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Press Release "Santa Fe Gold Announces 2012 Smelter Contracts for Gold and Silver Sales Valued up to $30 Million"

2012-01-24T13:28:00.001-07:00

"press release

Jan. 24, 2012, 8:30 a.m. EST

Santa Fe Gold Announces 2012 Smelter Contracts for Gold and Silver Sales Valued up to $30 Million

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Jan 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Santa Fe Gold Corporation /quotes/zigman/480818 SFEG +7.14% is pleased to announce it has entered into contracts with three smelters to sell a majority of its anticipated 2012 production of high-value precious metals concentrate and siliceous flux material. The three smelters include Aurubis AG in Germany, and Freeport -- McMoRan Miami Inc. and ASARCO LLC in Arizona. The 2012 contracts are valued in the aggregate up to $30 million at current gold and silver prices. Santa Fe's Lordsburg flotation mill produces gold and silver concentrate from its Summit mine located in southwest New Mexico. The company also produces silica flux material, the sale of which involves direct shipment of ore with only minimal processing required.

"We are pleased to have reached agreements for sales of a majority of our 2012 concentrates and silica flux," said Pierce Carson, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The contract with Aurubis provides for deliveries of up to 360 tons of concentrate, and the contracts with FMI Miami and Asarco provide for a total of up to 48,000 tons of silica flux. These contracts reflect a realization of our marketing strategy of developing multiple customer outlets and multiple revenue streams."

Dr. Carson continued, "Sales of flux to FMI Miami and Asarco are significant to Santa Fe and could account for a substantial portion of ore mined at Summit. Smelter flux sales also add another dimension to our strategy of expanding Santa Fe's production profile by processing other ores from the Lordsburg area, utilizing our excess milling capacity. Among other potential advantages, material sold as smelter flux does not have to be milled and therefore frees even more capacity at our Lordsburg mill."

The Summit mine is expected to reach full, steady production during the first quarter of calendar 2012. Revenues are expected to increase significantly over the course of 2012 reflecting increases in both tonnage and grades. Annual life of mine revenue at full production is estimated to be approximately $40 million at recent gold and silver prices. Ore reserves are estimated to average 0.143 ounces per ton gold and 10.78 ounces per ton silver (0.35 ounces per ton gold equivalent). Direct operating costs are projected to be $364 per ounce of gold equivalent produced over the life of the mine.

About Santa Fe Gold: Santa Fe Gold is a U.S.-based mining and exploration enterprise focused on acquiring and developing gold, silver, copper and industrial mineral properties. Santa Fe controls: (i) the Summit mine and Lordsburg mill in southwestern New Mexico, which began processing operations in 2010; (ii) a substantial land position near the Lordsburg mill, comprising the core of the Lordsburg Mining District; (iii) the Ortiz gold property in north-central New Mexico; (iv) the Black Canyon mica deposit and processing equipment near Phoenix, Arizona; and (v) a deposit of micaceous iron oxide (MIO) in western Arizona. Santa Fe Gold intends to build a portfolio of high-quality, diversified mineral assets with an emphasis on precious metals.

To learn more about Santa Fe Gold, visit www.santafegoldcorp.com ."

also see
" Santa Fe Gold Announces 2012 Smelter Contracts for Gold and Silver ...
MarketWatch
The three smelters include Aurubis AG in Germany, and Freeport -- McMoRan Miami Inc. and ASARCO LLC in Arizona. The 2012 contracts are valued in the ..."

Community Pleads with El Paso Asarco Trust to protect the children; Trust replied with stock answer

2012-01-17T15:09:00.001-07:00

"Leave a response - Recasting the Smelter | Former ASARCO ...
I plead with you, to examine your conscience, your faith and values as a human- being: do not let children grow up on the old Asarco site. Tell the community the ...
www.recastingthesmelter.com/?p=2515
"

The Irony of it

2012-01-08T21:37:00.004-07:00

Now, in 2012, Sec. Salazar came to El Paso Texas to look at the El Paso Desalination plant -- without any mention that Asarco El Paso has contaminated our surface drinking water supply and all of our irrigation district waters. Will El Paso TX get any of the over 190 million dollars (below) to remediate the old American Canal and clean the Asarco-chemical-plume that reaches the Rio Grand? No. The Asarco Bankruptcy, the Department of the Interior and other Governmental Agencies have acted as if the Asarco burning of illegal secret hazardous wastes from 1991 to 1998 never happened.

"December 10, 2009

Contact:
Georgia Parham 812-334-4261 x 1-203

ASARCO Settlement Provides $194 Million for Federal, State and Tribal Wildlife and Habitat Resource Restoration

Agreement includes Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District and Tri-State Mining District in southwest Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that an environmental damage settlement with ASARCO LLC, a North American mining conglomerate, would provide about $194 million for the recovery of wildlife, habitat and other natural resources managed by Interior, state and tribal governments at more than a dozen sites.

“Through this historic settlement, the American public is compensated for the damage and loss of natural resources resulting from ASARCO’s past mining, smelting and refining operations,” Secretary Salazar said. “Were it not for this agreement, these injured resources would either remain impaired for future generations or require taxpayer expenditures to achieve environmental restoration.”

“This is a milestone not only for the Federal Government but also for Interior and its Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program,” Salazar said. “It exemplifies government working effectively for the American taxpayer to recover damages from polluters and restore and protect significant national landscapes and wildlife resources that have been injured.”

Assistant Secretary for Fish Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland called the settlement the type of environmental enforcement action that ensures that those responsible for polluting the nation’s landscapes and waterways are made to pay for their actions. “I want to commend the extraordinary level and amount of federal, state and tribal cooperation and coordination that accomplished this settlement,” Strickland said.

He also thanked representatives on the case teams that developed the claims, including Interior personnel from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, other federal agencies and state and tribal governments for their professionalism and dedication. “The settlement demonstrates the ability of Interior’s bureaus and offices to work cooperatively and productively on behalf of the public – and especially the taxpayers – to achieve major benefits for the environment.”

The Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District spans multiple counties from 40 to 90 miles south southwest of St. Louis, Missouri and is located in the Big River/Meramec River, Black River, and St Francois River watersheds. It is one of the largest lead producing regions of the world. Natural resources affected by mining-related contamination include surface water, groundwater, fish, migratory birds, endangered species of fresh-water mussels and their supporting ecosystems, including sediment and floodplain areas. Lead mining continues in the New Lead Belt, also called the Viburnum Trend, and the region continues to be the nation’s top lead producer.

Heavy-metal mine, mill, and smelter wastes from Asarco’s operations covers thousands of acres of land in St. Francois, Madison, Iron, and Reynolds counties. Two National Priority List Superfund sites and an active mining and processing district are contained within the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District affected by Asarco. Runoff from these operations has contributed to contamination of sediment in over 100 miles of streams including Flat River Creek, Big River, Adair Creek, Logan Creek, Sweetwater Creek, West Fork of the Black River, Logtown Branch, Little St. Francois River, and Big Creek. Interior and the State of Missouri jointly received $41.2 million for natural resource damages at five sites in the District. Interior received approximately $274,000 to reimburse past assessment costs.

The Tri-State Mining District spans 2,500 square miles, including parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma. The District is located in the Spring River and Neosho River watersheds, both of which flow generally south, terminating in the headwaters of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokee. Natural resources affected by mining-related contamination include surface water, fish, migratory birds, freshwater mussels and threatened and endangered species and their supporting habitat, such as sediments. Interior, the states of Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma and six American Indian tribes jointly received $62.4 million for natural resource damages in the District. Interior received $2.3 million to reimburse past assessment costs.

Trustees for natural resources affected by mining operations in the Tri-State Mining District include two Interior Department bureaus - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the states of Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, and several tribes: Cherokee Nation; Eastern Shawnee Tribe; Ottawa Tribe; Peoria Tribe; Seneca-Cayuga Tribe; and Wyandotte Nation. The Trustees for each site have completed or are now drafting plans to restore injured natural resources.

In Missouri, ASARCO conducted operations in Jasper and Newton counties. Mining and milling operations generated about 150 million short tons of waste scattered over 7,500 acres in Jasper County, affecting waterways such as Center Creek, Turkey Creek, Short Creek and their tributaries. Similar conditions occurred in Newton County, affecting Shoal Creek and its tributaries, and Lost, Sycamore, and upper Center creeks. The Interior Department and the State of Missouri will receive $20.1 million for Jasper and Newton counties. The Trustees for these sites are developing a draft restoration plan and anticipate releasing the draft for public review and comment in spring 2010.

The Tri-State Mining area is a mix of tallgrass prairie and hardwood forests. Commercial mining began in about 1848 in Missouri and moved westward into Kansas and southward into Oklahoma. Commercial smelters occurred in all three states within Tri-State. Historically, lead was the ore of primary interest; however, the ore was rich in zinc deposits, and zinc production became increasingly important over time. The Jasper County site was designated a Superfund site in 1990; the Newton County site was added in 2003.

Funds will be deposited into Interior’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment and
Restoration Fund and will be used to restore, rehabilitate, replace, and/or acquire the
equivalent of the injured natural resources managed by Interior and jointly managed with
state and tribal agencies. The majority of this amount is a joint claim with federal, state,
and tribal co-trustees, depending on the site.

For more information on the ASARCO settlement in Missouri, visit www.fws.gov/midwest/nrda/index.html
"

Sept. 2011 El Paso Mayor border affairs refers to Punto Colonet and Ferromex Santa Teresa Port of Entry Plan

2012-01-08T21:12:00.004-07:00

"Calderón's capital projects plan includes the proposed rail bypass that would connect rail service in Juárez from San Jeronimo-Santa Teresa to the Guadalupe-Tornillo border crossings......"Mayors John Cook and Jose Reyes Ferriz of El Paso and Juárez are unhappy with the proposal, which they believe will disrupt vehicular traffic in Juárez during several years of construction, lead to an increase flow of dangerous cargo through heavily populated neighborhoods and undercut efforts to move cross-border rail traffic to a new port of entry at Santa Teresa, New Mexico," a 2008 cable said.....Robert Andrade, Cook's border affairs aide, said Calderón wanted the Santa Teresa rail bypass and rail border crossing because it is part of a plan for a new major seaport at Punto Colonet in Baja California, a project that is still pending."

from: "WikiLeaks cable: El Paso, Juárez mayors didn't like rail project"

By Diana Washington Valdez \ EL PASO TIMES

Posted: 09/08/2011

Foxconn expands to Brazil...proximity to airfields a factor

2012-01-08T20:57:00.003-07:00

"Foxconn to manufacture iPads in Brazil

Friday, 14 October 2011 00:00

By Lara Holmes

The Taiwanese firm Foxconn confirmed that it will begin manufacturing iPads in Brazil in December [2011] but is still negotiating a multimillion-dollar expansion plan in the country, said senior executives of the company and Brazilian government officials on Thursday.Rousseff President first announced the intention of Foxconn to build Apple Tablet popular in Brazil for an official visit to China in April [2012] ....Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou, and the Brazilian Minister of Science and Technology, Aloizio Mercadante, told reporters Thursday that the company begin to assemble the iPads locally in December at its plant in Jundiai, in the state of Sao Paulo.....Logistical factors such as proximity to airports, are key issues in this decision, the minister explained."

Santa Teresa N.M. Airport near Port of Entry is adding/changing airport runway(s), and opinion is that these would be capable of accommodating cargo planes.

Ferromex

2012-01-08T20:50:00.003-07:00

"Ferromex still has $160.8 million dollars"

Tuesday, 11 October 2011 00:00

Asarco's owner Grupo Mexico owns Ferromex (and Carlyle Group owns more than 20% of Grupo Mexico)

The Asarco El Paso Cleanup TRUST has no feduciary responsibility to remediate or report on the secret materials Asarco incinerated between 1991-1998

2012-01-08T20:28:00.005-07:00

What do Asarco's owners Grupo Mexico (Ferromex Railroad), Punta Colonet Pacific Seaport , Santa Teresa N.M. Port of Entry and Foxcon
have in common? They all depend upon development within ten miles of Asarco's secret hazardous waste incinerator (1991-1998) --- the contamination likely stretched out 30 miles (1000 square miles); and, the secret wastes (which included radioactive materials) should have been vetted before any of this port-development, railroad development, and Asarco-site-cleanup/development occurred....

http://puntacolonetmega-port.blogspot.com

"Sunday, December 12, 2010

Punta Colonet Mega-Port to be Bid in Spring 2011, Regardless of Panama Canal Expansion, Says Mexico Secretary of Communications & Transportation; Ferromex/Union Pacific Considering Bidding on Rail Portion"

Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory

2012-01-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory

For more information about this company, who is the keystone-company at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, search this blog for "Foxcon" or google the internet for "Foxcon asarco".

asarco "former General Manager of the Mission Complex in Sahuarita, AZ "will take over duties as Argonaut's COO""

2011-12-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

"Argonaut Gold Announces New Chief Operating Officer
Marketwire
Mr. Rhoades is the former General Manager of the Mission Complex in Sahuarita, AZ for Asarco LLC. He will take over duties as Argonaut's COO on January 3, ..."

"About Argonaut Gold

Argonaut is a Canadian gold company engaged in exploration, mine development and production activities. Its primary assets are the production-stage El Castillo Mine in the State of Durango, Mexico, the development stage and past producing La Colorada project, the advanced exploration San Antonio project, and several exploration stage projects, all of which are located in Mexico."

" Google Alert - asarco Arizona Silver Belt ADEQ to renew permit for ASARCO Hayden smelter"

2011-12-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

"Arizona Silver Belt ADEQ to renew permit for ASARCO Hayden smelter
Officials of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality say they have reached a preliminary decision and are proposing to issue an Air Quality Renewal ...
www.silverbelt.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0..."

Google Alert - asarco "EPA Region 7 to Host News Conference Dec. 15 to ...."

