Ray Copper Mine, Arizona

The Ray Copper mine is located in Pinal County in southern Arizona, about 65 miles east of Phoenix.

ASARCO began mining copper at the Ray Mine in 1948.  Grupo Mexico, Mexico's largest mining company and the third largest copper producer in the world, purchased ASARCO in November of 1999.

Largest Source of Toxic Pollution in the State

The mine complex includes the nearby Hayden smelter, which is the largest single source of toxic pollution in Arizona, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The occurrence of lung cancer among Hayden residents is roughly 50 percent higher than for residents of the Tucson and Phoenix areas.

ASARCO has repeatedly spilled toxic waste containing cadmium, copper, and beryllium, into the environment.  In 1996, the EPA and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality cited ASARCO for repeated Clean Water Act violations.

20,000 Gallons of Groundwater per Minute

In a region that is largely desert, the Ray Mine uses as much as 20,000 gallons of groundwater per minute.  This heavy water consumption has reduced water flows in the adjacent Mineral Creek and the Gila and San Pedro Rivers, which provide essential habitat for endangered birds and fish, including the Southwestern willow flycatcher, the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, and the spikedace.

ASARCO is verging on the edge of bankruptcy, which could leave the taxpayers with hundreds of millions of dollars in clean-up costs.