Phelps Dodge Included in Arizona Environmental Report

March 3, 2000
A 1998 Community Right-to-Know report released this week included information about materials managed at five Phelps Dodge copper mining facilities in Arizona.

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) earlier this week made public its 1998 Community Right-to-Know report which included information about materials and substances managed and moved at five Phelps Dodge copper mining facilities in Arizona.

The report is based on information submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the ADEQ last summer by industries covered under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), which is commonly referred to as the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI).

Specific information about the materials reported by the Phelps Dodge operations was announced by the company last June.

In Arizona, Phelps Dodge facilities reported large volumes of copper found in extremely low concentrations in rock, and small quantities of other substances used in copper processing.

Phelps Dodge operations included for the first time in TRI reports are Morenci, Bibsee and three former Cyprus Amex facilities -- Bagdad, Sierrita and Miami -- which were acquired by Phelps Dodge in late 1999.

Nearly all (99.5 percent) of the materials reported by these facilities are metallic minerals that occur naturally in low concentrations in rock which is moved, processed and managed in safe, designated areas at the company's mines.

The remaining 0.5 percent includes other substances, such as sulfuric acid, used in the processing of copper.

The Phelps Dodge Arizona facilities reported the following total volume of materials on the 1998 TRI report: Morenci, 140 million pounds; Sierrita, 130 million pounds; Miami, 123 million pounds; Bagdad, 93 million pounds; and Bisbee, 1 million pounds.

"Copper mining, by its very nature, requires us to move a large volume of earth which contains microscopic amounts of metallic minerals," said Timothy R. Snider, president of Phelps Dodge. "So, while we are reporting a large quantity of substances, they contain only very low concentrations of naturally-occurring metals."

The information reported by Phelps Dodge and other hard rock mining companies does not reflect a change in the operating or environmental protection practices of its mining operations. Instead, the information reflects ongoing movement and management of rock material.

1998 was the first year hard rock mining operations and six other industries were included in the 14-year-old TRI program.

The nearly 650 chemicals and substances covered by TRI are reported by weight.

As a result the program was not designed to evaluate risk, nor is it indicative of risk.

EPA is expected to provide nationwide information on the 1998 data in the near future.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

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Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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