2011-12-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

"EPA Region 7 to Host News Conference Dec. 15 to ....
U.S. EPA.gov
From the early 1870s until it closed in 1997, the ASARCO plant emitted lead and other heavy metals into the atmosphere from smoke stacks and fugitive ...
"

"WHO: EPA Regional Administrator Karl Brooks, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, Nebraska State Sen. Brenda Council and Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour

In 1998, the Omaha City Council solicited assistance from EPA in addressing problems with lead contamination in area soils, prompted by cleanup activities at the former ASARCO lead processing facility along the west bank of the Missouri River in Omaha. From the early 1870s until it closed in 1997, the ASARCO plant emitted lead and other heavy metals into the atmosphere from smoke stacks and fugitive emissions." [this site closed after EPA Region 6 and Federal DOJ discovered that Asarco had been running an illegal multi-state hazardous waste incineration operation -- sending wastes from Corpus Christi TX to El Paso TX, E. Helena MT (with some products then shipping to Globe CO) -- did some go to Region 7's Kansas City Asarco?]

Now Houghton and others want to build a highway through the ASARCO site -- still without disclosing the illegal highly poisonous wastes

2011-12-07T13:43:00.001-07:00

"Another proposal would align the project's northern section about 150 feet away from I-10 through the Asarco site. Some black slag, a smelting byproduct piled on the site, could provide road bed material, filling in depressions along the highway route, Houghton said. Although some of the slag could leach contamination and will be buried in high-tech landfills, analysis has shown much of it is safe for such highway construction use, officials have said.

An environmental impact study also is under way, Houghton said." El Paso Times 12-7-11

See google alert:
"Input sought for Loop 375 West
El Paso Times
It will connect the Border Highway with Interstate 10 through the Chihuahuita neighborhood and the former Asarco smelter property. New construction will be ..."

Investigator stated that Asarco confidential settlement in 1998 "a sellout of the public"

2011-12-05T13:01:00.001-07:00

"With the government cornered into signing this consent decree you, USA, Texas and the US-EPA lose all
rights upon the acceptance of this decree, which to me is a sell out of the public, since you are
supposed to look out for public interest."...."The TNRCC, has received some of these objections,
faxed to Albert M. Bronson, Asst. Attorney General on 5/26/99."

EPA FOIA document

The Asarco El Paso Clean-up Trust has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to test for/remediate ANY of the illicit materials from the 1991-1998 haz-waste years

2011-11-21T23:09:00.002-07:00

ERM hired Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., Chicago, as its demolition subcontractor for the project. Malcolm Pirnie, Highlands Ranch, Colo., was the lead remediation contractor....Casbon said the efforts of ERM, Brandenburg and others working on the project have provided a tremendous financial success for the Asarco site land trust. Rather than spending down the trust's $52 million cash reserves for the project, work done thus far has provided an additional $25 million to the trust's value."
http://www.cdrecycler.com/cdr1111-2011-cdr-forum.aspx

The Asarco El Paso Clean-up Trust has no fiduciary or contractual obligation to test for/remediate ANY of the illicit materials from the 1991-1998 hazardous-waste years; and, the "decontamination" consisted of powerwashing (i.e. no testing with XRF before sale).
The "Trust's Value" might not be 25$Million greater if the bankruptcy court had considered liability from the illicit hazardous waste contamination in the Paso del Norte... Those sales of "metals" might be profitable only because the Bankruptcy court has for some reason ignored the presence of the illicit wastes... and the costs of removing/disposing of those illegal materials from those "metals" before sale...

If this blog has been helpful, please donate through the PayPal donate button within this blog.

2011-11-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

We are not a non-profit.

In 1997 Goldman Sachs was to underwrite pollution control bonds-refinancing for ASARCO

2011-11-21T12:22:00.001-07:00

In late October of 1997, before Asarco was caught by the EPA and the Federal Department of Justice for running an unpermitted and illegal multi-state hazardous waste disposal operation-for-money, Asarco began plans to redeem some of its tax-exempt bonds for refinancing (see http://www.allbusiness.com/banking-finance/financial-markets-investing-securities/7054881-1.html ). The Bonds included Pollution-control revenue refunding bonds in Arizona, Texas and Montana. Goldman Sachs was going to act "as underwriter of the new bonds":

The issues to be called are the Industrial Development Authority of the County of Gila, Arizona, Pollution Control Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 1985 and 1987, 8.90% due July 1, 2006; the Nueces River Authority, Texas, 7 3/8% Environmental Improvement Revenue Bonds, Series 1976-A and 1976-B, due June 1, 2006; and the Lewis and Clark County, Montana 6 3/4% Pollution Control Revenue Bonds, 1976 Series, due December 1, 2006....The aggregate principal amount of bonds the Company plans to call is $133.4 million. The Company has recorded a pre-tax charge in the third quarter of 1997 of $3.9 million in connection with the refinancing, which is expected to reduce the Company's annual interest costs by approximately $3.0 million. Goldman Sachs will act as underwriter of the new bonds to be issued in the refinancing."

By 1998 Asarco was secretly caught by EPA and DOJ running the sham-recyling scheme and 'paid millions on the condition that the details would never become public." (quote from Rep. Reyes) When the Asarco bankruptcy began in 2005, Harbinger (Hedge Fund) was one of the primary debt-holders. The company was cleared of any liability from its illicit actions between 1991-1998; the debts of decades of pollution paid off on pennies on the dollar; and, the lucrative parts of the company saved. All creditors were paid off.

In 2010 Goldman Sachs suddenly (see Bloomberg reports ) planned:

"to pull its entire investment [120 million $] from Harbinger Capital’s flagship fund, for two reasons. 1) The returns weren’t very good and 2) Falcone “borrowed” $113 million from one of his firm’s smaller funds (where redemptions had been suspended) in order to pay personal taxes."

http://dealbreaker.com/2010/11/goldman-sachs-pulls-120-million-from-harbinger-capital-after-falcone-loans-himself-money-from-other-fund/

In a strange quirk of rumor, fast-forward to November 2011, a newsletter (http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article31653.html) claims that Goldman Sachs is positioned today to gain from the current European banking crisis:

"Incidentally, is it really that surprising that Goldman is now doing its best to precipitate a bank run of Europe’s major financial institutions by "suddenly" exposing the truth that was there all along? During the great financial crisis of 2008, the one biggest winner from the collapse of Bear and Lehman was none other than the squid. This time around, Goldman has set its sights on Europe and has already made sure that its tentacles will be in firmly in control at all the right places when the collapse comes, as the Independent shows."

Quote from Federal DOJ Bankruptcy court trustee Mike Boudlocke regarding ASARCO

2011-11-21T00:22:00.001-07:00

"However, the project still is on target for a late 2012 completion,
said bankruptcy court trustee Mike Boudloche. He was appointed by the
U.S. Bankruptcy Court overseeing the ASARCO Inc. and Encycle/Texas Inc.
bankruptcy cases.

"We are almost finished with the asbestos removal on the stack and will
begin bringing it down the first week of December," Boudloche said on
Thursday.

The 315-ft tall, asbestos-lined stack, the most visible symbol of the
site's environmental problems, will be cut into pieces and hauled away,
he said."

http://www.caller.com/news/2011/nov/20/asarcoencycle-demolition-delayed-weather-still-tim/

E. Helena Asarco Officials consider "moving the creek" away from the poisons... but El Paso TX cannot move the Rio Grande away from their ASARCO toxic site....

2011-11-20T13:06:00.001-07:00

If the "officials" could, they would probably move the nation's sixth longest river, the Rio Grande - which is right next to the toxic Asarco El Paso smelter site -- because the Asarco El Paso plume has reached the river the entire length of the Asarco property...

"Google Alert - asarco

Officials consider moving creek at toxic slag pile
Washington Examiner
Ford said that a $140 million settlement with Asarco isn't enough to do the needed cleanup work on soils and groundwater, as well as move some 14 million ..."

United States of America vs Asarco LLC --- East Helena CAMU Trust

2011-11-16T23:12:00.001-07:00

Taken from google alert:

"
U.S. v. ASARCO, LLC
Leagle.com
The fact that a subsequent bankruptcy settlement agreement resolved any remaining or future liability on ASARCO's part for that work also has no bearing on ...
"

" U.S. v. ASARCO, LLC No. 10-35824.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION

MEMORANDUM^*

ASARCO appeals the district court's denial of its motion to terminate the East Helena CAMU Trust ("CAMU Trust") and grant of summary judgment in favor of the United States. .... The fact that a subsequent bankruptcy settlement agreement resolved any remaining or future liability on ASARCO's part for that work also has no bearing on the trust's termination, since the trust's language is clear that the trustee is to reimburse ASARCO "or other persons" for work done on the CAMU Phase 2 Cell. Similarly, that the bankruptcy settlement agreement established a separate trust to fund cleanup activities at various locations, including at the East Helena site, which trust's funds could be used by the government for the CAMU Phase 2 Cell, also has no bearing on the CAMU Trust's termination.... AFFIRMED. "

What Toxic World has Asarco's eight years of unpermitted hazardous waste incineration left El Paso Texas?

2011-11-13T23:59:00.001-07:00

"Mankind has gone very far into an artificial world of his own creation."

From Carson’s speech in acceptance of the National Book Award, 1963
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/Excerpts.html

Asarco pays more [65 million] to upgrade its Tuscon Mill than it will to clean up over 100 years of smelting and nearly ten years of illegal hazardous-waste incineration at El Paso TX [52 million]

2011-11-13T18:51:00.001-07:00

Asarco pays more [65 million] to upgrade its Tuscon Mill than it will to clean up over 100 years of smelting and nearly ten years of illegal hazardous-waste incineration at El Paso TX [52 million]. And, how do we know that ASARCO isn't running another unpermitted Hazardous Waste Operation like it did from 1991-1998? They said the same thing - that they were increasing production and decreasing pollution when they put the new ConTop furnaces in El Paso Asarco 1992...

"Asarco Copper Mill to Double Output While Cutting Dust Emissions

11/10/2011

The Arizona Daily Star

By Tony Davis, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Nov. 10--Asarco will nearly double production at a mill south of Tucson, but it says it will reduce dust emissions slightly by adding pollution controls in a $65 million upgrade.

The mining company wants the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality to revise its air quality permit so it can increase the amount of copper ore running through its Mission Mine's south mill by about 71 percent.... County regulators say they agree with Asarco's calculations that emissions will decline despite the higher production levels.

The mill, just south of Pima Mine Road and west of Interstate 19, is one of two at the Mission complex, which employs about 625 people.

After the mine expands the south mill's production capacity, total employment will rise by perhaps 10 to 15 people in about the first quarter of 2013, said Tom Aldrich, Asarco's vice president of environmental affairs."

http://southwest.construction.com/yb/sw/article.aspx?story_id=165754240

Local News | State to cast wide net for Asarco smelter pollution | Seattle Times Newspaper

2011-11-10T19:10:00.000-07:00

Local News | State to cast wide net for Asarco smelter pollution | Seattle Times Newspaper

2009 gambling debts of Deceased President Swiss bank ," Asarco "

2011-11-10T07:05:00.001-07:00

"In April 2009 MGM Grand casino in Las Vegas provided Katamaninu
[Russian Citizen] a loan of 2.5 million dollars. Casino, owned by
Harrah, in May 2009, lent him 1.2 million dollars, and in early July of
that year Katamanin borrowed 95,000 dollars from the casino Wynn Las
Vegas. Lawyers Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City say that
Katamanin owed him 3.2 million... " http://news.vdok.org/page.aspx?id=744

HSBC Holdings Plc accused of aiding Madoff's fraud Dec. 6 2010

2011-11-10T06:49:00.001-07:00

"Dec. 6, 2010

HSBC Holdings Plc, Europe’s biggest lender, was sued for $9 billion over claims it aided Bernard Madoff’s fraud through a network of feeder funds in Europe, the Caribbean and Central America. Irving H. Picard, trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, sued HSBC and a dozen feeder funds in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, Picard said in a statement....The suit alleges the bank was aware of concerns that Madoff’s investment business was fraudulent and didn’t take steps to protect investors, according to the statement. .... HSBC said in a statement that Picard’s allegations are “unfounded” and that it will defend itself against them in court." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-06/hsbc-holdings-sued-by-madoff-trustee-for-9-billion-for-alleged-misconduct.html

What do Asarco, HSBC and Petrobras have in common

2011-11-10T06:44:00.001-07:00

"January 6, 2011

Six deals on which Cleary Gottlieb advised during 2010 were named as “Deals of the Year” by International Financing Review.

The award-winning deals are:

Latin America Equity Issue of the Year: Petrobras’s $70 billion follow-on offering. (Cleary Gottlieb represented Petrobras. This is expected to be largest equity offering ever.) ....Financial Bond—Subordinated Debt: HSBC’s $3.8 billion $25 par capital securities. (Cleary Gottlieb represented HSBC.) Latin America Loan of the Year: Americas Mining Corporation’s $1.5 billion loan. (Cleary Gottlieb was counsel to a bank syndicate. The loan was used to fund Americas Mining plan of reorganization for its U.S. copper unit, ASARCO LLC.)"
http://www.cgsh.com/cleary_gottlieb_counsel_in_six_ifr_deals_of_the_year/

Asarco's former principle Creditor (Harbinger group) tied to HSBC bank through ....

2011-11-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

Tony Pace

Title: Controller at Harbinger Capital Partners

Demographic info: Greater New York City Area | Financial Services

Current: Controller at Harbinger Capital Partners, U.S. Head of Fund Accounting and Financial Reporting at HSBC, Alternative Fund Services

Past: VP Fund Treasurer at Reich & Tang Funds, Director of Client Service Group at GlobeOp Financial Services, Controller – Director of Mutual Fund...

