EPA Proposes Pollution Controls at Freeport Miami Smelter and 5 Other Facilities

The US Envornmental Protection Agency is proposing pollution controls at six facilities in Arizona to improve visibility at national parks and wilderness areas.

The EPA is proposing a plan to limit emissions such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide at facilities including Freeport McMoRan’s Miami smelter and ASARCO’s Hayden smelter.

The EPA estimates this would reduce sulfur dioxide by almost 30,000 tons a year and nitrogen oxides by 3,100 tons a year.

The EPA will hold public hearings on February 25 in Phoenix and on February 26 in Tucson. The agency will accept comments for 45 days after publication in the Federal Register.

Copper Theft Ring Arrested for Stealing Raw Copper from ASARCO

Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne has announced that a multi-million dollar copper theft ring has been broken up.

The Department of Public Safety began investigating the ring after a traffic stop of a semi-truck in September. The truck was carrying nearly $180,000 worth of raw copper stolen from the ASARCO mine in Hayden.

During the criminal investigation, DPS determined that several ASARCO employees helped steal the raw copper. Others drove the raw copper loads to heavy metal recyclers in both Arizona and California. The heavy metal recyclers would purchase the stolen copper from them at a fraction of the commodity price and then resell it to Chinese importers at a profit.

The defendants face 10 criminal counts including conspiracy, money laundering and theft involving nearly $10 million in stolen raw copper from ASARCO.

DPS Finds Thieves Who Stole Copper from Hayden Mine

The Arizona Department of  Public Safety has found the copper theft organization that was stealing metal from the ASARCO mine in Hayden

ABC15 reports that  DPS stopped a commercial vehicle on Interstate 10 and found about 48 copper ingots  inside the trailer attached to the vehicle. Ingots are large copper plates that weigh about 880 pounds.

DPS also searched a home in Marana and found 54 more copper ingots.

The value of the stolen copper is estimated to be about $300,000.

Asarco May Expand Arizona Mining Operations

The union representing Asarco copper miners says that rising metal prices in the world market will probably lead to expansion at 2 Arizona mines.

The Arizona Daily Star reports that the union official told the energy and mining publication Platts that the two most likely mines to expand operations are the Ray mines and the Mission Mine south of Tucson.

Asarco had no comment and the Star’s calls to the United Steel Workers were not returned.

Copper prices bottomed at $1.33 a pound in 2008 but have recently topped $4. Some experts predict that shortages could drive up copper prices to $5 a pound.