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Scroll to end: click web view. Heather Mcmurray 's research uncovering poisoning of 1000 square miles around El Paso by Asarco smelter through what the EPA & US DOJ said was illegal burning of illegal hazardous/radioactive wastes 1991 to 1998. We have never been told what actinides, forever chemicals, dioxins etc are present from illegal Asarco actions(see 73 page 1998 conf. for settlement purposes only DOJ EPA Asarco doc,10/06 nytimes) see "Asarco secret document"
Friday, November 6, 2015
ASARCO to Pay $163.5M, Cut Toxic Emissions · Environmental Leader · Environmental Management News
https://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/11/05/asarco-to-pay-163-5m-cut-toxic-emissions/#.Vjx-1paBZlY.mailto
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Epa , us doj, asarco hayden smelter consent fecree press release from epa
EPA HomeNewsroomNews Releases By DateU.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at ....
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U.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper Smelter
Release Date: 11/03/2015
Contact Information: Nahal Mogharabi, (213) 244-1815, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with ASARCO requiring the company to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce emissions of toxic heavy metals at a large smelter located in Hayden, Ariz. The company will also fund local environmental projects valued at $8 million, replace a diesel locomotive with a cleaner model for $1 million, and pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
The federal enforcement action targeted hazardous air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, and particulate matter (PM). With the controls in place, the hazardous air pollutants should be reduced by at least 8.5 tons per year, and PM emissions are expected to be reduced by 3,500 tons per year. The new equipment and controls will also slash the facility's sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 19,000 tons per year, a reduction of more than 90 percent, according to EPA estimates. Currently, the ASARCO smelter is the largest source of SO2 emissions in Arizona.
"The communities living near this century-old smelter will breathe cleaner air as a result of this landmark enforcement action," said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "As one of only three major copper smelters in the nation, it is critically important that the facility operate in a way that complies with federal law, minimizes harmful pollutants and safeguards public health and the environment."
"This settlement will bring tremendous benefits to public health and the environment in Arizona for generations to come through dramatic cuts to harmful air emissions," said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The requirements of this consent decree will not only bring ASARCO into compliance with the nation's clean air law, but will also result in testing for lead contamination in area homes and improvements to nearby roads to further improve air quality."
EPA's investigation found the company violated federal Clean Air Act standards by failing to adequately control emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as arsenic and lead, from the Hayden smelter. Under the settlement announced today, ASARCO will install new and upgraded ventilation hoods to capture hot flue gases from its furnaces to better capture the PM, which includes the hazardous air pollutants, and SO2. The company will also replace an aging electrostatic precipitator with a new, cleaner baghouse and inject high performance lime to reduce SO2 emissions.
To reduce wind-blown dust from the facility, which contains varying levels of heavy metals, the company will implement an improved dust control plan, including the use of wind fences, upgraded water sprayers and the installation of concrete pads. In addition, ASARCO will operate five ambient air monitors in and around the Hayden and Winkelman communities to track levels of pollutants, including arsenic, lead and PM, and will make additional improvements to dust controls if levels are high.
The settlement requires ASARCO to spend $8 million to fund two environmental mitigation projects. Of this, $6 million will be used on a road paving project in Pinal County that will reduce dust pollution on local dirt roads close to the towns and benefit residents exposed to PM emissions. In addition, $2 million will be provided to the Gila County Environmental Health Services to conduct lead-based paint testing and abatement in homes, schools and other public buildings in the towns of Hayden and Winkelman.
ASARCO will spend approximately $1 million to replace an existing diesel switch locomotive operated at the facility with a cleaner diesel-electric switch locomotive. The project will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to the formation of PM2.5, and greenhouse gases.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and can affect the brain and nervous system. Exposure to lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal, and cardiovascular systems. Particulate matter, especially inhalable coarse particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5), can cause coughing or difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, and even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. SO2 has also been linked to a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system, and SO2 is also a precursor to the formation of PM2.5. Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas. The PM2.5 and SO2 emission reductions achieved through compliance with this settlement will also serve to reduce visibility impairment owing to emissions from the facility.
