Why did Asarco close?
Fined $3.6 million in 1996 for discharging lead and other pollutants into the Missouri River, Asarco closed its Omaha plant in July 1997. After extensive site cleanup, the land was turned over to the City of Omaha as a 23-acre (93,000 m2) park.
Where was the Asarco smelter?
Tacoma
For almost 100 years, the Asarco Company operated a copper smelter in Tacoma. Air pollution from the smelter settled on the surface soil of more than 1,000 square miles of the Puget Sound basin.
What is the difference between smelting and melting?
Melting is the process of liquefying a solid substance by heating. Both processes involve heating a substance into a higher temperature. The main difference between melting and smelting is that melting converts a solid substance into a liquid whereas smelting converts an ore to its purest form.
What are the disadvantages of smelting?
The Disadvantages of Smelter
- Toxic Air Pollutants. The smelting process breaks down the ore that contains not only metals, but other chemicals as well.
- Water Pollution. Waste products from smelting include liquid waste into water supplies.
- Acid Rain.
- Worker Health.
When was the ASARCO demolished?
The ASARCO smokestack — once the world’s largest — is demolished at the company’s old copper smelter in Ruston, north of Tacoma, on January 17, 1993.
Is the ASARCO strike over?
The Union has informed Asarco of this decision and has said that the strike and all picketing activities will end on Monday, July 6, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Arizona time and 10:00 a.m. Texas time.
When did the ASARCO smelter cleanup start in Tacoma?
In the mid-1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required Asarco to start cleanup work in the Ruston/North Tacoma Study Area under the Superfund program. Their work focused on the areas most affected by the former Asarco smelter.
Where did ASARCO replace soil in Ruston wa?
Under EPA’s oversight, Asarco sampled soil at 3,570 properties in Ruston and North Tacoma and replaced soil at 2,436 of those properties. The EPA’s work focused on the areas closest to the former smelter. Properties qualified for soil work when they had arsenic levels over 230 parts per million.
Where was the copper smelter in Washington State?
For almost 100 years, the Asarco Company operated a copper smelter in Tacoma. Air pollution from the smelter settled on the surface soil over more than 1,000 square miles of the Puget Sound basin. Arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals are still in the soil as a result of this pollution.
What is still in the soil from the Tacoma smelter?
Arsenic, lead, and other heavy metals are still in the soil as a result of this pollution. Visit our website for more information on the history and current programsor call the Tacoma Smelter Plume Project line (360) 407-7688, press 2. Everett Smelter Cleanup Learn more about soil sampling and cleanup work in Everett.