Education: Hofstra University

http://www.linkedin.com/title/financial+controller/at-hsbc/

See also: http://arabnews.com/economy/article482990.ece
"HSBC’s China gold futures foray... By REUTERS
Published: Aug 4, 2011 17:24 Updated: Aug 4, 2011 17:24
SHANGHAI: China giving HSBC Holdings Plc entry to its gold futures market, a first for a foreign bank, is likely a [predictor] of a further opening to local and overseas institutions to trade the precious metal.....China’s moves to free up its gold market will not only create more trading opportunities for foreign banks, but it will also allow them to tap growing local demand for gold investment products.....By letting in HSBC, one of the world’s leading gold trading houses, the SHFE will pave the way for more foreign and local banks to join the market — a big step toward the liberalization of the tightly controlled gold sector and one that could help deepen the derivatives market...."

July 2011 Former ASARCO principle-creditor/ Hedge Fund's operating chief resigns....

2011-11-10T06:11:00.001-07:00

"Harbinger Capital's operating chief resigns
The Wall Street Journal 06 Jul 2011

Hedge-fund firm Harbinger Capital Partners, founded by Philip Falcone, said Tuesday that Peter Jenson has resigned as chief operating officer and director....Jenson, who left Citadel Investment for Harbinger in 2009, was responsible for all operational activities of the funds....Meanwhile, Harbinger Group, a publicly traded company majority-owned by Harbinger Capital, has appointed Omar Asali as acting president, succeeding Falcone, who will continue to serve as chairman and chief executive....Asali, who is a managing director and head of global strategy for Harbinger Capital, was previously co-head of Goldman Sachs's hedge-fund strategies. "

http://www.efinancialnews.com/story/2011-07-06/harbinger-capital-operating-chief-resigns

Harbinger Capital Partners manager left

2011-11-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

"After more than eight years working beside Philip A. Falcone, the embattled hedge manager of Harbinger Capital Partners, Lawrence Clark, a top investment manager at the firm, confirmed on Monday that he had left to start his own fund. Mr. Clark, 39, plans to start an event-driven hedge fund focused on metals, mining, food and agriculture, areas that he covered as a senior analyst when he reported directly to Mr. Falcone.....It’s about ....striking out on my own,” Mr. Clark said, noting that he remained on the board of Mr. Falcone’s public company, the Harbinger Group."
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/top-harbinger-official-leaves-to-start-own-firm/

[see "Harbinger" within epgtlo's internal search engine for more information]

Goldman Sachs and Asarco copper price fluctuations-- and Goldman Sachs-speech by arrested Occupy-Wall Street Chris Hedges....."What we are asking for today is simple—it is a return to the rule of law."

2011-11-05T02:05:00.001-07:00

Goldman Fraud Charge Hits Copper Prices
Copper Investing News 2010
Grupo Mexico will show benefits from its acquisition of Arizona's Asarco, ... Grupo Mexico won back control of Asarco in December, pulling the US copper ..."

"By Leia Michele Toovey- Exclusive to Copper Investing News" "As news over impending fraud charges against leading commodities player Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) hit the market last Friday, copper witnessed considerable downside. Risk averse investors jumped from their positions, sending copper plummeting to a three month low.... Hiding behind the Goldman front, negative data is still weighing down copper..."Posted by Elpaso at Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Asarco Bankruptcy ends, and bring predictions "... that Grupo Mexico's total copper sales volumes should be propelled 43 percent year-on-year" as METAL PRICES RECOVER

"Google Web Alert for: asarco

PREVIEWGrupo Mexico profit seen up on Asarco copper prices ...
WHAT: Grupo Mexico Q1 earnings results * WHEN: Friday, April 23 * REUTERS FORECAST: Net profit seen soaring year-on-year By Mica Rosenberg MEXICO CITY, ...
in.reuters.com/article/.../idINN2021866520100420

"
"MEXICO CITY, April 20 (Reuters) - Grupo Mexico, the nation's biggest copper miner, is set to report a sharp jump in quarterly results as ...metal prices recover, a Reuters poll showed. Seven analysts consulted by Reuters estimated the company's (GMEXICOB.MX...) first-quarter net profit at $383 million, about 20 times year-earlier earnings of $19 million. Grupo Mexico won back control of Asarco in December, pulling the U.S. copper miner out of bankruptcy by winning a drawn-out court battle and outbidding India's Sterlite Industries Ltd...). ...."In the first quarter that Asarco's results are fully consolidated, we estimate that Grupo Mexico's total copper sales volumes should be propelled 43 percent year-on-year," brokerage Grupo Bursatil Mexicano said in a report."

"Analysts consulted by Reuters expect [Asarco owner --- GMEXICOB.MX] first-quarter net profit will soar almost 2,000 percent"

See current speech/arrest in front of Goldman Sachs this week...

Chris Hedges' Speech in Front of Goldman Sachs Leads to Arrest

By Chris Hedges

Chris Hedges made this statement in New York City's Zuccotti Park on Thursday morning during the People's Hearing on Goldman Sachs, which he chaired with Dr. Cornel West. The activist and Truthdig columnist then joined a march of several hundred protesters to the nearby corporate headquarters of Goldman Sachs, where he was arrested with 16 others.

Goldman Sachs, which received more subsidies and bailout-related funds than any other investment bank because the Federal Reserve permitted it to become a bank holding company under its "emergency situation," has used billions in taxpayer money to enrich itself and reward its top executives. It handed its senior employees a staggering $18 billion in 2009, $16 billion in 2010 and $10 billion in 2011 in mega-bonuses. This massive transfer of wealth upwards by the Bush and Obama administrations, now estimated at $13 trillion to $14 trillion, went into the pockets of those who carried out fraud and criminal activity rather than the victims who lost their jobs, their savings and often their homes.

Goldman Sachs' commodities index is the most heavily traded in the world. Goldman Sachs hoards rice, wheat, corn, sugar and livestock and jacks up commodity prices around the globe so that poor families can no longer afford basic staples and literally starve. Goldman Sachs is able to carry out its malfeasance at home and in global markets because it has former officials filtered throughout the government and lavishly funds compliant politicians—including Barack Obama, who received $1 million from employees at Goldman Sachs in 2008 when he ran for president. These politicians, in return, permit Goldman Sachs to ignore security laws that under a functioning judiciary system would see the firm indicted for felony fraud. Or, as in the case of Bill Clinton, these politicians pass laws such as the 2000 Commodity Futures Modernization Act that effectively removed all oversight and outside control over the speculation in commodities, one of the major reasons food prices have soared. In 2008 and again in 2010 prices for crops such as rice, wheat and corn doubled and even tripled, making life precarious for hundreds of millions of people. And it was all done so a few corporate oligarchs, the 1 percent, could make personal fortunes in the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite a damning 650-page Senate subcommittee investigation report, no individual at Goldman Sachs has been indicted, although the report accuses Goldman of defrauding its clients.

When the government in the fall 2008 provided the firm with billions of dollars in the form of cheap loans, FDIC debt guarantees, TARP, AIG make-wholes, and a late-night label-shift from investment bank to bank holding company, giving the firm access to excessive Federal Reserve aid, access [the corporation] still has, it enabled and abetted Goldman's criminal behavior. Goldman Sachs unloaded billions in worthless securities to its clients, decimating 401(k)s, pension and mutual funds. The firm misled investors about the true nature of these worthless securities, insisted the securities they were pushing on their clients were sound, and hid the material fact that, simultaneously, they were betting against these same securities—$2 billion against just one of their deals. The firm then had the gall to extort from its victims—us—to make good on its bets when the global economy it helped trash lost $40 trillion in worldwide wealth and huge insurance firms were unable to cover their bad debts.

The Securities Act of 1933, established in the wake of the massive fraud that pervaded the securities market before the 1929 Crash, was written to ensure that "any securities transactions are not based on fraudulent information or practices." The act "prohibits deceit, misrepresentation, and other fraud in the sale of securities." The subcommittee report indicates that Goldman Sachs clearly broke security laws.

As part of the political theater that has come to replace the legislative and judicial process, the Securities and Exchange Commission agreed to a $550 million settlement whereby Goldman Sachs admitted it showed "incomplete" information in marketing materials and that it was a "mistake" to not disclose the nature of its portfolio selection committee. This fine was a payoff to the SEC by Goldman Sachs of about four days' worth of revenue, and in return they avoided going to court. CEO Lloyd Blankfein apparently not only lied to clients, but to the subcommittee itself on April 27, 2010, when he told lawmakers: "We didn't have a massive short against the housing market, and we certainly did not bet against our clients." Yet, they did.

And yet nothing has been done. No Goldman Sachs officials have gone to trial. This is because there is no way within the corporate state to vote against the interests of Goldman Sachs. There is no way through the formal mechanisms of power to restore the rule of law. There is no way to protect the ordinary citizen and the poor around the globe from the predatory activity of financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs. Since our courts refuse to put on trial the senior executives at Goldman Sachs, including Blankfein, who carried out these crimes and lied to cover them up, we will. Speculators like those in Goldman Sachs—who in the 17th century when speculation was a crime would have been hanged—must be prevented by law from again destroying our economy, preying on ordinary citizens, hoarding food so the poor starve and running our political process. We are paying for these crimes—not those who orchestrated perhaps the most massive fraud in human history. Our teachers, police, firefighters and public employees are losing their jobs so speculators like Blankfein can make an estimated $250,000 a day. Working men and women are losing their homes and going into personal bankruptcy because they cannot pay their medical bills. Our unemployed, far closer to 20 percent than the official 9 percent, are in deep distress all so a criminal class, a few blocks from where I speak, can wallow in luxury with mansions and yachts and swollen bank accounts.

What we are asking for today is simple—it is a return to the rule of law. And since the formal mechanisms of power refuse to restore the rule of law, then we, the 99 percent, will have to see that justice is done.

This article was published at NationofChange at: http://www.nationofchange.org/chris-hedges-speech-front-goldman-sachs-leads-arrest-1320422765.
Included here in full-text, with citation as Fair Use (creative commons, non-commercial)

Asarco associated Citigroup (Citigroup and Harbinger Hedge fund were creditors in Asarco's bankruptcy)

2011-11-05T00:56:00.001-07:00

for more on Citigroup and Asarco, search for these key-words within the google-blog's search engine...

"Robert Scheer, Op-Ed: “Can we all agree that a $1 billion swindle represents a lot of money, and the fact that Citigroup agreed last week to pay a $285 million fine to settle SEC charges for “misleading investors” demonstrates a damning admission of culpability? So why has Robert Rubin, the onetime treasury secretary who went on to become Citigroup chairman during the time of the corporation’s financial shenanigans, never been held accountable for this and other deep damage done to the U.S. economy on his watch?”

Rubin’s tenure atop the world of high finance began when he was co-chairman of Goldman Sachs, before he became Bill Clinton’s treasury secretary and pushed through the reversal of the Glass-Steagall Act, an action that legalized the formation of Citigroup and other “too big to fail” banking conglomerates.
Rubin’s destructive impact on the economy in enabling these giant corporate banks to run amok was far greater than that of swindler Bernard Madoff, who sits in prison under a 150-year sentence while Rubin sits on the Harvard Board of Overseers, as chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and as a leader of the Brookings Institution’s Hamilton Project.

Rubin was rewarded for his efforts on behalf of Citigroup with a top job as chairman of the bank’s executive committee and at least $126 million in compensation. That was “compensation” for steering the bank to the point of a bankruptcy avoided only by a $45 billion taxpayer bailout and a further guarantee of $300 billion of the bank’s toxic assets.
"
http://www.nationofchange.org/too-big-jail-1320412438

for starters, see:

epgtlo: Citigroup comment on PEMEX....

Jul 27, 2009 ... Citigroup and Harbinger are creditors in Asarco's pending bankruptcy proceeding. They are based in New York and together are owed $300 ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/2009/07/citigroup-comment-on-pemex.html

epgtlo: ASARCO former principle-bondholder Citigroup now ordered ...

Jul 30, 2010 ... Citigroup has agreed to pay the SEC $75 million to settle charges that the bank hid exposure to more than $40 billion [1] in subprime CDOs. ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/2010/.../asarco-former-principle-bondholder.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: Citigroup Bank is a "Key Financial" entity for the Camino ...

Sep 17, 2009 ... Citigroup Bank is a "Key Financial Team member" for the Camino Real Regional Mobility Authority (CRRMA) that builds El Paso TX highways ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/.../citigroup-bank-is-key-financial-entity.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: ASARCO Bondholder Citigroup's head of Latin America team ...

Aug 4, 2010 ... ASARCO Bondholder Citigroup's head of Latin America team handled CEMEX acquisition of RMC and a 1.1 Billion$ offer for Grupo Mexico S.Peru ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/.../asarco-bondholder-citigroups-head-of.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: HARBINGER'S CITIGROUP RECOMMENDS INVESTING IN PEMEX now

Jul 30, 2009 ... Banking giant Citigroup recommends investment in Mexican state-run oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) via its dollar-denominated bonds. ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/2009/.../harbingers-citigroup-recommends.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: Bank associated with ASARCO bonds (Citigroup) Energy ...

Aug 27, 2009 ... Citigroup's Oil Trader's $100000000 Payday: A Wakeup Call for the Nation ... Google "Citigroup" in search engine for epgtlo.blogspot.com and ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/2009/.../bank-associated-with-asarco-bonds.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: 7/25/10 - 8/1/10

Jul 30, 2010 ... ASARCO former principle-bondholder Citigroup now ordered to pay SEC over ... " Citigroup to Pay $1 for Every $500 in Subprime Exposure It Hid ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/2010_07_25_archive.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: 2010 Sept. 8: Government argues that 75 mil settlement ...

