PUBLIC NOTICE | Risk Assessment & No Further Action Determination for the Morenci Schools Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) Site

Freeport Minerals Corporation (FMC) is requesting a No Further Action (NFA) determination from ADEQ for the Morenci Schools Site located at 473 Stadium Drive in Morenci, Arizona.1 The site is 72 acres and comprised of an elementary, middle, and high school in addition to a school district administration building, bus barn, parking lots, play areas, and sports fields. The schools were built on a former tailings pond that was once operated by the Morenci Mine.

The site is currently managed under the ADEQ Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP). FMC sampled soil/tailings to assess whether the material poses an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment. Arsenic was identified as the primary contaminant of concern. The site-wide mean and 95 percent upper confidence limits on the mean concentrations calculated for surface soil/tailings, and for soil/tailings across sampled depths are below the Soil Remediation Level of 10 mg/kg. The resulting risk estimate was also below the de minimis cancer risk threshold of 1 x 10-6. Regulatory closure of the site is based on a risk evaluation for the current property use.

A determination of NFA means that no further action shall be taken by ADEQ to remediate or require remediation of the site or portion of the site covered by the no further action determination, except in limited circumstances described in statute | View A.R.S. 49-181(E) >

Review Documents & Site Page

Original Public Notice | View >
Probabilistic Risk Assessment | View >
No Further Action Request | View >

Morenci Schools VRP Site Overview | View >

You may also review the above documentation at the ADEQ Record Center | Learn How >

Public Comment Period 

Dates: March 3, 2021 – April 2, 2021

Comments may be submitted as follows:

     By Email to ADEQ | Send Email >
     By Mail to ADEQ (Must be postmarked or received by April 2, 2021):
       Attention: Nichole Osuch
       ADEQ Voluntary Remediation Program
       1110 W. Washington St.
       Phoenix, AZ 85007

or

     By Email to Freeport Minerals Corporation | Send Email >
     By Mail to Freeport Minerals Corporation (Must be postmarked or received by April 2, 2021):
       Attention: Jennifer Laggan
       Freeport Minerals Corporation
       333 N. Central Ave.
       Phoenix, AZ 85004