American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) Bankruptcy Settlement

As a result of the largest environmental bankruptcy in U.S. history, EPA, along with other federal and state agencies pursued and received $1.79 billion to fund environmental cleanup and restoration under a bankruptcy reorganization of American Smelting and Refining Company LLC (ASARCO), the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture announced today. ASARCO is a copper mining company based in Arizona that is responsible for sites around the country that are contaminated with hazardous waste.

"Today’s landmark enforcement settlement will provide almost one billion dollars to clean up polluted Superfund sites," said Cynthia Giles, Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "This will mean cleaner land, water and air for communities across the country."

In total, the payment will address environmental cleanup and restoration at more than 80 sites around the country. Much of the money paid to the United States will be placed in special accounts in the Superfund to be used by EPA to pay for future cleanup work. It will also be placed into accounts at the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture to pay for natural resource restoration.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

Press Release (12/10/2009)

General Information on ASARCO Bankruptcy and Environmental Claims

EPA Funded Sites and Communities Information Sheet

Settlement Agreements

Custodial Trust
- Custodial Trust Settlement Information Sheet
- Custodial Trust Settlement Agreement and Court Order (PDF) (72pp, 622KB)
Miscellaneous Federal and State Sites
- Miscellaneous Federal and State Sites Settlement Information Sheet
- Miscellaneous Federal and State Sites Settlement Agreement and Court Order (PDF) (47pp, 1.22MB)
Montana Sites
- Montana Sites Settlement Information Sheet
- Montana Sites Settlement Agreement and Court Order (PDF) (72pp, 540KB)
Residual Sites
- Residual Site Settlement Information Sheet
- Residual Site Settlement Agreement and Court Order (PDF) (47pp, 1.09MB)
Texas Sites
- Texas Sites Settlement Information Sheet
- Texas Sites Settlement Agreement and Court Order (PDF) (44pp, 511KB)

Recovering Cleanup Costs from Bankrupt Parties

For more information, contact:

Robert Roberts
Attorney Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (MC2272A)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202) 564-4267
roberts.robert@epa.gov

Melissa Gibbons
Attorney Advisor
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (MC2272A)
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20460
(202) 564-4276
gibbons.melissa@epa.gov

American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) Bankruptcy Settlement

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