[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Cites ASARCO for Water Quality Violations at Hayden Mine

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Cites ASARCO for Water Quality Violations at Hayden Mine

PHOENIX (May 21, 2007) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ) Director Steve Owens today announced that ADEQ has issued a
Notice of Violation (NOV) to ASARCO Hayden for water quality violations
at the company's mine in Pinal County.

In February, a pipeline that pumps mine tailings to one of the on-site
tailings ponds at ASARCO's Hayden facility ruptured and discharged over
18,000 pounds of mine tailings into the Gila River flood plain near the
facility and into the Gila River itself. Approximately 16,000 pounds of
tailings were discharged into the Gila River flood plain and
approximately 2,000 pounds of tailings were discharged directly into the
flowing Gila River.

"This was an unacceptable discharge that threatened water quality and
other natural resources in the area," said Director Owens. "ASARCO must
not let this happen again."

The discharged mine tailings consist of crushed rock and metals,
including lead and arsenic. ASARCO manually removed the tailings that
were discharged to the Gila River flood plain, but the tailings
discharged into the river were carried downstream and could not be
removed.

The NOV requires ASARCO Hayden to take action to avoid another pipeline
rupture and to advise ADEQ within 90 days of the action taken. 

A Notice of Violation is a compliance tool used by ADEQ to put a party
on notice that the agency believes a significant violation of
environmental law has occurred. 

Owens said that ASARCO could face civil penalties for the violation. 

ASARCO recently paid a $77,500 penalty for air quality violations at the
Hayden facility due to blowing mine tailings.

-end-

News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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