Built in 1912 and expanded over the years, the ASARCO Hayden site is a copper ore processing, concentrating and smelter facility located adjacent to Hayden and Winkelman. The ASARCO plant includes a crusher, concentrator, smelter and tailings impoundment areas and produces 300 to 400 million pounds of copper and over half a million tons of sulfuric acid annually. ASARCO is owned by Grupo México, a Mexican consortium that owns Ferromex, the largest railroad in Mexico, and operates mines and smelters, including the one in Hayden, that make it the fourth largest copper producer in the world. The Hayden facility is one of three copper smelters in the United States, and the only one owned by ASARCO.
The settlement was lodged with the U.S. District Court of Arizona and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The proposed consent decree can be viewed at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
More on the settlement: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-settlement
For photos of the facility, please visit: http://www3.epa.gov/region9/mediacenter/asarco/photos.html
###
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U.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper Smelter
Release Date: 11/03/2015
Contact Information: Nahal Mogharabi, (213) 244-1815, mogharabi.nahal@epa.gov
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with ASARCO requiring the company to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce emissions of toxic heavy metals at a large smelter located in Hayden, Ariz. The company will also fund local environmental projects valued at $8 million, replace a diesel locomotive with a cleaner model for $1 million, and pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
The federal enforcement action targeted hazardous air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, and particulate matter (PM). With the controls in place, the hazardous air pollutants should be reduced by at least 8.5 tons per year, and PM emissions are expected to be reduced by 3,500 tons per year. The new equipment and controls will also slash the facility's sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 19,000 tons per year, a reduction of more than 90 percent, according to EPA estimates. Currently, the ASARCO smelter is the largest source of SO2 emissions in Arizona.
"The communities living near this century-old smelter will breathe cleaner air as a result of this landmark enforcement action," said Jared Blumenfeld, Regional Administrator for EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "As one of only three major copper smelters in the nation, it is critically important that the facility operate in a way that complies with federal law, minimizes harmful pollutants and safeguards public health and the environment."
"This settlement will bring tremendous benefits to public health and the environment in Arizona for generations to come through dramatic cuts to harmful air emissions," said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The requirements of this consent decree will not only bring ASARCO into compliance with the nation's clean air law, but will also result in testing for lead contamination in area homes and improvements to nearby roads to further improve air quality."
EPA's investigation found the company violated federal Clean Air Act standards by failing to adequately control emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as arsenic and lead, from the Hayden smelter. Under the settlement announced today, ASARCO will install new and upgraded ventilation hoods to capture hot flue gases from its furnaces to better capture the PM, which includes the hazardous air pollutants, and SO2. The company will also replace an aging electrostatic precipitator with a new, cleaner baghouse and inject high performance lime to reduce SO2 emissions.
To reduce wind-blown dust from the facility, which contains varying levels of heavy metals, the company will implement an improved dust control plan, including the use of wind fences, upgraded water sprayers and the installation of concrete pads. In addition, ASARCO will operate five ambient air monitors in and around the Hayden and Winkelman communities to track levels of pollutants, including arsenic, lead and PM, and will make additional improvements to dust controls if levels are high.
The settlement requires ASARCO to spend $8 million to fund two environmental mitigation projects. Of this, $6 million will be used on a road paving project in Pinal County that will reduce dust pollution on local dirt roads close to the towns and benefit residents exposed to PM emissions. In addition, $2 million will be provided to the Gila County Environmental Health Services to conduct lead-based paint testing and abatement in homes, schools and other public buildings in the towns of Hayden and Winkelman.
ASARCO will spend approximately $1 million to replace an existing diesel switch locomotive operated at the facility with a cleaner diesel-electric switch locomotive. The project will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to the formation of PM2.5, and greenhouse gases.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and can affect the brain and nervous system. Exposure to lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal, and cardiovascular systems. Particulate matter, especially inhalable coarse particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5), can cause coughing or difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, and even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. SO2 has also been linked to a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system, and SO2 is also a precursor to the formation of PM2.5. Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas. The PM2.5 and SO2 emission reductions achieved through compliance with this settlement will also serve to reduce visibility impairment owing to emissions from the facility.
