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

"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"

"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 ...."

"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

"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"

"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

"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....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...

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

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

"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....

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

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?

"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]

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

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

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

"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

"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

"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 ....

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....

"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

"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]