Asarco is reportedly preparing to spend $110 million to upgrade its long-troubled Hayden smelter to meet tougher federal controls on its emissions. Asarco proposes to cut its SO2 emissions by nearly 85 percent by October 2018 from current levels. It has filed a permit application seeking the state’s approval of the upgrade.

At the same time, the congresswoman who represents the Hayden area, Ann Kirkpatrick, has warned that the smelter could be closed or its operations curtailed unless the Environmental Protection Agency and Asarco reach agreement soon on a related issue. It involves EPA allegations, denied by the company, that Asarco’s emissions of hazardous air pollutants, mostly heavy metals, have violated federal law.

Although the EPA and Asarco won’t discuss the enforcement-related matter, it appears that the smelter upgrade and the question of Asarco’s culpability for legal violations may have been folded together in negotiations.

Another multinational mining company, Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, plans to spend $450 million to improve emissions controls at its Miami copper smelter near Globe by mid-2017. It plans to expand production there at the same time.

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