Built in 1912 and expanded over the years, the ASARCO Hayden site is a copper ore processing, concentrating and smelter facility located adjacent to Hayden and Winkelman. The ASARCO plant includes a crusher, concentrator, smelter and tailings impoundment areas and produces 300 to 400 million pounds of copper and over half a million tons of sulfuric acid annually. ASARCO is owned by Grupo México, a Mexican consortium that owns Ferromex, the largest railroad in Mexico, and operates mines and smelters, including the one in Hayden, that make it the fourth largest copper producer in the world. The Hayden facility is one of three copper smelters in the United States, and the only one owned by ASARCO.
The settlement was lodged with the U.S. District Court of Arizona and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The proposed consent decree can be viewed at: www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
More on the settlement: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-settlement
For photos of the facility, please visit: http://www3.epa.gov/region9/mediacenter/asarco/photos.html
###
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11/04/2015  EPA Settles With Anchorage Companies for Hazardous Waste Violations
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Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Please let people know this is happening: Asarco epa us doj hayden public consent decree
Type in the following (at end) to read the consent decree....there now starts a 30 day comment period for the public. Please think about commenting. Check on my blog (google asarco secret document, go to newest post) and when the us dept of justice posts how to make comments, i will put it there. Protect the families in hayden: jobs are good until your employed spouse gets disease associated with these secret poisons.....like leukemia.
Is there a "confidential for settlement purposes only" us doj epa asarco document for this? Like there was for asarco's mess in el paso tx?
We know as fact that asarco el paso acted as a high level radioactive waste disposal contractor during the 1990's. The gov never released this fact to us thru open records requests, but hid its relationship with asarco from us.
Asarco contaminated homes with material found in nuclear control rods. We have a critical radon/radium problem: both mexico and usa epa's know, but have not told el pasoans.
We in el paso were told nothing of this. A secret consent decree between asarco, epa and us doj 1998 hid it. The bankruptcy hid it. Our gov hid it.
So, what is now happening at hayden asarco... more of the same? The us doj said asarco made a lot of $$$$ doing this.
Why on earth would our gov and asarco stop such mon$y making given an old smelter in remote poor location with mostly mexican americans.
Our politicians looked the other way. Made it impossible for el pasoans to take legal action: that was passed to only TCEQ to do. They never did.
Now apparently it may be happening again, this nightmare, for Hayden, az. Asarco will invest $150 MILLION in Hayden..... so it is a big problem, there. Compare it with el paso...asarco gave us just 50 million, to clean us all up!
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-consent-decree
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-consent-decree
Asarco epa and us doj.....again
 Tuesday, November 03, 2015Last Update: 4:33 PM PT
Century-Old Smelter to Pay $13.5M For Polluting the Air
   ShareThis
(CN) - The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday ordered a 103-year-old copper smelter in Arizona to cut toxic emissions and pay $13.5 million in fines and green-project funding.
As part of its settlement with the EPA, ASARCO agreed to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce toxic emissions at its century-old smelter in Hayden, Arizona. The company will also fund local environmental projects to the tune of $8 million, spend $1 million to replace a diesel locomotive with a cleaner model and pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
An EPA investigation found ASARCO violated the Clean Air Act by failing to control hazardous air pollutants like arsenic and lead spewing from the Hayden smelter. The agency also the wind blows dust laden with heavy metals from the facility, which the company also agreed to address.
ASARCO will install new ventilation hoods to capture hot flue gases from its furnaces and operate several ambient air monitors in and around Hayden to track levels of pollutants, according to the Justice Department.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and can affect the brain and nervous system. Exposure to lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal and cardiovascular systems.
Particulate matter, especially inhalable coarse particles and fine particles, can cause coughing or difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma and even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. And the sulfur dioxide produced by the smelter has been linked to a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system.
"The communities living near this century-old smelter will breathe cleaner air as a result of this landmark enforcement action," EPA Pacific Southwest regional administrator Jared Blumenfeld said. "As one of only three major copper smelters in the nation, it is critically important that the facility operate in a way that complies with federal law, minimizes harmful pollutants and safeguards public health and the environment."
Built in 1912, ASARCO's Hayden smelter produces 300 to 400 million pounds of copper and over 500,000 tons of sulfuric acid annually.