Sep 9, 2010 ... 8: Government argues that 75 mil settlement with former Asarco principal bondholder Citigroup is"fair, adequate, reasonable and in the ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/.../2010-sept-8-government-argues-that-75.html

clipped from Google - 11/2011

epgtlo: 8/1/10 - 8/8/10

Aug 4, 2010 ... ASARCO Bondholder Citigroup's head of Latin America team handled CEMEX ... "John Boord heads Citigroup Global Markets' Latin America ...

epgtlo.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.html

Now that Asarco's secret liabilities are behind it, Owner Grupo Mexico says that "Asarco's results were promising".

2011-11-03T17:56:00.001-07:00

Now that Asarco's secret liabilities are behind it, Owner Grupo Mexico says that "Asarco's results were promising". What about the children remaining behind its Asarco El Paso smelter site, and its community that must socialize the costs remaining from the toxins left behind? The Company profits go to the owners while the costs of polluting a 30-mile-radius zone in a key NAFTA industrialized-zone have been socialized to an unprepared and unknowing community. Grupo Mexico plans (below) to spend nearly 1/2 billion dollars on Asarco in the next three years but got away with only spending 52 million to "remediate" its century-old site in El Paso TX. The clean-up TRUST is not required to remediate ANY of the illegal wastes processed there from 1991-1998 and not required to remediate the deep ground-water beneath that old site (a highly toxic arsenic plume moving in a wide swath -- with some of that groundwater plume already reaching the Rio Grand the width of the company's site according to the TCEQ.)

"...Grupo Mexico said that Americas Mining the holding company of the mining division that includes Southern Copper and Asarco could list separate securities in capital markets. It did not give details about what kinds of securities AMC could offer, noting this is one of the strategic alternatives AMC is considering.

Banamex said that floating AMC shares would allow Grupo Mexico to raise capital. ....Mr Muniz [CFO of Grupo Mexico] said that Asarco's results were promising and that the mines in Arizona would be able to increase copper output to 280,000 tonnes by 2016...."

http://www.steelguru.com/metals_news/Grupo_Mexico_scraps_plan_for_mining_unit_merger/233777.html

Caveat emptor : ASARCO EL PASO CLEAN-UP TRUSTEE PASSES THE BUCK TO BUYERS

2011-11-03T17:43:00.001-07:00

"... the realities of more than 100 years of contamination have left a legacy. One audience member asked whether the stacks and their surroundings would be safe for children.

"I'm not going to say that," Puga said. "The new owners have to say that.""

God help us all, and all the little children who will be playing on the playgrounds and elementary-school-yard on top of the existing Asarco lands in the new "smart code" neighborhoods. Because the children have a high surface volume to body ratio they will intake more dusts and aerosols per pound of body than an adult, and have it affect them and their own babies' development throughout their lives. Simply covering the ground with asphalt will not stop the off-gassing of materials beneath the developments and "will not make it safe" [KVIA interview with UTEP Geologist].

El Paso ASARCO Clean-up Trustee admits that the ASARCO stacks contain contaminants

2011-11-03T17:36:00.000-07:00

The El Paso ASARCO Clean-up Trustee admits that the ASARCO stacks contain contaminants that would require sealing the stacks to make these safe, rather than just letting the stacks stand.

"But Puga said money from his $52 million budget could be spent only on remediation efforts. It is possible, however, that something like sealing the stacks to prevent the spread of contaminants would qualify, he added."

The Trustee/TRUST did not test the CONTOP/Acid Plant's primary metal stack for contaminants, but wrote it off to the Bankruptcy court's decision releasing the TRUST from fiduciary-responsibility to test-for and/or remediate for the illegal chemicals illicitly incinerated by Asarco in El Paso TX from 1991-1998 -- in fact, the Bankruptcy courts totally publicly ignored that such incineration of D.O.E. and other wastes ever happened.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19242239

EPA to retest Illinois ASARCO zinc smelter site for Beryllium and other contaminants

2011-11-03T17:26:00.001-07:00

After Asarco El Paso TX was secretly-caught by the EPA and Federal DOJ to be running a multi-state illegal and unpermitted hazardous waste disposal/incineration operation from 1991-1998, the EPA made ASARCO do a demolition and clean-up of all buildings/stacks related to its El Paso Asarco zinc plant. We are not told how much Beryllium is on site; but, we note that recently the EPA is re-testing an Illinois Asarco Zinc plant site (active until 1994) that is contaminated with beryllium. Beryllium is extremely toxic and there is a Federal Program to compensate all workers thus exposed to it on-the-job.

Why isn't the Federal DOJ/Bankruptcy Court/EPA requiring the TRUST doing El Paso Asarco's "clean-up" to look for and report the levels to the public of Beryllium?

Interested Taylor Springs [IL] residents learned during a meeting Oct. 20 with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that a thorough study of the Asarco Superfund site is set to begin.... Within the month, residents can expect to see technicians in required protective clothing [sampling] sediment and surface water from Shoal Creek Middle Fork, ground water from 14 existing monitoring wells and six additional yet-to-be-installed wells, air quality samples, and samples of fish, plants, and animals that may have been affected by site contaminants....Asarco is the 533-acre site of which about 100 acres is covered with residue from former zinc smelting and zinc oxide operations [up to 1994]. The residue includes zinc slag, plant cinder wastes, calcine clinker, sinter clinker, and coal. The primary contaminants are arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc.

http://www.thejournal-news.net/articles/2011/10/27/news/news03.txt

Globeville CO ASARCO site accepted materials from El Paso TX Asarco site during illegal-waste burning years (1991-1998)

2011-10-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

Recent documents released by the EPA show that the Globeville CO ASARCO site accepted materials from El Paso TX/East Helena MT Asarco sites during illegal-waste burning years (1991-1998).

Have the Globeville Asarco community tested for any of those illegal materials?

"Google Alert:

Open house planned on Asarco site Your Hub
Officials plan to discuss Globeville Asarco redevelopment at meeting.
yourhub.denverpost.com/.../0PN6unW4KoCp5OZYFrkCoJ-st...
"

Washington State got nearly 200 million from Asarco while El Paso TX got less than 40 million

2011-10-20T10:33:00.001-07:00

google alert
"Dept. of Ecology plan aims to clean up Tacoma Smelter Plume properties
Tacoma Daily News
In December 2009, the state of Washington obtained a $188 million bankruptcy settlement from Asarco. About $94 million is slated for the Tacoma Smelter ..."

How sad for El Paso TX that they got around 32 million dollars for cleanup of an unpermitted and illegal multi-state hazardous-waste disposal operation (ASARCO from 1991-1998) while Tacoma WA got three times that amount.

Doesn't pay to be a mexican-american community does it. The surface water supply (Rio Grande) is now fully compromised by the Asarco El Paso arsenic-plume. Paltry 32 million; and, the Federal Dept. of Justice Bankruptcy Trustee during the Bush Administration allowed this to happen by looking the other way and letting the Asarco Bankruptcy Courts totally ignore the Asarco hazardous-waste operation-liabilities.

google alert

2011-10-19T15:42:00.000-07:00

"
Judge orders Grupo Mexico to refund $1.3B in copper deal
Arizona Daily Star
Grupo Mexico, parent company of Tucson-based Asarco, must return $1.3 billion in shares to Southern Copper Corp. for forcing the unit to overpay for a ..."

El Paso Times editorial applauds ex-workers help with chemical testing

2011-10-19T15:41:00.000-07:00

Nothing was found. 110 years of smelting; over a decade of illegal unpermitted hazardous waste incineration for profit -- some of it of D.O.E. origin ----- and, nothing bad turned up with the Trust's chemical testing. That is good news for the "smart-code" walkable neighborhood developers who want to site an elementary school and kids playgrounds on the former Asarco ground....

but hardly believable. Incredulous. Makes fools of people who are demanding to know what they were exposed to at Asarco El Paso during the illegal-haz-waste burning years....

google alert:
"Asarco cleanup Exsmelter employees big help El Paso Times
But more testing, especially on the 123-acre plant site of Asarco s total 580-plus acres, is prudent.
www.elpasotimes.com/opinion/ci_19140539
"

According to this article Asarco El Paso was incinerating stuff until 2005 and that clean-up "A tremendous financial success"

2011-10-15T01:52:00.001-07:00

"Mike Casbon, who is based in Indiana with multi-national contractor ERM Inc., has spent much of the past 10 months in El Paso, Texas, helping oversee the demolition of a copper smelting facility that is spread out over 200 acres.

ERM hired Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., Chicago, as its demolition subcontractor for the project. Malcolm Pirnie, Highlands Ranch, Colo., was the lead remediation contractor.

Metals were smelted at the site, adjacent to the border with Mexico, from 1887 until Asarco closed the facility in 2005. In part because owners prior to Asarco smelted lead on the site, decontamination has been a vital part of the demolition and recycling process, said Casbon.

While the decontamination process has been costly, the variety and volume of metals harvested has yielded generous returns. That harvest has included some 3,500 tons of copper; 1.5 million pounds of lead; 44,000 ounces of silver; and 1,200 ounces of gold.

Much of this material has been harvested and sold during a time of record-high metals prices, benefiting the trust entity that now owns the land.

In addition to recycling metal for an eager scrap market, Casbon indicated that the project has also entailed recycling sulfuric acid, Douglas fir timber and some salvageable equipment.

Casbon said the efforts of ERM, Brandenburg and others working on the project have provided a tremendous financial success for the Asarco site land trust. Rather than spending down the trust’s $52 million cash reserves for the project, work done thus far has provided an additional $25 million to the trust’s value.

The 2011 C&D Recycling Forum was Sept. 25-27 at the Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center in Ellicott City, Md."
http://www.cdrecycler.com/cdr-forum-rising-and-falling-LEED-Asarco-Nationals-Park.aspx

Shades of "Fire down Below" illicit poisoning of community(s): Asarco Encycle (Dona Park Corpus Christi) that EPA secretly told DOJ 1998 sent massive secret hazardous wastes to El Paso TX and East Helena MT

2011-10-08T12:30:00.001-07:00

"CORPUS CHRISTI — Test results of soil taken near the site of a shuttered zinc smelting plant produced no elevated levels of chemicals of concern, the Texas Commission on Environmental Equality reported. [as they say on Saturday Night live News,..... "REALLY!!"]

The commission has investigated residents' claims for about a year that parts of the Dona Park neighborhood were a dumping ground in the 1980s for toxic chemicals from the ASARCO/Encycle plant on Up River Road.....

...The Texas Department of State Health Services also is working with residents, having taken voluntary blood and urine samples to test for harmful chemicals.

The most recent tests inspected soil in drainage pathways leading from the former plant out into the neighborhood, said Omar Valdez, project manager with the commission."
http://www.caller.com/news/2011/oct/05/tests-near-former-zinc-smelting-plant-show-no-of/

Tests near former zinc smelting plant show no elevated levels of ...
Corpus Christi Caller Times
... chemicals from the ASARCO/Encycle plant in the 1300 block of Lantana Street. TCEQ officials tested the site, and nearly 3500 neighborhood homes nearby. ...

Talk about a conflict of interest...

2011-10-01T15:02:00.001-07:00

Encycle-Asarco TX asked its SALES REPS to "screen out" illegal wastes such as radioactive materials, organics etc....

'The sales representative Is responsible for pre-screening wastes during his or
her Initial contact with the client. The sales representative should immediately
screen out those wastes which are not covered by the company's permit;
e.g., organics, radioactive wastes, etc. Submitting a waste for analysis and
characterization is time-consuming and expensive for both ENCYCLE and the
client. It Is Important from an economic standpoint as well as building good
customer relations that the wastes submitted for characterization have a
reasonable likelihood of acceptance.'
9159004.pdf on EPA asarco documents site

" Google Alert - asarco"

2011-10-01T12:24:00.001-07:00

"
Asarco Related Documents | Region 6 | US EPA
EPA Region 6 has created this page to help people locate information about the ASARCO property in El Paso, Texas. While you will find links to many ...
www.epa.gov/earth1r6/asarco_encycle/
"

Eerily like Asarco's escape from criminal accountability for running a multi-state unpermitted illegal haz-waste disposal operation, now Wall Street Banks seek immunity from criminal accountability...

2011-09-22T15:03:00.001-07:00

"The same Wall Street banks whose irresponsible actions led to our nation's economic collapse are now pressuring all 50 states to give them legal immunity. The banks want to block any criminal or civil accountability for actions that have yet to be investigated. Attorneys General from Delaware, Minnesota, Nevada, and New York have been fighting back."

-- Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway

Asarco El Paso Acid Plant/ConTop stack demolished without publishing results of stack tests

2011-09-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

http://klaq.com/el-paso-times-smaller-asarco-smokestack-comes-down-video/

"A lawsuit accuses a Baltimore medical institute of exposing children to lead poisoning in the 1990s"

2011-09-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

"The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, is facing a
class-action lawsuit accusing it of knowingly exposing more than 100
young black children to lead poisoning in the 1990s during the course of
a scientific study on lead abatement measures in homes with lead paint.
The children, aged 1 to 5 years, were living in supposedly "lead-safe"
housing in poor neighborhoods of Baltimore, but according to the lawsuit
were actually selected by the institute because of lingering lead dust
problems. "What they would do was to improve the lead hazard from what
it was but not improve it to code," Thomas F. Yost Jr., one of the
lawyers who filed the suit, told The New York Times."

http://the-scientist.com/2011/09/19/institute-sued-over-lead-poisoning-study/

Press Release from EPA: "EPA Advancing Clean Up at 15 Hazardous Waste Sites" ASARCO EL PASO NOT MENTIONED

2011-09-19T13:29:00.001-07:00

Asarco El Paso texas not mentioned.........and we got the worst of the worst secret hazardous wastes for over seven years.

