Dewey-Humboldt's Town Council Tuesday requested that a federal agency hold off on its proposal to transfer 150,000 tons of toxic manganese mill tailings from rural Maricopa County to the Iron King Mine in Humboldt for processing.
In a 6-1 vote with Councilman Terry Nolan dissenting, council directed staff to send a letter to the Bureau of Land Management stressing the town's objection to the move until BLM completes a study on the safety and sustainability of the Iron King.
Minex LLC, a company that operates a mill 10 miles south of Aguila, Ariz., where the tailings originate, initially submitted the request to BLM, but no one from Minex attended Tuesday's meeting.
"I wanted to see a Minex representative here and find out who we were dealing with," Mayor Len Marinaccio said. "We have no problem with a business that's conducting itself in compliance with the law and getting proper permits. But we need to have a high level of confidence in that business to move forward."
In April, BLM officials conducted X-ray fluorescence sampling on the tailings, which BLM Field Manager Steven Cohn said are "significantly above the Arizona non-residential soil remediation levels and BLM's risk management criteria."
Manganese is a naturally occurring gray-white metal with key industrial metal alloy uses, particularly in stainless steel. However, doctors have linked human exposure to manganese dust and fumes to impaired motor skills and brain disorders in children.
"There is a vast sea of ignorance about what will happen if we approved this transfer," Councilman Floyd Wright said.
Town staffers say the trouble with the BLM request is that the Iron King Mine, which sits next to BLM lands off Highway 69, and the Humboldt smelter nearby remain on the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund hazardous waste cleanup list.
EPA remedial project manager Leah Butler, who attended Tuesday's meeting and alerted council of the BLM/Minex proposal, is putting together a reuse assessment for the mine and smelter sites. The assessment will help property owners and town officials decide future land uses for those spots.
BLM proposed transferring the aforementioned mill tailings from the Ambrosia Mill site near Aguila, Ariz., to the Iron King Mine for processing over a 13-year period.
With the EPA's assistance, Butler said Dewey-Humboldt could hire an environmental expert to assess the dangers of the proposed project.
"A lot of the concern has to do with where these materials are coming from," Councilwoman Denise Rogers said. "Will this cause additional problems? We need more data."
However, Nolan, who owns property near the Iron King Mine site, said Minex has been doing minimal processing on private property at the mine for the past two years and it has caused no problems. He cited a BLM environmental assessment of the tailings, which says the materials would create "no critical concerns" to land and water here.
"The material would be covered when it's loaded (in Maricopa County) and when it arrives (at the mine)," Nolan said. "There would be no hazardous waste generated on-site. Everything's contained in the processing. It's a win-win situation."
Town Manager William Emerson said his staff is not familiar with Minex's current processing at the mine. He added that the processing might be taking place at the former North American Industries site or at the Iron King Mine, both of which are within the Superfund cleanup area.
Emerson said Mindi Cross, solid waste inspections and compliance unit manager at ADEQ, has notified the EPA about potential dumping of manganese tailings at the Iron King.
Earlier this year, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality filed a lawsuit against the company that owns the Iron King site and its operators, brothers Clayton and Warren Kuhles. ADEQ alleges 10 violations at the Kuhles' Iron King landfill, which the Kuhles have denied.
"Staff is not sure how Minex relates to the Kuhles' activities, but the site is at least vulnerable to pollution," Emerson wrote in a memo to council July 15.
BLM also might not know that deposit of toxic tailings at the Iron King Mine violates a town ordinance prohibiting solid waste landfills within the town's borders, Emerson added.
The BLM is taking public comments about Minex's proposal through July 31. To submit a comment, people may e-mail Michael_Rice@blm.gov; conventionally mail it to the BLM's Phoenix District Hassayampa Field Office, 21605 N. Seventh Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85027; or fax it to 623-580-5580.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
For all the negative views of the EPA we need to thank them for bringing this situation to our attention. Neither the property owner nor Minex came to the town to request a permit. The town only found out because of the EPA in spite of the fact that Councilman Nolan knew about it for some time. It is my understanding that Minex then went to town hall after the newspaper article but has since withdrawn its application with BLM to move the toxic waste to Dewey-Humboldt.
Posted: Saturday, July 25, 2009
Article comment by:
Benjamin Franklin
this is a mile from my residents. Its bad enough after I found out that there is toxic cyanide present at the Iron king mine. Now they want to compound the problem with more hazardous waste? Our Community needs to stand up and not let this happen.
Posted: Friday, July 24, 2009
Article comment by:
A buck in the right hand cures all
Heck, its only impaired motor skills an brain disorders in children,what the heck we dont care, will thay pay money to our local politions,heck if thier gonna give them big bucks we lose a few kids! Where did thay find these people that run our new town!
Posted: Friday, July 24, 2009
Article comment by:
NO,NO TO MARICOPA'S TOXIC WASTE IN OUR TOW
I believe I speak for many residents here in our town of Dewey Humboldt when I state we live here to escape the pollution and crime of Phoenix. For this we put up with very low wages and others with long period of unemployment.PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THIS IN OUR TOWN. LET THEM KEEP THEIR OWN WASTE OR BETTER STILL TAKE IT FAR,FAR AWAY FROM ANY RESIDENTIAL AREA WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS!IT IS NOT DEWEY HUMBOLDT S PROBLEM !
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Article comment by:
J
Does this matter down there? I'm joking of course but the truth is D-H looks like a trash dump right now! Young's Farm is a giant eyesore and the whole town is lined with weeds and trash- it looks like a pretty shabby place. Good job town council!
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Article comment by:
I wonder about some local companies.
Sounds like the current owner/operator of Iron king does not care about the communities in this area. Why bring more of a bad thing to a real bad situation.
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Article comment by:
What's it going to be?
First you allow the area to be contaminated. Then the taxpayers pay to have the area cleaned up. And now you want to bring in more who knows what and contaminate the area again, probably worse than it is. Wow!
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Let me get this straight, they are wanting to add toxic waste to a site that is already a super fund clean up site?