ASARCO is owned by Grupo Mexico, which also owns Mexican railroad giant Ferromex. The company is the fourth-largest copper producer in the world.
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A repeat of asarco el paso? Secret agreement likely between us epa, us doj and asarco regarding remote century old asarco smelter: what was it burning???
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RELEASE: U.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper Smelter
By Newsroom America Feeds at 3:46 pm Eastern
November 3, 2015
U.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper Smelter
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement with ASARCO that requires the company to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce emissions of toxic heavy metals at a large copper smelter in Hayden, Ariz. The company will also fund local environmental projects valued at $8 million, replace a diesel locomotive with a cleaner model for $1 million, and pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
The federal enforcement action targeted hazardous air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, in particulate matter (PM). With the controls in place, the hazardous air pollutants should be reduced by at least 8.5 tons per year, and PM emissions are expected to be reduced by 3,500 tons per year. The new equipment and controls will slash the facility's sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 19,000 tons per year, a reduction of more than 90%, according to EPA estimates. Currently, the ASARCO smelter is the largest source of SO2 emissions in Arizona.
"Big enforcement actions like this result in big returns for American communities," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "The upgraded pollution controls and advanced monitoring technologies ASARCO will install are key to a modern compliance program that cuts pollution around industrial plants."
"This settlement will bring tremendous benefits to public health and the environment in Arizona for generations to come through dramatic cuts to harmful air emissions," said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The requirements of this consent decree will not only bring ASARCO into compliance with the nation's clean air law, but will also result in testing for lead contamination in area homes, and improvements to nearby roads to further improve air quality."
EPA's investigation found the company violated federal Clean Air Act standards by failing to adequately control emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as arsenic and lead, from the Hayden smelter. Under the settlement announced today, ASARCO will install new and upgraded ventilation hoods to capture hot flue gases from its furnaces to better capture the PM, which includes the hazardous air pollutants, and SO2. The company will also replace an aging electrostatic precipitator with a new, cleaner baghouse and inject high performance lime to reduce SO2 emissions.
To reduce wind-blown dust from the facility, which contains varying levels of heavy metals, the company will implement an improved dust control plan, including the use of wind fences, upgraded water sprayers and the installation of concrete pads. In addition, ASARCO will operate five ambient air monitors in and around the Hayden and Winkelman communities to track levels of pollutants, including arsenic, lead and PM, and will make additional improvements to dust controls if levels are high.
The settlement requires ASARCO to spend $8 million to fund two environmental mitigation projects. Of this, $6 million will be used on a road paving project in Pinal County that will reduce dust pollution on local dirt roads close to the towns and residents exposed to PM emissions. In addition, $2 million will be provided to the Gila County Environmental Health Services to conduct lead-based paint testing and abatement in homes, schools and other public buildings in the towns of Hayden and Winkelman.
ASARCO will spend approximately $1 million to replace an existing diesel switch locomotive operated at the facility with a cleaner diesel-electric switch locomotive. The project will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to the formation of PM2.5, and greenhouse gases.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and can affect the brain and nervous system. Exposure to lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal, and cardiovascular systems. Particulate matter, especially inhalable coarse particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5), can cause coughing or difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, and even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. SO2 has also been linked to a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system, and SO2 is also a precursor to the formation of PM2.5. Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas. The PM2.5 and SO2 emission reductions achieved through compliance with this settlement will also serve to reduce visibility impairment owing to emissions from the facility.
Built in 1912 and expanded over the years, the ASARCO Hayden site is a copper ore processing, concentrating and smelter facility located adjacent to Hayden and Winkelman. The ASARCO plant includes a crusher, concentrator, smelter and tailings impoundment areas and produces 300 to 400 million pounds of copper and over half a million tons of sulfuric acid annually. ASARCO is owned by Grupo México, a Mexican consortium that owns Ferromex, the largest railroad in Mexico, and operates mines and smelters, including the one in Hayden, that make it the fourth largest copper producer in the world.
The settlement was lodged with the U.S. District Court of Arizona and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
For more information and to read the settlement, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-settlement.
