superfund Site was in turn divided into seven subsites that were grouped and divided into nine operable units (OUs).  The area around Treece was designated OU4.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.Cleanup&id=0700667#bkground |title= Superfund Site: Cherokee County, Galena, KS, Cleanup Activities|publisher= United States Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=July 25, 2020}}</ref>  Thus, while Treece is located less than a mile north of [[Picher, Oklahoma]], a town which was closed due to lead pollution, Treece was located at a different Superfund site.  Picher's  residents' property was bought out by the [[Environmental Protection Agency]].  Residents of Treece also demanded a buy-out, but at first were not certain of receiving one.<ref>{{cite news 
  | title =Polluted Kansas Town Seeks Federal Buyout
  | work =[[All things considered]]  | publisher =[[National Public Radio]]
  | date =August 25, 2009
  | url =https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112215626
  | access-date =August 25, 2009  }}</ref>
As of September 2009, it was reported that the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]] wanted to clean up the soil in Treece, instead of moving its residents away.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/us/14kansas.html?hp Treece Journal: Welcome to Our Town. Wish We Weren’t Here]. SUSAN SAULNY, The New York Times, September 13, 2009</ref>  [[U.S. Congress|Congress]], however, passed an environmental appropriations bill on October 29, 2009, that authorized the EPA to buy out the town.<ref>{{cite news | last = Lefler | first = Dion | title = Congress approves buyouts for Treece | newspaper = [[The Wichita Eagle]] | date = October 30, 2009 | url = http://www.kansas.com/news/state/story/1033610.html | access-date = October 30, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091102045357/http://www.kansas.com/news/state/story/1033610.html | archive-date = November 2, 2009 | url-status = dead }}</ref>  Residents had until August 31, 2010 to apply for a Federal buyout<ref>{{cite news | title= Aug. 31 buyout application deadline set for residents |newspaper= [[The Lawrence Journal-World]] |date= August 3, 2010 |url= http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/aug/03/aug-31-buyout-application-deadline-set-residents/ |access-date= November 17, 2010}}</ref> and offers were to be made to the 80 residents who applied in December.<ref>[http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1507935264/Treece-buyout-offers-to-start-next-month Treece buyout offers to start next month]. Staff reports, The Joplin Globe, November 5, 2010</ref> As of May 2, 2012 only one couple had rejected the buyout offer and remained in Treece living in a double-wide trailer. Other than their location all other facilities in the former city have been sold, moved, or demolished.<ref name=NYTLead />

In 2012, the State of Kansas officially disincorporated the city of Treece.<ref name="disin">{{cite news | url= http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/27/2506628/former-residents-say-goodbye-to.html | title= Former residents say goodbye to contaminated town of Treece | newspaper= The Wichita Eagle | date= September 27, 2012 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120930014929/http://www.kansas.com/2012/09/27/2506628/former-residents-say-goodbye-to.html | archive-date= September 30, 2012 }}</ref>