Blowing mine dust causes concern

Winds reported to be between 10-15 miles per hour blowing toward the northeast caused a dust storm around the Freeport McMoRan open-pit copper mine on Saturday.

A spokesman for the Freeport McMoRan mine, Richard Peterson, contradicted reports that the mine had received calls from local residents about Saturday’s blowing dust.

Green Valley resident Barbara Epperson saw the blowing dust as early as 10:30 a.m. She drove to Continental and Mission roads, where she witnessed a “very large amount of dust in that area.”

Upon returning home, she called Supervisor Ray Carroll’s Special Assistant Tom Ward, who lives in Green Valley. He called the mine and reported it to Pima County authorities.

Ward drove up Continental Road at 11 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. to observe and said, “I saw considerable dust. I’ve seen it worse but it was definitely an event — a major dust storm. I called Freeport McMoRan and was told what they were doing, and it was what they should be doing — watering down.”

Ward also called the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Air Quality Monitoring and left a message.

Epperson also called Tom Miller, chair of the Environmental Committee of the Green Valley Community Coordinating Council.

“He returned my call, stating that he had also spoken with the mine. A spokesman said they had already received four or five calls,” Epperson said.

Contradicting this was the mine’s Regional Communications Manager Richard Peterson, who said Tuesday morning that the mine had not received any calls.

Peterson confirmed there were winds toward the northeast and the event was reported to ADEQ, but repeated that the mine had not received any calls.

Epperson said visibility was not good for driving in the area. “I am concerned for our community of citizens with health conditions related to the lungs. Re-occurrences of pollution from the mine can only exacerbate these conditions.”

At home, there was considerable dust on her patio — and she wasn’t in the worst area.

She also called ADEQ, got no response on Saturday and sent an e-mail to Jon Marting with the ADEQ’s Air Quality Compliance Team. He responded Monday morning and said a complaint would be opened regarding the mine dust.

Mary Murray, who lives in Madera Reserve, said her south windows face the mine. She also called the mine to complain of the dust this weekend.

“It’s a really big problem when the wind blows. I’ve lived here six years and it seems like the dust is getting worse, not better. A lot of people here have lung problems and there’s a lot of cancer. I don’t think anyone fights for our rights for clean air here. Who protects us? No one,” Murray said. “No sirens go off here as a warning as they did when I lived in the Bay Area of California. We were warned when an event was going on. We kept our doors and windows locked and were told not to go outside.”

Ellen Sussman is a freelance writer in Green Valley. Contact her at ellen2414@cox.net.