4 ms·

Welcome to Armageddon, USA: A Tour of America’s Most Toxic Town

59 points by georgecmu 15y ago

jerhinesmith 15y ago
After reading through this article, I immediately went to google maps to see if they had any street-level views of the town. Thankfully, they do. From them, and the satellite views, you can see both the chat (I'm guessing that's what those large-ish white mounds are -- I could be wrong) mentioned in the article and "explore" the mostly abandoned town. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=picher,+ok&hl=en&sll=37.836207,-122.242298&sspn=0.241048,0.445976&vpsrc=0&hnear=Picher,+Ottawa,+Oklahoma&t=h&z=15 http://maps.google.com/maps?q=picher,+ok&hl=en&sll=3...
- jameskilton 15y ago
  Wow. The article gives numbers, but seeing the actual mountains, and how many of them, help really solidify just how polluted that area is, wow.
- astangl 15y ago
  Impressive. In Missouri, St. Joe Lead Co. donated land containing its mountains of tailings for a state park. St. Joe's State Park, popular for off-roading, with people riding their ATVs, minibikes, etc. through the tailings from the lead mines, also happens to be part of a Superfund site, but that doesn't dissuade people. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%22St.+Joe+state+park%22&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=59.206892,89.384766&vpsrc=0&hq=%22St.+Joe+state+park%22&t=h&z=13 http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%22St.+Joe+state+park%22&h... http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/cleanup/cercla/asarco/community.html#bigriver http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/cleanup/cercla...
- noonespecial 15y ago
  The streetviews are much older than the satellite photos. You can do a kind of eery "before and after" of all of the demolished houses and buildings.
axefrog 15y ago
According to one of the residents in the video, all you need to do to purify meat is to freeze it and then cook it. Doing so will make all the pollutants magically disappear! Who knew?
- Karellen 15y ago
  Nah, it's simpler than that. "Both say they figure that cooking or freezing will eliminate any toxins." You only need to do one or the other. Freeze then cook? That's like belt and braces - pointlessly over-cautious!
tectonic 15y ago
"The apocalypse is already here; it’s just unevenly distributed."
- signa11 15y ago
  seems like a ripoff of neuromancer "the future is already here, it's just unevenly distributed"
  - gwern 15y ago
    /whoosh
pilom 15y ago
Most toxic town? How about Centralia Pennsylvania where the coal seam under the town has been constantly burning since 1962 sending smoke and ash into the air? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania
- joshu 15y ago
  And the inspiration for the movie Silent Hill.
- ars 15y ago
  Heavy metals are a lot more toxic than smoke and ash.

59 points by georgecmu 15y ago

After reading through this article, I immediately went to google maps to see if they had any street-level views of the town. Thankfully, they do. From them, and the satellite views, you can see both the chat (I'm guessing that's what those large-ish white mounds are -- I could be wrong) mentioned in the article and "explore" the mostly abandoned town. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=picher,+ok&hl=en&sll=37.836207,-122.242298&sspn=0.241048,0.445976&vpsrc=0&hnear=Picher,+Ottawa,+Oklahoma&t=h&z=15 http://maps.google.com/maps?q=picher,+ok&hl=en&sll=3...

jameskilton 15y ago
Wow. The article gives numbers, but seeing the actual mountains, and how many of them, help really solidify just how polluted that area is, wow.
astangl 15y ago
Impressive. In Missouri, St. Joe Lead Co. donated land containing its mountains of tailings for a state park. St. Joe's State Park, popular for off-roading, with people riding their ATVs, minibikes, etc. through the tailings from the lead mines, also happens to be part of a Superfund site, but that doesn't dissuade people. http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%22St.+Joe+state+park%22&hl=en&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=59.206892,89.384766&vpsrc=0&hq=%22St.+Joe+state+park%22&t=h&z=13 http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%22St.+Joe+state+park%22&h... http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/cleanup/cercla/asarco/community.html#bigriver http://www.epa.gov/compliance/resources/cases/cleanup/cercla...
noonespecial 15y ago
The streetviews are much older than the satellite photos. You can do a kind of eery "before and after" of all of the demolished houses and buildings.

axefrog 15y ago

According to one of the residents in the video, all you need to do to purify meat is to freeze it and then cook it. Doing so will make all the pollutants magically disappear! Who knew?

Karellen 15y ago
Nah, it's simpler than that. "Both say they figure that cooking or freezing will eliminate any toxins." You only need to do one or the other. Freeze then cook? That's like belt and braces - pointlessly over-cautious!

tectonic 15y ago

"The apocalypse is already here; it’s just unevenly distributed."

signa11 15y ago
seems like a ripoff of neuromancer "the future is already here, it's just unevenly distributed"
- gwern 15y ago
  /whoosh

pilom 15y ago

Most toxic town? How about Centralia Pennsylvania where the coal seam under the town has been constantly burning since 1962 sending smoke and ash into the air? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania

joshu 15y ago
And the inspiration for the movie Silent Hill.
ars 15y ago
Heavy metals are a lot more toxic than smoke and ash.