Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) will hold a formal Public Hearing on the request for an air quality permit renewal for ASARCO Mission Complex copper mine (ASARCO) operating at 4201 W. Pima Mine Road in Sahuarita, Arizona.

The formal Public Hearing will be Tuesday, November 27, 2012, at the Rancho Resort Clubhouse at 15900 South Rancho Resort Boulevard in Sahuarita, Arizona, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. There will be an opportunity at this hearing for the public to speak about the proposed renewal of the ASARCO air quality permit or to drop off written comments about the permit.

ASARCO is currently operating under an air quality permit issued in 2003 and revised in 2011. This existing five-year permit remains in effect until the Control Officer (Director) of PDEQ makes a decision regarding the air quality permit renewal. The proposed air quality permit requires ASARCO to continue to control particulate emissions from the tailings by incorporating a tailings management plan. In addition, the permit requires ASARCO to continue to control particulate emissions from crushers, conveyor belts and processing equipment through the use of various pollution control equipment. Additionally, all equipment at ASARCO is subject to local and/or federal standards that limit or control overall emissions from the facility.  There are no changes to ASARCO’s operations proposed in this permit renewal.

The official public comment period for the proposed permit began on October 1, 2012, and will end on November 30, 2012. Copies of the permit application and relevant background material may be reviewed at www.deq.pima.gov or during normal business hours at the PDEQ offices, 33 N. Stone Ave., Suite 700, in Tucson. For additional information, please call (520) 243-7400.

Pima County, Ariz. (Nov. 7, 2011) – The Pima County Department of Environmental Quality will hold a  public hearing in Green Valley Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2011, on the request by ASARCO for a revision to its ASARCO Mission Complex air quality permit.

The open pit copper mine operates along I-19, in Sahuarita.

 The hearing will be at the Joyner Green Valley Branch Library, 601 N. La Canada Drive, Green Valley, Ariz. from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

This is an opportunity for the public to speak about a proposed revision to the current ASARCO air quality permit, or to drop off written comments about the permit revision request.

ASARCO has applied for a revision to the air quality permit. The company seeks to increase the Ball Mill capacity at the South Mill, as well as to upgrade and/or add pollution-control equipment. As a result of the capacity increase, ASARCO has proposed an emission limitation of 12,500,000 tons per year on the South Mill Crusher, which is below the currently allowed capacity.

In addition to limiting emissions, the draft air-quality permit revision would require ASARCO to test the new pollution-control equipment in order to demonstrate compliance with the emission limitation.

The draft revised ASARCO permit also has additional monitoring and recordkeeping provisions that would require ASARCO to demonstrate compliance with the emission limitation.

Copies of the permit application, the draft revised air-quality permit and relevant background material may be reviewed during normal business hours at the PDEQ office. These materials may also be viewed online at www.deq.pima.gov. For more information, please contact Beth Gorman at DEQ at (520) 243-7446.