R301
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RELEASE: U.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper Smelter
By Newsroom America Feeds at 3:46 pm Eastern
November 3, 2015
U.S. EPA Requires ASARCO to Cut Toxic Emissions at 103-Year-Old Arizona Copper Smelter
WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement with ASARCO that requires the company to spend $150 million to install new equipment and pollution control technology to reduce emissions of toxic heavy metals at a large copper smelter in Hayden, Ariz. The company will also fund local environmental projects valued at $8 million, replace a diesel locomotive with a cleaner model for $1 million, and pay a $4.5 million civil penalty.
The federal enforcement action targeted hazardous air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, in particulate matter (PM). With the controls in place, the hazardous air pollutants should be reduced by at least 8.5 tons per year, and PM emissions are expected to be reduced by 3,500 tons per year. The new equipment and controls will slash the facility's sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 19,000 tons per year, a reduction of more than 90%, according to EPA estimates. Currently, the ASARCO smelter is the largest source of SO2 emissions in Arizona.
"Big enforcement actions like this result in big returns for American communities," said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "The upgraded pollution controls and advanced monitoring technologies ASARCO will install are key to a modern compliance program that cuts pollution around industrial plants."
"This settlement will bring tremendous benefits to public health and the environment in Arizona for generations to come through dramatic cuts to harmful air emissions," said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. "The requirements of this consent decree will not only bring ASARCO into compliance with the nation's clean air law, but will also result in testing for lead contamination in area homes, and improvements to nearby roads to further improve air quality."
EPA's investigation found the company violated federal Clean Air Act standards by failing to adequately control emissions of hazardous air pollutants, such as arsenic and lead, from the Hayden smelter. Under the settlement announced today, ASARCO will install new and upgraded ventilation hoods to capture hot flue gases from its furnaces to better capture the PM, which includes the hazardous air pollutants, and SO2. The company will also replace an aging electrostatic precipitator with a new, cleaner baghouse and inject high performance lime to reduce SO2 emissions.
To reduce wind-blown dust from the facility, which contains varying levels of heavy metals, the company will implement an improved dust control plan, including the use of wind fences, upgraded water sprayers and the installation of concrete pads. In addition, ASARCO will operate five ambient air monitors in and around the Hayden and Winkelman communities to track levels of pollutants, including arsenic, lead and PM, and will make additional improvements to dust controls if levels are high.
The settlement requires ASARCO to spend $8 million to fund two environmental mitigation projects. Of this, $6 million will be used on a road paving project in Pinal County that will reduce dust pollution on local dirt roads close to the towns and residents exposed to PM emissions. In addition, $2 million will be provided to the Gila County Environmental Health Services to conduct lead-based paint testing and abatement in homes, schools and other public buildings in the towns of Hayden and Winkelman.
ASARCO will spend approximately $1 million to replace an existing diesel switch locomotive operated at the facility with a cleaner diesel-electric switch locomotive. The project will reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, which are precursors to the formation of PM2.5, and greenhouse gases.
Long-term inhalation exposure to inorganic arsenic is associated with irritation of the skin and can affect the brain and nervous system. Exposure to lead can cause effects on the blood, as well as the nervous, immune, renal, and cardiovascular systems. Particulate matter, especially inhalable coarse particles (PM10) and fine particles (PM2.5), can cause coughing or difficulty breathing, decreased lung function, aggravated asthma, and even premature death in people with heart or lung disease. SO2 has also been linked to a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system, and SO2 is also a precursor to the formation of PM2.5. Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas. The PM2.5 and SO2 emission reductions achieved through compliance with this settlement will also serve to reduce visibility impairment owing to emissions from the facility.
Built in 1912 and expanded over the years, the ASARCO Hayden site is a copper ore processing, concentrating and smelter facility located adjacent to Hayden and Winkelman. The ASARCO plant includes a crusher, concentrator, smelter and tailings impoundment areas and produces 300 to 400 million pounds of copper and over half a million tons of sulfuric acid annually. ASARCO is owned by Grupo México, a Mexican consortium that owns Ferromex, the largest railroad in Mexico, and operates mines and smelters, including the one in Hayden, that make it the fourth largest copper producer in the world.
The settlement was lodged with the U.S. District Court of Arizona and is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
For more information and to read the settlement, visit:
http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/asarco-llc-settlement.
R301
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