"News Releases from Headquarters
EPA Advancing Clean Up at 15 Hazardous Waste Sites, Proposing 11 Sites for Action

Release date: 09/15/2011

Contact Information: Stacy Kika, kika.stacy@epa.gov, 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is adding 15 hazardous waste sites that pose risks to people’s health and the environment to the National Priorities List (NPL) of Superfund sites. EPA is also proposing 11 sites to be added to the list. Superfund is the federal program that investigates and cleans up the most complex, uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites in the country with the goal of protecting people’s health and the environment through long-term and short-term cleanup activities.

To date, 1,652 sites have been listed on the NPL. Of these sites, 350 sites have been cleaned up, resulting in 1,302 sites currently on the NPL (including the 15 sites added today). There are 62 proposed sites (including the 11 announced today) awaiting final agency action.

With all NPL sites, EPA works to identify companies or people responsible for the contamination at a site, and require them to conduct or pay for the cleanup. For the newly listed sites without viable potentially responsible parties, EPA will investigate the full extent of the contamination before starting significant cleanup at the site. Therefore, it may be several years before significant EPA clean up funding is required for these sites.

The following 15 sites have been added to the National Priorities List:

Blue Ledge Mine (abandoned mine) in Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest, Calif.;

New Idria Mercury Mine (abandoned mercury mine) in Idria, Calif.;

Armstrong World Industries (ceiling tile manufacturer) in Macon, Ga.;

Sandoval Zinc Company (former zinc smelter) in Sandoval, Ill.;

Gary Development Landfill (former landfill) in Gary, Ind.;

Kerr-McGee Chemical Corp – Columbus (former pressure –treated railroad products manufacturer) in Columbus, Miss.;

Red Panther Chemical Company (former pesticides formulation plant) in Clarksdale, Miss.;

Horton Iron and Metal (former fertilizer manufacturer and metal salvage) in Wilmington, N.C.;

Garfield Ground Water Contamination (contaminated ground water plume) in Garfield, N.J.;

Chevron Questa Mine (molybdenum mine) in Questa, N.M.;

New Cassel/Hicksville Ground Water Contamination (contaminated ground water plume) in Hicksville, Hempstead, and North Hempstead, N.Y.;

North Ridge Estates (former WWII medical facility) in Klamath Falls, Ore.;

US Finishing/Cone Mills (former textile operation) in Greenville, S.C.;

Alamo Contaminated Ground Water (contaminated ground water plume) in Alamo, Tenn.; and

Falcon Refinery (inactive refinery) in Ingleside, Texas.

The following 11 sites have been proposed to the National Priorities List:

Jervis B. Webb Co. (former manufacturer) in South Gate, Calif.;

Seam Master Industries (adhesive manufacturer) in South Gate, Calif.;

Continental Cleaners (former dry cleaners) in Miami, Fla.;

Leeds Metal (former scrap metal facility) in Leeds, Maine;

Compass Plaza Well TCE (contaminated ground water plume) in Rogersville, Mo.;

Eighteenmile Creek (contaminated creek) in Niagra County, N.Y.;

Southeastern Wood Preserving (former wood treating operation) in Canton, Miss.;

Metro Container Corporation (former drum recycler) in Trainer, Pa.;

Corozal Well (contaminated ground water plume) in Corozal, Puerto Rico;

US Oil Recovery (used oil recovery facility) in Pasadena, Texas; and

Bremerton Gasworks (former gasworks facility) in Bremerton, Wash.

Federal Register notices and supporting documents for the final and proposed sites: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/current.htm

Information about how a site is listed on the NPL: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/npl_hrs.htm

Superfund sites in local communities: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm

"Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at EPA"

2011-09-19T13:25:00.001-07:00

http://blog.epa.gov/administrator/ <cid:part1.03080205.08050909@gmail.com>

"The EPA has taken considerable steps to make sure all Americans have a
voice in the conversation about the environmental and health issues
facing them. Just this week we unveiled an environmental justice plan
called EJ 2014, to outline our work in the years ahead. .....we awarded
$6.2 million to organizations across the country that train local
residents and place them into good, green jobs cleaning up their
communities....."

EL PASO TEXAS not mentioned

Asarco El Paso could be theoretically modeled after Tacoma Asarco site "more than 1,000 square miles" contaminated

2011-09-10T16:02:00.001-07:00

"For close to 100 years, the Asarco Tacoma Smelter emitted arsenic, lead and other heavy metals into the air. These windborne emissions contaminated more than 1,000 square miles covering four counties and 26 cities and towns, including University Place.

Since the smelter’s designation as an EPA Superfund site in 1983, efforts have been underway to clean up heavily contaminated soils.

According to Cynthia Walker, State Dept. of Ecology (DOE) project manager, exposure to high levels of arsenic can contribute to cancer and cardio vascular diseases while high exposure to lead is linked to neurological and developmental problems. Since 2000, the DOE and Pierce County Health Department have worked on education campaigns regarding handwashing and other measures along with providing free soil sampling and clean up at play areas at existing and new schools, childcares, parks and similar areas."

http://universityplace.patch.com/articles/e-mail-to-the-editor-mayor-recaps-flood-control-district-presentation

The El Paso TX City Council with Beto O'Rourke (now running for Federal House of Representatives) voted to make the Asarco El Paso site a walkable neighborhood (i.e. zone it "smartcode"), with future designs for school(s) and playgrounds. Was this "smart"?

More evidence of what ASARCO did between 1991 and 1998 slowly being demolished and removed

2011-09-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

the evidence not just being covered up - but removed

Google alert:
"Asacro/Encycle Zinc Smelting Plant Demolition Continues
KIII TV3
One of the last things to come down at the site will be iconic Asarco smoke stack, all 315 feet of it. After towering over the community or decades, ...
"

Fwd: October 6 - Public Hearing on the Texas Rail Plan [Asarco Ferromex UP BNSF modal station]

2011-09-08T11:50:00.001-07:00

Fellow Texan:

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is in the process of developing a comprehensive rail plan for Texas. The Texas Rail Plan will serve to guide future actions of TxDOT in cooperation with our rail partners as we work to meet the freight and passenger rail needs of the state.

We have traveled throughout the state this year conducting seven rail visioning workshops and ten public meetings to hear your ideas and get your input regarding the future of our state's rail system. Through this process we have developed a draft of the Texas Rail Plan that is ready for your review and feedback at the link referenced below.

We will hold a final public hearing on October 6, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. (CST) at the TxDOT Auditorium in Building 200, Room 1A-1 at 200 East Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas. If you are unable to attend the hearing, we encourage you to visit our website at: http://www.txdot.gov/public_involvement/rail_plan/default.htm to review the draft document and provide comments. The mailing address, if preferred, is also available at this link.

Following the public hearing, and a 30-day comment period, we will analyze the feedback and finalize the plan for submittal to the Texas Transportation Commission for adoption. Afterwards, TxDOT will submit the Texas Rail Plan to the Federal Railroad Administration for coordination with the National Rail Plan. The plan will also be made available to the Texas legislature for their consideration.

TxDOT values your participation in laying the foundation for the Texas Rail Plan and creating a vision for the future of rail in Texas. We hope you will participate in this important planning process.

All other inquiries may be directed to AskTxDOT@dot.state.tx.us

Texas Department of Transportation * 125 E. 11th Street * Austin, TX 78701 * (512) 463-8585

Asarco: "Fifth Circuit upholds expense reimbursement for non-stalking horse"

2011-09-08T11:47:00.001-07:00

Google Alert:
"
Fifth Circuit upholds expense reimbursement for non-stalking horse ...
Lexology
Factually, in Asarco, the debtor conducted a sale of a potentially valuable asset ... ASARCO, 2011 US App. LEXIS 16892 at 11. In addressing the substantive ...

Texas: Rick Perry Sought State Profits From Teacher Life Insurance Scheme

2011-08-29T16:05:00.001-07:00

"Perry was promising the state big money in exchange for helping Swiss banking giant UBS set up a business of teacher death speculation." [note that UBS was also involved in analyzing Railroad Revenue from Mexico Pacific port Lazaro Cardenas... ]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/25/rick-perry-texas-life-insurance-scheme_n_935666.html

"Rick Perry Sought State Profits From Teacher Life Insurance Scheme

WASHINGTON -- Two weeks before Thanksgiving in 2003...According to the notes, which were authenticated by a meeting participant,....Perry was promising the state big money in exchange for helping Swiss banking giant UBS set up a business of teacher death speculation....When the retirees died, those policies would pay out benefits to Wall Street speculators, and the state, supposedly, would get paid for arranging the bets. The families of the deceased former teachers would get nothing...."

See also[search for "UBS" in blog search engine and/or search for railroad] [note, there is an Asarco Swiss Bank associated with Asarco Inc. and Asarco SA]

"* Analysts at UBS project KCSM revenue from Lazaro Cardenas [Pacific port in Mexico] rail traffic will soar from some $30 million in 2007 to almost $100 million by 2015, and $255 million by 2025;
* In terms of lifts, UBS projects an almost two-million 20-foot equivalent container throughput by 2025, compared with some nine million currently at Long Beach/Los Angeles, 1.8 million at Seattle, and some 1.5 million at Oakland. The U.S. West Coast ports, meanwhile, already are operating at near capacity with little room for expansion;"

"Wal-Mart, whose second biggest market is Mexico, has it’s eyes on Lazara Cardenas as a crucial North American port of entry."

[in 2005 Asarco sold several hundred acres of land next to its El Paso Asarco TX smelter site to WAL-MART, who had just been fined million dollars for failure to handle storm runoff on its properties nationwide. Now that site and the Asarco industrial-smelter-land-itself has been rezoned "smartcode" (i.e."walkable") and a New Mexico Developer who has a long record internationally-of-developing-with-Wal-Mart is converting some of that acreage to rapid bus transit, businesses, a Wal-Mart, senior citizen housing etc -- all the while completely ignoring the EPA-DOJ Asarco confidential-for-settlement-purposes-only 1998 73 page document stating that Asarco ran an unpermitted illegal and secret multi-state hazardous-waste disposal operation for profit from at least 1992-1998. That land would still be contaminated with those still undisclosed chemicals. Grupo Mexico (owns Ferromex and Asarco) wants to run a rail line from the Pacific coast of Mexico up along the northern edge of Mexico, to enter the USA at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, just under ten miles from the El Paso Asarco site.]

http://epgtlo.blogspot.com/2009/04/grupo-mexicos-ferromex-bidding-on-45-yr.html

Asarco Amarillo "consumption is picking up and will continue to outpace production [i.e. refining] for five years...."

2011-08-25T01:45:00.000-07:00

Google Alert
"Research and Markets: United States Metals Report Q3 2011 - A Recovery Is ...
Business Wire (press release)
Output is also undermined by ongoing problems at the 450000 tonnes per annum (tpa) Asarco refinery in Amarillo, TX, one of the country's largest copper refiners. Consumption is picking up and will continue to outpace production over the next five years ...
"
"Despite growth in demand, US copper refining/smelting was at its lowest level in 20 years by Q111 as the industry continued to deal with cutbacks imposed in 2008. High copper and by-product prices favoured the restart of concentrate production at the expense of refined copper. Output is also undermined by ongoing problems at the 450,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) Asarco refinery in Amarillo, TX, one of the country's largest copper refiners. Consumption is picking up and will continue to outpace production over the next five years, leading to net imports of well over 1mn tonnes by 2015."

Asarco Amarillo received product from the Asarco site(s) that disposed of nearly ten years of illegal hazardous wastes for profit.

Asarco Bankruptcy: "big judgment and a unique procedure to auction off that judgment"

2011-08-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 20, 2011
Bidders Reimbursed For Auction Which Never Occurred: The Fifth Circuit's ASARCO Opinion.........."This was a case about a big judgment and a unique procedure to auction off that judgment....(I have included the citations here because they are informative opinions for fraudulent transfer litigation). ... In order to entice the bidders to perform the expensive legal due diligence necessary to evaluate the asset, ASARCO sought and obtained an order from the Bankruptcy Court authorizing it to reimburse qualified bidders for their due diligence expenses.... it can be used to tilt the auction procedures in favor of the stalking horse. ......"

"Court Awards Fees, Applauds Baker Botts’ performance in Multi-Billion Dollar ASARCO Bankruptcy"

2011-08-21T22:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.bakerbotts.com/court-awards-fees-applauds-baker-botts-performance-in-multi-billion-dollar-asarco-bankruptcy-08-19-2011/

In my opinion, this reminds me of foxes congratulating themselves outside of the hen house (the "hens" being the residents living around the various Asarco locations with their pockets inside out...). How else to describe a performance that ignored all liability from Asarco's illegal multi-state unpermitted hazardous-waste disposal operation; and, that earned profits for just one of the many law firms involved which exceeded twice the amount given to just ONE of the communities to clean up over 100 years of wastes.....(the Paso del Norte region received only 52 million dollars -- and the clean-up of the old american canal that delivers over 60% of the drinking water and all the irrigation water was estimated to be almost half of that alone....)

"Privatizing profits and socializing costs" ...

EPA Final Analytical Report and Data From ENCYCLE ASARCO TX area

2011-08-17T15:56:00.001-07:00

New Addition to the TCEQ Dona Park web page

The EPA sample data including split sample data for the organics screening of Encycle has been posted to the Dona Park project Web Page which include :

El Paso TX SIP Revision to Incorporate a Revised MOA with the City of El Paso

2011-08-17T15:43:00.000-07:00

On August 17, 2011, the commission approved proposal of the El Paso SIP Revision to incorporate a revised Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the City of El Paso into the El Paso SIP for particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to a nominal 10 micrometers (PM10) (Project No. 2011-010-SIP-NR). This SIP revision would incorporate the changes to 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §111.147 proposed in a concurrent rulemaking (Rule Project No. 2010-046-111-EN) and the revised MOA between the City of El Paso and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) (Project No. 2011-026-MIS-NR) into the El Paso PM10 SIP. The 2001 MOA with the City of El Paso is being revised to reflect the alternative control measures proposed in the revisions to 30 TAC §111.147 and the respective responsibilities of the City of El Paso and the TCEQ under the SIP.

