[ADEQ Media] ADEQ Director Owens Announces Tough Water Quality Permits for Mining Operations in Miami, Gila County

[media@lists.azdeq.gov]

ADEQ Director Owens Announces Tough Water Quality Permits for Mining
Operations in Miami, Gila County

PHOENIX (Sept. 4, 2008) - Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
Director Steve Owens announced today that three draft permits for mining
operations in Gila County will protect the community's underground water
supply if issued.

The permits, known as Aquifer Protection Permits (APPs), are proposed
for the Freeport-McMoRan Miami, Inc. open-pit, porphyry-copper mining
and smelting operation; the BHP Copper Miami Unit, a 700-acre site that
produces refined copper from leaching operations; and the BHP Copper
Cities Unit, which consists of two pits, two main leach dumps, waste
rock piles, and a variety of impoundments and structures used to
transport and or impound mining-process water and stormwater. 

The public comment period for the permits ends Oct. 9.   Comments should
be sent to Barry Rechtorovich, ADEQ, Groundwater Section, 1110 West
Washington Street, MC5415B-3, Phoenix, AZ 85007.

The three APPs require operational monitoring at each site to ensure the
facilities are inspected and maintained to meet Best Available
Demonstrated Control Technology standards. Groundwater monitoring is
required to ensure that aquifer water quality standards are met.  

"These are strong water quality permits that will protect groundwater in
the area, and will bring these historic mining operations into
compliance with current regulations," Director Owens said. "Issuance of
these permits will protect much-needed jobs in Gila County while also
safeguarding precious water resources."
 
Owens noted that ADEQ issued a similarly strong permit for BHP Copper's
Pinto Valley Mine in Miami last year. 

The operations are located within the Pinal Creek Water Quality
Assurance Revolving Fund (WQARF) site but the facilities are not part of
WQARF cleanup operations.  Cleanup activities for the affected areas
will continue under the WQARF program.

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News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
communications@azdeq.gov.

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