Freeport McMoRan Morenci Agrees to Settlement

Freeport McMoRan Morenci has agreed to a $150,000 settlement for releasing sulfuric acid and heavy metals from a pipeline into Lower Chase Creek.

Freeport McMoRan will pay a $75,000 penalty and complete a supplemental environmental project valued at $75,000 as part of a consent judgment in Maricopa County Superior Couirt.

On October 30, 2008, Freeport’s Morenci facility discharged the solution directly into Lower Chase Creek from a stormwater pipe. The material traveled downstream for more than two miles, passing through areas of the creek publically accessible from both Morenci and Clifton. The discharge occurred after a contractor incorrectly connected an electrolyte solution pipeline into a pipeline dedicated to transporting stormwater through the mine.

When it became aware of the spill, Freeport McMoran acted quickly by constructing four temporary check dams, which stopped the discharge 120 feet from the confluence of the San Francisco River. They also minimized the potential impact by recovering 93,000 gallons of discharged liquids and removing 85,000 tons of contaminated sediment from the creek bed.

Freeport McMoRan has also agreed to conduct household hazardous waste collection events at dates and locations to be announced.