The public comment period for this proposed SIP revision, proposed rule revision, and MOA will open on September 2, 2011, and close on October 3, 2011. The public hearing on this proposal will be held in El Paso, Texas, on September 27, 2011, at 2:00 p.m., at the El Paso State Office Building, 401 E. Franklin Ave., Room 570.

For the complete SIP package, including appendices, please visit the TCEQ's El Paso: Particulate Matter, Latest Planning Activities Web page.

PCB's found at Asarco sites in Corpus Christi and El Paso TX

2011-08-17T15:03:00.001-07:00

Aroclor 1268 (heaviest PCB, found mainly at a GA EPA superfund site) was
found at an Encycle Asarco lagoon in Corpus Christi TX.

PCB's have been found also at the Asarco El Paso TX site. Authorities
have not publicly released the name(s) of the PCB's.

August 16 2011 "Fifth Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a bankruptcy court ruling ... bidders for mining company Asarco LLC's major asset ...to be reimbursed"

2011-08-16T18:30:00.000-07:00

"5th Circ. Backs Payment Of Asarco Auction Costs

By Dan Rivoli

Law360, New York (August 16, 2011) -- The Fifth Circuit on Tuesday affirmed a bankruptcy court ruling that allowed bidders for mining company Asarco LLC's major asset — a $1.4 billion judgment related to a wrongful stock transfer — to be reimbursed for the legal costs required to analyze the transaction.

The appeals court said the bankruptcy court correctly authorized the reimbursement to auction bidders, finding that there was no clear error in its decision.

The judgment, Asarco's most substantial asset, was the result of an adversary proceeding over the wrongful transfer of..."

http://www.law360.com/bankruptcy/articles/265348/5th-circ-backs-payment-of-asarco-auction-costs

"Grupo Unit Appeals $1.4B Ruling In Asarco Case" 20090722

2011-08-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

"Grupo Unit Appeals $1.4B Ruling In Asarco Case

By Tina Peng

Law360, New York (July 22, 2009) -- A unit of mining giant Grupo Mexico SAB is appealing a ruling that it is on the hook for $1.38 billion in cash and a stake in lucrative Peruvian copper operations to Asarco LLC, in a case alleging Grupo fraudulently shifted the shares, tipping Asarco into bankruptcy.

Grupo subsidiary Americas Mining Corp. on Monday filed notice in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas that it was appealing the case's final judgment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the..."

http://www.law360.com/bankruptcy/articles/112581/grupo-unit-appeals-1-4b-ruling-in-asarco-case

"Report of PCBs at ASARCO disputed" The Asarco dilemma makes the news in Encycle-Asarco Corpus Christi TX and at Asarco site in El Paso TX

2011-08-14T02:16:00.000-07:00

In El Paso TX:
"Report of PCBs at Asarco disputed
Commodity futures news: Report of PCBs at Asarco disputed, updated 2011-08-13 05:26:15. Watch for more news articles, provided throughout the day courtesy ...
futures.tradingcharts.com/.../Report_of_PCBs_at_Asarco_disp..."

Additional Information:

Aroclor 1268 (heaviest of the PCB's) was also recently found at ENCYCLE-Asarco in Corpus Christi, TX. This is not a common PCB and is a signature PCB for the Linden Chemicals and Plastics (LCP) EPA-Superfund-site in Brunswick, Georgia. Aroclor 1268 " is a recognized developmental toxicant and exposure to it has the potential to negatively affect a developing baby." (see symptoms of Developmental toxicity -- Aroclor 1268 )
EPA and the Federal Dept. of Justice admitted in a 1998-confidential-for-settlement-purposes only 73 page document (uncovered/released to public domain by a schoolteacher and then covered 10/2006 by NYTIMES) that Asarco had been running an unpermitted illegal (and secret) multi-state hazardous waste disposal operation for profit from at least 1992 through 1998 --- that the wastes first went to ENCYCLE-Asarco in Corpus Christi TX and then were shipped on to at least Asarco's smelters in El Paso TX and E. Helena, MT. God only knows what terrible chemicals remain on those sites. The communities have been demanding full disclosure from the EPA for years.
The Asarco Bankruptcy Court did not hold Asarco accountable for *any* of the illegal/secret haz-wastes disposed of between 1992 and 1998 even though the Sunland Park Grassroots Environmental Group (SPGEG) legally notified the DOJ Bankruptcy Trustee during the hearings that Asarco had handled massive amounts of these undisclosed chemicals and would have liability from such. Rep. Reyes said to the El Paso Times in 2006 that "Asarco had paid millions of dollars on the condition that the details of what it had done would never become public".

Nero Fiddle's, While Rome Burns: Grupo Mexico mining subsidiaries (including ASARCO) making lots of money as the children in Paso del Norte endure paltry 52 million for 110-yr-old-smelter's Clean-up

2011-08-01T17:20:00.001-07:00

"google alert:
Grupo Mexico reports mixed bag of metals production in 2Q, 1H
Mineweb
Grupo Mexico says its mining subsidiaries-Asarco and Southern Copper Corp.--have already been paying a windfall mining tax over the past decade as metals prices soared. Grupo Mexico reported its mining division increased production by 39% during the ...
See all stories on this topic »
"
Children in the Paso del Norte endure arsenic, lead, cadmium and still undeclared-illegally-disposed-hazardous-wastes from the now-closed ASARCO site as ASARCO (Grupo Mexico) makes record profits. ASARCO was never made to face the liabilities from nearly ten years of illegal waste disposal at the ASARCO El Paso site (1992-1998) and we have never been told why.

Despite many years of asking for full disclosure of the chemicals left here from Asarco's illegal "sham recycling" operation -- we have never received the chemical disclosure. We do know that Asarco handled PCB's, and Radioactive wastes. The dioxin levels have to be high. So why this continued silence?

Why was ASARCO allowed to get away with disclosing these liabilities in our court bankruptcy system?

"Grupo Mexico net doubles..."

2011-07-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

"google alert:
Grupo Mexico net doubles as metals prices rise
Reuters Africa
Sales were likely boosted by the reincorporation of Arizona-based miner Asarco and higher freight traffic from Grupo Mexico's railroad division. The company did not give details in an early filing with Mexico's stock exchange. Asarco was under Grupo ...
See all stories on this topic »
"

WOULD THE NET DOUBLE IF THE FEDERAL DEPT OF JUSTICE HAD MADE THE BANKRUPTCY COURT FORCE ASARCO TO ADDRESS THE LIABILITY FROM THE ILLEGAL MULTI-STATE WASTE DISPOSAL OPERATION ASARCO RAN FROM 1992-1998?? (see the DOJ-EPA Asarco 'confidential for settlement purposes only' 73 page document (Corpus Christi TX, El Paso TX and E. Helena MT))

Asarco clean-up El Paso Trustee and Demolition NOT DISCLOSING THE ILLEGAL CHEMICALS INCINERATED THERE FROM 1992-1998

2011-07-20T00:52:00.001-07:00

"Google Alert - asarco bankruptcy
Asarco is disappearing 30 percent of copper smelter demolished
El Paso Inc
To help pay for the cleanup, a trust of $52 million was put aside in the $1.8-billion Asarco bankruptcy settlement. It's enough to essentially demolish the ..."

Gelmore ALDEA smartcode ASARCO EL PASO development

2011-06-27T16:10:00.001-07:00

The full plan for this Geltmore ALDEA development can be viewed at
http://www.geltmore.com/aldeaelpaso.html/

ALDEA is being planned for extremely contaminated land by ASARCO El Paso
TX (East Helena MT ASARCO site is also now being rezoned for development).

The ALDEA developers may not be aware that their development is being
planned for land that is a stone's throw from the world's largest
unpermitted and illegally-operated toxic waste disposal operation
(1992-1998). This has been fully documented by the EPA to the Federal
DOJ in 1998 (publicly released in 2006 see 10/2006 NYTIMES story and 73
page confidential-for-settlement-purposes-only document detailing the
waste shipments) and again in a 2011 publicly-release copy of the 1994
ASARCO Supervisor's whistleblower report detailing the blatant receipt
and hiding and mixing of the poisons for shipment to the El Paso smelter
for burning.

This smelter may be CLOSED but the poisons remaining in the land around
it were never disclosed because the EPA made that 1998 secret agreement
with the Federal DOJ (For more information about these secret
agreements, see the recent Financial Times article covering hedge funds,
Horizon Shipping lines, the Federal DOJ and Asarco (use internal google
engine).)

It is not prudent to build on the old ASARCO site and expose anyone to
the associated risks from those chemicals. Young college students have
not yet had children and their bodies, and future children will be
exposed to those risks. If any women living there are carrying unborn
infants, or raising young children - - those unborn and/or infants will
be disproportionately affected by the chemical toxins.

ASARCO had the worlds two LARGEST CONTOP Incinerators -- and ran these
hot and long from 1992-1998 spewing out incompletely-burned toxic and
hazardous wastes including radioactive material all that time.

We don't know why Walmart (or whomever owned that land) did not give the
developers full disclosure -- or, why our City of El Pasodid not do the
same (i.e. deliver the full chemical picture to the developers). Our
City and government would rather ignore the toxins than disclose these
to us -- but, slowly slowly the truth is coming out, and we know now
that PCB's are involved, dioxins, radioactive materials, mercury etc.

For copies of the documents about the contamination see this blog, or
look at the EPA ASARCO document page.

Asarco merger rumors

2011-06-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

"Re: Asarco 21-Jun-11 08:26 pm
<<If the merger goes through, you can forget any signicant dividend. >>>

...Grupo owns almost 100% of AMC. AMC [American Mining Corp.]owns 100% of Asarco and 80% of SCCO [Southern Copper Co.]. AMC borrowed 1.5 billion to get Asarco out of bankruptcy................. No question: To the extent amc uses a scco dividend to pay debt we get 20% now and zip if this merger goes through."

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_S/threadview?m=tm&bn=13898&tid=59232&mid=59242&tof=12&off=1

East Helena MT follows El Paso Texas lead and makes contaminated ASARCO land zoned for development: The secret waste stays SECRET

2011-06-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

How very sad for El Paso Texas and East Helena MT that the citizens are not being told about the massive amounts of illegal hazardous wastes. EPA secretly told the Federal DOJ in 1998 that ASARCO was running an unpermitted and illegal secret hazardous-waste disposal operation for profit. ASARCO Encycle in Corpus Christi (see the whistleblower report) would take the stuff in internationally, mix it up and hide it, and send it along via the railroad to El Paso Asarco and East Helena Asarco for secret disposal. PCB's, Dioxins, radioactive materials -- all were handled and smelted. The DOJ kept it such a secret that the DOJ Trustee failed to act on a legal-request to inform the bankruptcy court; and, the bankruptcy courts were allowed to IGNORE THE LIABILITIES from the years of secret waste disposal. To this day although the sites are closed, there has not been DISclosure of the chemicals involved. Whatever it was, it was very very bad.

"While the lack of a zoning ordinance certainly made it easier on them the first time around, the Johnsons know that the new codes will help businesses looking to expand into East Helena as more and more property becomes readily available with the bankruptcy of Asarco.

For decades, the smelter had a stranglehold on the city’s outlying property, making it difficult for people who wanted to build into the valley. With the foreclosure on its property and the recent cleanups after it was determined a Superfund site, the area is primed for change."

Apparently ignoring ASARCO's multi-state non-permitted secret hazardous-waste disposal operation (1992-1998) ... Steelworkers Union/attorneys reach work agreement

2011-06-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

Tentative agreement reached with Asarco, Unions - Topix
Tucson, AZ Tucson based ASARCO LLC President and COO Manuel Ramos announced today that the Company and the Unions representing employees at five Asarco ...
www.topix.com/.../tentative-agreement-reached-with-asarco-u...

Steelworkers Union and Asarco reach tentative agreement

2011-06-22T21:52:00.001-07:00

"...Manuel Ramos, President and Chief Executive officer of ASARCO
announced the company and the Steelworkers have reached a tentative
agreement. According to the union, both sides have agreed to extend the
existing wage package for another two years through June 30, 2013.

ASARC0 has 2,267 full time workers at its five operating copper
facilities in Arizona. Locally, at its Hayden Smelter and Hayden
Concentrator in Gila County along with the nearby Ray Complex in Pinal
County, the copper company employs 1,350 persons of which some 250 live
in Globe-Miami"

Wed. June 22, 2011
http://www.silverbelt.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=2748

donation of one or more parts for AMD quad computer build

2011-06-13T19:29:00.001-07:00

The author of this blog has need of part(s) to build a faster computer
either dual or quad core. The parts-list (total $647$) is available if
you ask for donation of one or more of the various
parts-for-the-build. This computer has served ten years and has been
rebuilt.

This donation is not tax-deductible. But the majority of its use will
be as always for educational and charitable purpose as evidenced by the
years that this blog has been maintained for the betterment of the
community. The equipment will not go to waste.

Please contact me through the PayPal link.

Asarco Mine worker Marine (no criminal history) killed by SWAT TEAM after his 12-hr shift: OATH KEEPERS Memorial Service for fallen Marine

2011-06-12T15:42:00.002-07:00

"Note to Viewer: Be advised that this is a very emotionally difficult video to watch as it is a memorial service for a fallen Marine with his widow and other family and to remember our war dead. This should not be viewed lightly, but it goes to the heart of what it means to be an American and how high the stakes are for all of us in the struggle for our liberty."

Where is Justice? Where is Color of Law? Where is Environmental Justice? What is happening to our United States of America?

Asarco Mine Employee and three-tour Marine combat veteran NO CRIMINAL HISTORY shot dead at home by SWAT TEAM after 12 hour shift

2011-06-12T15:20:00.005-07:00

ASARCO Arizona employee and MARINE (no criminal history) shot over sixty times in his home right after leaving his shift/going to bed. Wife and one young son were home. The safety was still engaged on his gun.

