The Economic Times

In 1913, lead turned Picher, Oklahoma, from farmland into a town of about 14,000; by 2010, only 20 residents remained, and chat piles covered parts of Ottawa County

Picher, a small town in northeast Oklahoma, transformed into a mining hub after the lead and zinc discovery in 1913. However, this rapid growth came at a significant cost, as environmental contamination from mining operations led to severe health issues among residents. Over decades, government officials recorded alarming lead exposure levels in children.