Asarco Report Confirms Deteriorated Condition of Copper Smelter
By: City of El Paso July 11, 2008 -- A recent report filed by Asarco with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality shows that the Asarco El Paso copper smelter is in significant disrepair and in no condition to restart. The report prepared by Asarco and filed with the TCEQ on July 1, 2008, finds that major portions of the existing facility are so outdated that replacement and modernization of the equipment is being considered by Asarco as a viable alternative to repair of the existing equipment. The City of El Paso has steadfastly opposed the restart of the Asarco El Paso copper smelter because of concerns that it cannot operate in compliance with its permit and current environmental regulations. Those concerns were raised to a new level based on the findings in the Asarco report. In May 2007 the TCEQ Executive Director issued his Report that concluded that all major process and abatement equipment and components at the smelter were present, intact, and in generally satisfactory condition. It now appears that the Executive Director’s Report was based on primarily an external inspection of the plant. The Asarco report indicates the plant is in significantly worse condition. An inspection by consultants hired by Asarco found the majority of equipment in the two acid plants was deteriorated beyond use and had value only as scrap. Further, pollution control equipment for the ConTop reactors and the acid plants, and supporting equipment such as screw conveyors, belt conveyors and elevators, were found to be so damaged as to require significant repairs or replacement. The City has long urged that the EPA Reactivation Policy should be applied to the Asarco El Paso copper smelter. The policy applies to facilities that have been shutdown for extended periods of time and requires those facilities to undergo a complete regulatory and permitting review to determine compliance with current environmental standards. The policy also recognizes that the area around a facility changes with time, and before restart a facility must be evaluated to determine the impact of emissions on the changed area. The significant deterioration identified within the report, added to the fact that the smelter has been shutdown for over nine years, decisively supports the City's arguments that this facility must be reviewed under the Reactivation Policy. The City maintains its opposition to the restart of the copper smelter, especially now that the Asarco report shows the facility is in worse condition than stated in the 2007 TCEQ Executive Director’s Report. The City has appealed the TCEQ’s issuance of the Asarco air permit, and the case is currently pending in Travis County District Court. |
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