"Joe Waldman of Tucson's KGUN-TV says the SWAT team prevented paramedics from going to work on Jose Guerena for one hour and fourteen minutes."

SWAT TEAM HELMET CAM and shooting on this video:

Marine Guerena's wife's 911 call on the next video:

Las Vegas Review Journal article about Marine Jose Guerena's killing

Asarco claiming that its historic smelter not responsible for Lead contamination (Hey El Paso Texas - doesn't this sound familiar??)

2011-06-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

Associated Press - June 3, 2011 3:55 PM ET

"""OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The Asarco mining company says the Environmental Protection Agency concealed records about lead contamination in Omaha that may clear the company from responsibility.Asarco filed a federal lawsuit against the EPA Friday because of new information that emerged about the source of the lead contamination found on nearly 6,000 Omaha properties.New records the agency released in response to a Union Pacific lawsuit suggest lead paint on houses, not Asarco's former lead smelter in Omaha, may have caused the contamination."....

Asarco's Omaha NE smelter shut down in 1997 just before the EPA and DOJ made the historic SECRET confidential-for-settlement-purposes-only ASARCO agreement that Rep. Reyes (Chair House Intelligence Committee) said "Asarco paid millions on the condition that the details of what it had done would never become public". Asarco had been bringing in secret international and governmental wastes at Asarco Encycle in Corpus Christi TX (where they held the recent Asarco Bankruptcy proceedings). The wastes were then illegally mixed and railed up to East Helena MT and El Paso TX for disposal.

Since the Omaha Asarco smelter was still running all those years - until 1997 -- is it possible that Asarco was sending secret stuff to that location also for disposal?

Authorities still snowballing Radioactive Isotope testing at El Paso TX, at the ASARCO industrial site

2011-06-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

The Asarco El Paso site is being demolished as this is being written, and nothing is being done to list the actinides and radioactive isotopes that Asarco left there from its nearly ten (or more) years of secret hazardous waste incineration. The El Paso Clean up Trustee wrote (email):

"Asarco ...handled a wide variety materials including radioactive materials. Given the scrutiny [not!] of the site from both state and federal authorities, we do not expect man-made radioisotopes, TENORM [technologically enhanced naturally-occurring radioactive material], byproducts or residues at levels above their respective natural levels."

There is no "scrutiny" of the site for radioactive isotopes!! The Trustee and the Environmental Agencies refuse to test for these -- they are assuming that the levels were and are safe without producing the SCIENCE. Ask them - they cannot produce *any* data to show the names of the radioactive isotopes present and their amounts.

Yet another "settlement" potentially related to Asarco activity (this time in Omaha NE)...

2011-06-02T18:01:00.001-07:00

UP Settles Omaha Lead Dispute With EPA for $25M
OMAHA, Neb. June 2, 2011 (AP)

Union Pacific and the [Federal EPA] ... are ending their decade-long dispute over lead contamination in Omaha with a settlement that reduces the railroad's share of the cost to $25 million...The EPA blamed industrial sources of lead [i.e. ASARCO smelter, which closed 1997 - one year before the 1998 DOJ EPA Asarco confidential for settlement purposes only document secretly-detailing how ASARCO ran an illegal hazardous waste incineration operation in Corpus Christi, TX; East Helena MT and El Paso TX for nearly ten years] and Union Pacific argued lead house paint is the real problem. Last fall, Asarco tried to intervene in a federal lawsuit Union Pacific had filed against the EPA after the railroad learned that agency officials may have deleted some records related to the lead-contaminated properties in Omaha.... Asarco [wants to] recover compensation from companies that contributed to the contamination.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=13737687

Was this another secret Federal Department of Justice "settlement decree" like DOJ-Horizon Shipping Lines etc.? Meanwhile neither ASARCO, the Federal DOJ, or the EPA are disclosing the details of what Asarco had done when it illegally disposed of hazardous wastes for nearly ten years. Technology has been around for over 30 years that can determine exactly what metals are there, and where they came from.

Remember also that Grupo Mexico now owns ASARCO and wants to run a railroad line from Northern Mexico up through Santa Teresa N.M. border crossing, where U.P. Railroad and BNSF are building facilities (recent Sunland Park NM water treatment plant changes are said to accomodate the new UP facility).

UTEP invites their students to INTERN AT THE EL PASO ASARCO site without disclosing the illegal hazardous chemicals onsite first

2011-05-24T11:14:00.001-07:00

UTEP invites their students to INTERN AT THE EL PASO ASARCO site without disclosing the illegal hazardous chemicals onsite first from the secret hazardous-waste disposal operation run at this site from 1992-1998 (EPA to DOJ confidential for settlement purposes only 73 page document, 1998 -- revealed by front page NYTIMES story, 10-2006):

"google alert:

ASARCO Internships
-ASARCO REMEDIATION PROJECT- Description and Requirements: The Center for Environmental Resource Management (CERM) at UTEP invites applicants for Student ...
answerpot.com/showthread.php?2603984-ASARCO...

"

ABC NEWS: "Tucson SWAT Team defends shooting Iraq Vet 60 Times" (just got off a 12 hour shift at the AZ ASARCO mine)

2011-05-20T16:09:00.001-07:00

"Fwd: Google Alert - asarco
Tucson SWAT Team Defends Shooting Iraq Vet 60 Times
ABC News
"And the Pima County sheriff scolded the media for "questioning the legality" of the shooting. Jose Guerena, 26, died the morning of May 5. He was asleep in his Tucson home after working a night shift at the Asarco copper mine when his wife, Vanessa, ...
See all stories on this topic »"

El Paso ASARCO: smartcode not so smart after all

2011-05-18T22:55:00.001-07:00

An arsenic-expert in N.Carolina told me that he would not live next to a smelter - even a closed one - and leave any windows open. You can't smell or taste arsenic, and even swamp coolers won't remove the smallest particles that go straight to the most inner places of our lungs. El Paso TX has nearly 110 years of Arsenic deposited for 1000 square miles, and the worst of it is within ten miles of the smelter. HUGE amounts of arsenic.

City Council just voted to make all the old ASARCO land and the WALMART-former-Asarco-land a "walking community". This is the EPI-CENTER of 110 years of Arsenic-Land, across from a sewage plant, a Rock Quarry. The poor Developer went from a traditional design to the smart-code "walkable community design" to please City Council.

"If wishes made horses then poor men would ride" - and if wishes cleaned up Asarco then this smartcode could thrive...

However, because of the intense contamination all around for 10 miles-out-from-the-smelter, it should not have been zoned smart-code after all ---- because NO ONE SHOULD BE OUTSIDE. It should be all motorized-traffic (no bicycles, walking, swimming outdoors), no windows open, no one outside EVER there -- refrigerated air and electrostatic filtered heated central air in winter.

The Developer ought to get out now, before moving tons of dirt, and building according to "smartcode". After all, it is like planning a walkable community next to any hugely poisonous toxic no-man's land (Chernobyl comes to mind) --- just not smart at all.

Asarco: nearly 1/2 Billion dollars available for Coeur d'Alene and only 55 million available for El Paso TX exposed to Asarco's secret haz-waste disposal operation

2011-05-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

EPA funding will help assess proposed cleanup sites
Coeur d'Alene Press
"At this time, more than $494 million are available from the 2009 Asarco bankruptcy proceedings to help pay for environmental cleanup in the basin. ..."

ASARCO worker shot dead in his home by no-knock warrant-SWAT team -- and, his rifle still had the safety on

2011-05-14T19:07:00.001-07:00

A two-tour Marine, no criminal history, working 12 hour shifts at ASARCO in Tuscon -- suddenly is dead from a no-knock warrant raid by a SWAT team who shot over 60 bullets in 7 seconds into him. His own rifle's safety was still on. The SWAT Team thought no one but him would be home, but he hid his wife and son in the closet when she heard strange noises outside and woke him up...

Google Alert:
"The Indiana Supreme Court decision makes less sense than before.
Pajamas Media
Jose Guerena, 26, a [twenty-six year old] former Marine [with two overseas tours of duty], was sleeping after the graveyard shift at Asarco Mission mine ..."

SWAT raid that killed Arizona ASARCO worker and Marine - recorded in 911 call

2011-05-14T01:19:00.001-07:00

"Google Alert - asarco
SWAT raid fatal drama is revealed in 911 call
Arizona Daily Star
Jose Guerena, 26, a former Marine, was sleeping after the graveyard shift at Asarco Mission mine about 9:30 am when his wife woke him saying she heard ..."

Asarco continues to sue: BNSF

2011-05-14T01:10:00.000-07:00

Asarco has recently sued: the EPA (OK), the Rockefeller family (WA), and now BNSF

Google Alert:
Asarco Sues BNSF Over $80M Cleanup - Law360
Asarco LLC sued BNSF Railway Co. and four others in Missouri on Thursday, seeking contributions toward an $80 million cleanup at a mining site the company ...
www.law360.com/.../asarco-sues-bnsf-over-80m-cleanup-

Asarco worker shot dead at home after 12 hr shift by SWAT team who shot 71 shots in 7 seconds. The worker did not fire his gun.

2011-05-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

"google alert:
SWAT team fired 71 shots in raid
Arizona Daily Star
... noise outside their home about 9 am Thursday and woke her husband who had just gone to bed after working a 12-hour shift at the Asarco Mine, she said. ..."

"The Pima County Regional SWAT team fired 71 shots in seven seconds at a Tucson man they say pointed a gun at officers serving a search warrant at his home.....Vanessa Guerena says she heard noise outside their home about 9 a.m. Thursday and woke her husband who had just gone to bed after working a 12-hour shift at the Asarco Mine, she said. There were no sirens or shouts of "police," she said.....Guerena told his wife and son to hide inside a closet and he grabbed the AR-15 rifle, his wife said....Tucson is notorious for home invasions and we didn't want to look like that," said Lt. Michael O'Connor of the Pima County Sheriff's Department. "We went lights and sirens and we absolutely did not do a 'no-knock' warrant."

"Horizon Lines' empty bankruptcy threat brings US DOJ to its knees....similarly EPA opted to take [x] claim in Asarco's Bankruptcy case...."

2011-05-12T04:05:00.000-07:00

"Google Alert - asarco
Horizon Lines' empty bankruptcy threat brings US DoJ to its knees ...
Financial Times
Similarly, the EPA opted to take a USD 1.7bn repayment on its USD 6.5bn environmental remediation claim in Asarco's bankruptcy case. ..."

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4f212e9c-7c6b-11e0-b9e3-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1M7sbEKBu

"...The DoJ’s value give-up in Horizon mirrors the compromise the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a secured creditor, cut with unsecured hedge fund creditors in chemical company Tronox last year....

Rather than battle bondholders for more cash, the EPA agreed to take massive losses on its structurally senior claims. The Oklahoma-based company’s unsecured bondholders walked away with equity worth more than double the face value of their bond claims, while the EPA was left with a 30% recovery.

Similarly.... [the ASARCO] Arizona, US-based copper miner’s bondholders received 100% recovery on their claims, as well as accrued interest, when the company emerged from Chapter 11 in December 2009, while the sponsor, Grupo Mexico, continued to own its assets....""

Asarco 1999 Settlement with Denver CO gives another $126,484.90 to 107 people while EL PASO TEXAS COMMUNITY suffers silently

2011-05-11T04:27:00.001-07:00

"Residents of south Globeville are receiving an additional $126,484.90 from Asarco mining company for contaminating their properties with arsenic and other pollutants, according to a press release from the attorneys who represented the residents.....The additional payments are part of a $12.3 million settlement the residents reached with Asarco in 1999....[also] South Globeville residents filed a class-action lawsuit in 2007 against Asarco when high levels of toxic contamination were found on properties. Asarco released arsenic as a stack emission from its Globe Plant smeltering facility for about 70 years starting in the 1920s."

