In the forested highlands of central Arizona, copper
mining has been a mainstay of the local economy for nearly a
century. But the area’s paychecks come with a hidden price: The
groundwater and soil are now contaminated with acidic metals, and a
plume of toxics threatens the Phoenix water supply.
Last year, the state of Arizona took action,
suing the local mining operations for violations of the federal
Clean Water Act and state environmental laws. In mid-August, the
state reached a final settlement with the Pinal Creek Group,
composed of Cyprus Miami Mining Corporation, BHP Copper Inc., and
Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company.
The
companies are required to clean up existing contamination near the
small mining towns of Globe and Miami – a job estimated at $100
million – and pay $600,000 in penalties to the state. The group
will also build a water treatment plant in the area, a measure
designed to keep the contaminated plume from moving into Pinal
Creek and heading toward the Salt River.
The
cleanup settlement focuses on “historic contamination” rather than
current mining practices, says Mitchell Klein from the state
attorney general’s office, since ongoing operations near Globe and
Miami are regulated separately.
The three
companies involved are now suing each other and the federal
government, trying to recover the costs of the cleanup. But Klein
isn’t worried. “They are paying (the state) back for every dime we
have spent on this, and they can beat each others’ brains out for
all we care,” he says. “We are a desert here, and we need our water
supply.”
*Michelle Nijhuis
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Mines must clean up their mess.
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