{"id":17038,"date":"2015-11-03T22:13:42","date_gmt":"2015-11-04T06:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=17038"},"modified":"2015-11-04T09:16:40","modified_gmt":"2015-11-04T17:16:40","slug":"103-year-old-copper-smelter-plant-agrees-to-spent-150-million-to-reduce-air-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=17038","title":{"rendered":"103-Year-Old Copper Smelter Plant Agrees to Spend $150 Million To Reduce Air Pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"

ARIZONA<\/h2>\n
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\"Hayden<\/a>Copper smelter plant ASARCO<\/strong> agreed to enter into a settlement with the\u00a0Department of Justice<\/strong> and the Environmental Protection Agency<\/strong>\u00a0 that requires the plant \u00a0to 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, Arizona<\/strong>, officials announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n

ASARCO 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.<\/p>\n

The federal enforcement action targeted hazardous air pollutants, including lead and arsenic, and particulate matter.<\/p>\n

\"Environmental<\/a>With the controls in place, officials said 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, according to the EPA.<\/p>\n

The new equipment and controls will also slash the facility\u2019s sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 19,000 tons per year, a reduction of more than 90 percent, according to EPA estimates.\u00a0 Currently, the ASARCO smelter is the largest source of SO2 emissions in Arizona.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis settlement will bring tremendous benefits to public health and the environment in Arizona for generations to come through dramatic cuts to harmful air emissions,\u201d said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department\u2019s Environment and Natural Resources Division<\/strong>.\u00a0 \u201cThe requirements of this consent decree will not only bring ASARCO into compliance with the nation\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The ASARCO Plant’s Production<\/strong><\/p>\n

Built in 1912 and expanded over the years, the\u00a0ASARCO\u00a0Hayden site is a copper ore processing, concentrating and smelter facility located adjacent to Hayden and Winkelman, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0ASARCO\u00a0plant 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.<\/p>\n

ASARCO is owned by Grupo M\u00e9xico, 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, officials said.<\/p>\n

The Hayden facility is one of three copper smelters in the United State and the only one owned by ASARCO.<\/p>\n

EPA\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig enforcement actions like this result in big returns for American communities,\u201d said Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles for EPA\u2019s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.\u00a0<\/strong> \u201cThe upgraded pollution controls and advanced monitoring technologies ASARCO will install are key to a modern compliance program that cuts pollution around industrial plants.\u201d<\/p>\n

Particulate matter, especially uninhalable 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.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 Fine particles are also the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including national parks and wilderness areas.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Under the settlement, ASARCO agreed to do the following things:<\/strong><\/p>\n