Mitchell Byars: 303-954-1698 or mbyars@denverpost.com

South Globeville residents get additional money from Asarco settlement

From 2009: Verde Realty Completes Rail in Santa Teresa Intermodal Park

2011-05-11T02:10:00.001-07:00

Verde Realty Completes Rail in Santa Teresa Intermodal Park
VerdeCorporate Realty Services announced that construction has been completed on 4,283 feet
of new railroad track and new switch in VerdeSanta Teresa Intermodal Park in Santa Teresa,
NM. The track and switch will service the master-planned park's first phase totaling 118 acres.
El Paso, TX (PRWEB) January 15, 2009 -- Verde Corporate Realty Services announced that construction has
been completed on 4,283 feet of new railroad track and new switch in Verde Santa Teresa Intermodal Park in
Santa Teresa, NM. The track and switch will service the master-planned park's first phase totaling 118 acres.
Verde Santa Teresa Intermodal Park is a 1,221 acre master-planned, rail-served industrial park that can
accommodate user requirements from 5 acres to 200 acres. When fully-built out, the park will have five rail
spurs directly connected to the Union Pacific Main Line. The park provides a further benefit to users in that it is
located within Foreign-Trade Zone No. 197.
The Verde Santa Teresa Intermodal Park is the only facility of its kind in the region capable of fulfilling
transloading, cross-border trailer staging and build-to-suit requirements. Construction of the new Foxconn
Technology Group manufacturing facility in San Jerónimo, Mexico, that is located immediately adjacent to
Santa Teresa, and Union Pacific's plans to build new facilities in Santa Teresa will generate meaningful
economic activity in the area and incremental demand for rail served facilities. This park will address the needs
that will arise from this activity.
Foxconn, the trade name for Taiwan-based Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Ltd., began construction in
July 2008 on a 440-acre manufacturing campus which will eventually employ 20,000 workers. The project's
first phase, a 650,000-square-foot facility, is scheduled to open in March 2009 and employ 5,300 workers
making computers, laptops and other electronic equipment for a variety of companies. Foxconn is an
electronics manufacturing giant that makes products for Apple, Nokia, HP, Motorola, Dell, and Sony, among
others, and more cell phones than any other firm in the world.
Union Pacific plans to initially invest $150 million in a 934-acre fueling, switching and intermodal yard to be
completed between 2010 and 2014. Once complete, it will be the largest fueling and intermodal facility on the
U.S.-Mexico border. When fully operational, the Union Pacific facility will employ 280 people.
In addition to Union Pacific's investment, Verde Corporate Realty Services' Director of Business Development,
Jay Kleberg said, "The development of Verde's Intermodal Park is a critical step in servicing the increased
demand by local and national manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors to efficiently transport goods from
coast-to-coast and service clients in Mexico."
Kleberg went on to note that, "The Park's location, five miles from the Santa Teresa Port of Entry, the new
Foxconn campus in San Jerónimo and Union Pacific's new refueling and intermodal yard is ideal for
transportation providers and suppliers doing business in Mexico. Verde has had numerous inquiries about the
availability of rail-served land and build-to-suit capabilities, and we look forward to accommodating the
corporate real estate requirements of our customers."
Verde Corporate Realty Services is a leading owner/operator of corporate facilities throughout the United
States/Northern Mexico border region. Verde's team of experienced bi-cultural professionals provides real
estate services from the design/ build phase through subsequent years of facility operation.
For more information, visit www.verdecrs.com/intermodal.
###

Ex Asarco Workers' Attorneys ask EPA to test for PCBs at the Asarco El Paso TX Legacy site

2011-05-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

Google Alert:
"EPA, TCEQ asked to test for toxic compounds at Asarco (4:25 am)
Las Cruces Sun-News
The letter, sent by an attorney representing a group of former Asarco employees, asks that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on ..."

see also:
http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_18022789

ASARCO Legacy slated to be developed into homes, playgrounds and elementary school if El Paso City Council TX ok's the rezoning today

2011-05-10T00:58:00.001-07:00

El Paso City Council will vote to Rezone Contaminated ASARCO Land and Allow Development

Under Guise of Smartcode, the Rezoning Would Ignore
Undisclosed Poisons from Asarco's Secret-Waste Disposal Operation

EPgtlo demands that until governmental agencies disclose the hazardous-wastes from its illegal-waste-incineration that this land not be rezoned

El Paso, TX.— El Paso City Council will vote this next Tuesday May 10 (Items 19A and 19B) on Ordinance to change zoning of Asarco from unrestricted manufacturing to "SCZ" (Smart code) and allow development. Under the ownership of the ASARCO Texas Custodial Trust and the El Paso Trustee ASARCO Bankruptcy contract, the clean-up is not required to disclose or remediate the still undisclosed hazardous wastes from when Asarco ran the illegal and secret toxic-waste disposal operation (1992-1998 - NYTimes 10/2006). As Representative Reyes said in a press statement (2006) "Asarco paid millions on the condition that the details of what it had done would never become public".

The ASARCO Texas Custodial Trustee for El Paso stated that "Asarco, as a large integrated metal producer and refiner obviously handled a wide variety materials including radioactive materials."
The International Joint Advisory Committee under the La Paz Accord/Treaty passed a Resolution recommending testing, but no testing has yet been done to determine what contamination remains in this region from Asarco's illegal hazardous-waste incineration.
EPA has not yet released the documents detailing those wastes.

EPgtlo demands that until governmental agencies disclose the hazardous-wastes from its illegal-waste-incineration that this land not be rezoned.

+++

El Paso City Council will vote to Rezone Contaminated ASARCO Land and Allow Development

2011-05-07T12:03:00.001-07:00

For Immediate Release, May 7, 2011

Contacts:

Heather McMurray EPgtlo, (915) 539-3388, heamc@earthlink.net

El Paso City Council will vote to Rezone Contaminated ASARCO Land and Allow Development

Under Guise of Smartcode, the Rezoning Would Ignore
Undisclosed Poisons from Asarco's Secret-Waste Disposal Operation

The ASARCO Texas Custodial Trustee for El Paso stated that "Asarco, as a large integrated metal producer and refiner obviously handled a wide variety materials including radioactive materials."
The International Joint Advisory Committee under the La Paz Accord/Treaty passed a Resolution recommending testing, but no testing has yet been done to determine what contamination remains in this region from Asarco's illegal hazardous-waste incineration.
EPA has not yet released the documents detailing those wastes.

EPgtlo demands that until governmental agencies disclose the hazardous-wastes from its illegal-waste-incineration that this land not be rezoned.

+ + +

Federal DOJ Trustee for Corpus Christi TX ASARCO Bankruptcy and sites failing to do their job

2011-04-26T05:04:00.001-07:00

It is illegal in our lay-opinion for the Federal DOJ Bankruptcy Trustee to continue to make legal decisions and recommendations that act as if Asarco (Encycle and Asarco inc.) never engaged in nearly ten years of secret hazardous-waste-disposal for $$. (see news announcement, below) Why is the Federal DOJ Trustee not acting on this knowledge, that they were legally apprised of back in 2006?

We respectfully demand that the Obama Administration's DOJ appointees and the EPA's Obama Administration appointees demand that the DOJ Bankruptcy Trustee (Region 7 Judy A. Robbins United States Trustee ) do their job and require that the trustees overseeing that liquidation, Michael Boudloche (Corpus Christi), Mr. Puga (El Paso TX) consider the ramifications from the illegal secret wastes. It is now public-domain-knowledge (both from the released-1998-formerly-confidential for settlement purposes only 72 page document AND from the 1994 Asarco Encycle Supervisor Whistleblower report) that Asarco-Encycle and Asarco El Paso TX (and E. Helena MT) ran an un-permitted hazardous-waste disposal-operation for nearly ten years just to make money.

There should be no demolition at these sites until there is full disclosure of the secret wastes handled and burned at these sites, using comprehensive chemical analyses recommended by the International La Paz Accord JAC group several years ago.

"Google Alert:
"State can't stop demolition, bankruptcy trustee says
Corpus Christi Caller Times
A US Bankruptcy Court trustee said the contested demolition of the ASARCO/Encycle plant will continue and state officials have no authority to stop the work ..." "

ASARCO LLC v. Estate of John D. Rockefeller Sr. et al 2:11-cv-00661

2011-04-21T17:01:00.001-07:00

Date Filed

April 18, 2011"

http://www.law360.com/energy/articles/239975/asarco-brings-cercla-suit-against-rockefeller-estate

Asarco sues the Rockerfeller Estate

2011-04-20T15:05:00.001-07:00

The Federal DOJ Bankruptcy Trustee for the Bankruptcy District at Corpus Christi TX allowed ASARCO to complete its entire bankruptcy without ever considering the liabilities from Asarco's years of illegally disposing of Toxic Waste, despite being legally notified of this lapse winter of 2006. In Oct.,2006 the NYTimes exposed the story of how the EPA had secretly proven to the DOJ in 1998 that ASARCO disposed of illegal toxic wastes for nearly ten years - but then hid the truth away in a "confidential for settlement purposes only document". This document became public-domain in 2006. Rep. Reyes (Chair House Intelligence Committee) wrote that Asarco paid millions on the condition that the details of what it had done would never become public.

So now Asarco and its owner, Grupo Mexico, have huge 1st quarter profits this year; and, they have sued the Rockefeller Estate. The Rockefeller estate attorneys ought to study this blog's archives in Scribe for the 30 documents and evidence sent to the Gov. of New Mexico (twice) about Asarco; and, that were taken through two sets of courts with each court failing to address the evidence. The Federal DOJ has failed to hold Asarco responsible and allowed this to snowball. No one has explained the presence of a Swiss Financial institution named "Asarco" (associated with Asarco inc.).

"Law360, New York (April 19, 2011) -- Asarco LLC hit the estate of John D. Rockefeller Sr. and other entities with a lawsuit in Washington state Monday seeking environmental response costs at a polluted smelter site over which the plaintiff recently paid a $38 million settlement.

Asarco claims in its contribution and cost recovery complaint filed in the Western District of Washington that the estate and four other entities are liable as owners or operators under..."

Judge Richard Schmidt of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has closed two more affiliate cases of ASARCO LLC

2011-03-27T02:36:00.001-07:00

"Court Closes 2 More ASARCO Affiliate Cases

Posted by Rob Smith On March - 20 - 2011

FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. — Judge Richard Schmidt of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas has closed two more affiliate cases of ASARCO LLC. They are the cases of Encycle Inc. and Government Gulch Mining Company, Limited...."

Read the Asarco Corpus Christi Encycle Whistleblower secret document from 1994 and the document from SPGEG to the DOJ Trustee to these Bankruptcy courts in 2006-7 asking the Trustee to force the courts to face the liabilities from the years of illegal secret toxic-waste disposal by ASARCO....

Why hasn't the Bankruptcy court considered any liabilities from Asarco's years of illegal secret waste disposal in Corpus Christi TX, El Paso TX, and East Helena MT.???? Why has the Federal DOJ looked the other way?

Ex ASARCO Workers to Identify Undisclosed Illegal Waste Dumps on ASARCO El Paso Property

2011-03-26T22:07:00.001-07:00

Ex ASARCO Workers to Identify Undisclosed Illegal Waste Dumps on ASARCO-El Paso Property

March 23, 2011

by Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

EL PASO, TX – March 23, 2011 – This Saturday, former employees of the ASARCO El Paso plant, as part of the Ex-ASARCO Workers coalition, will identify five unlined dumpsites on the ASARCO property that continue to contaminate the area and pose serious risks to the public health. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and a Trustee in charge of remediating the site will be present.

The EPA has informed the Ex-ASARCO Workers that the media will not be allowed to participate in the site visit. As a result, a press briefing will be held at the ASARCO site on Saturday, March 26 starting at 1:00 pm.

“When we first told the EPA about the hidden dumpsite in November, we thought they would be on the next plane to El Paso to investigate,” said Carlos Rodriguez, lead organizer of the Ex-ASARCO Workers. “We were wrong. Clearly, the continued contamination of this property is not a high priority.”

The unlined dumpsites sit on the El Paso property where ASARCO operated a copper smelter and handled military hazardous waste for more than 100 years. The former workers contend that they were instructed to dig pits on the property and bury contaminated materials throughout their employment. They did not place any lining that would prevent the contaminants from leaching into groundwater sources. Current plans for the property call for covering up the areas where the sites are located, rather than sampling and remediating them.

Recently the Ex-ASARCO Workers have also raised concerns that the future of the site includes plans to sell land where known ASARCO dumpsites exist, including an area east of I-10, for use as residences.

“We cannot believe that this land is going to be sold and turned into a residential area and a hiking trail. We know this area has been contaminated and there is no proof that the site is clean enough for families to live there and for children to play there,” said Mario Navarez, a member of the Ex-ASARCO Workers.

The Ex-ASARCO Workers are asking other former ASARCO employees and their spouses to contact them if they have information that would help protect the community from continued environmental pollution. Individuals can contact Veronica Carbajal, attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, at (915) 585-5107.

Established in 1970, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. (TRLA) is a nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income and disadvantaged clients in a 68-county service area. TRLA’s mission is to promote the dignity, self-sufficiency, safety and stability of low-income Texas residents by providing high-quality civil legal assistance and related educational services. For more information on Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. and this story visit www.trla.org.

###
http://trla.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/ex-asarco-workers-to-identify-undisclosed-illegal-waste-dumps-on-asarco-el-paso-property/

Asarco sues EPA for "destroying evidence" regarding Omaha smelter superfund site while DOJ and EPA protect ASARCO....

2011-03-06T22:44:00.001-07:00

What kind of poker-hand is being played, here and why??

"Asarco Inc. said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency destroyed evidence that the company's smelter didn't cause lead pollution in an Omaha neighborhood ..."

http://www.omaha.com/article/20101217/NEWS97/712179877

El Paso Times covers Ex-Asarco-workers and others site visit 2-25-11 after massive fire gutted the IONICS distillation unit

2011-02-28T00:21:00.001-07:00

Google Alert
EPA joins in walk-through at Asarco: Past employees want further site tests ...
El Paso Times

"by Chris Roberts \ El Paso Times Patrick Garza, left, who worked for ASARCO as a contractor and employee, left, talks to Michael J. Casbon of Environmental Resources Management, who is overseeing the demolition of the site about a recent fire in the ..."

Fire site visit at Asarco El Paso TX 2-25-2011

2011-02-27T15:44:00.006-07:00

Asarco site visit friday Feb-25-2011

Another example of Asarco handling Radioactive Isotopes provided by El Paso Asarco Cleanup Trustee

2011-01-26T01:47:00.001-07:00

Asarco El Paso Trustee provides online link to TENORM copper leaching radioactive wastes data

http://www.epa.gov/radiation/tenorm/copper.html

ASARCO Whistleblower Report news item -- JUST HOW BAD IT WAS

2011-01-24T14:37:00.001-07:00

ASARCO Whistleblower Report news item

ASARCO El Paso Redevelopment TVNews Story: Costs of secret liabilities from illegal hazardous waste disposal for years? (PRICELESS!)

2011-01-17T23:30:00.001-07:00

Apparently a "redevelopment plan" for ASARCO site was released to the public today (http://www.kvia.com/video/26523619/index.html) and it is extremely scary to those of us who realize how contaminated that site must actually be --- Please watch this film clip - it is very short. Remember that a UTEP geology professor recently was willing to go public stating that simply paving over the Asarco site as planned will not make it "safe".

"google alert:
Plan El Paso 2010 Includes Asarco Redevelopment Video KVIA El Paso
Plan El Paso 2010 Includes Asarco Redevelopment. ....
www.kvia.com/video/26523619/index.html
"