Largest Open Pit Copper Mine in the World Pollutes Utah

For at least the last five years, Kennecott Utah Copper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, violated the federal limits on ore and waste rock production at its Bingham Canyon Mine, the largest open pit copper mine in the world. Kennecott agreed in 1994 to limit production to 150,500,000 tons of ore and waste rock a year at the Bingham Canyon Mine. The EPA approved the limit, and adopted it into federal regulations. Every year since 2006, Rio Tinto violated the production limit, reaching levels up to 192,684,252 in 2009 — more than 40 million tons over the limit, according to data submitted to the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining. The mine is located in western Salt Lake County in the Oquirrh Mountains of Utah.

A coalition of environmental, health and advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in December against Kennecott Copper over Clean Air Act (CAA) violations at the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine. The coalition (WildEarth Guardians, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, and Utah Moms for Clean Air) filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Utah. The lawsuit seeks a ruling that Kennecott violated the CAA, an order that the company comply with the production limit, and the company pays the maximum penalty of $37,500 per violation per day.

Salt Lake County and other counties in the area are currently in violation of federal health limits on particulate matter. The region has some of the worst particulate pollution in the U.S. The American Lung Association ranks the area an “F” for ozone and particulate matter pollution. Salt Lake County is officially classified by the EPA as in “non-attainment” with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for particulate matter and sulfur dioxide.

Kennecott’s response to the lawsuit is denial. “We operate within strict provisions established by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Utah Division of Air Quality,” said Kyle Bennett, Kennecott Utah Copper spokesman. “And those limits have been established to protect human health.”

The Utah Division of Air Quality claims that it protects “public health and the environment from the harmful effects of air pollution.” However, the lawsuit makes that claim ring hollow.

Tell the Utah Division of Air Quality what you think. Sign the petition: Clean Up the Bingham County Mine.

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Photo credit: Flickr user, Loco Steve

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Eternal G.

4:42PM PST on Feb 21, 2012

SICK

send a green star

Charlene R.

6:10PM PST on Jan 29, 2012

There is never enough to satisfy Big Business.

Alison B.

8:34PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

Like fracking, strip mining is abhorrent.

Lin P.

12:38PM PST on Jan 27, 2012

I'm wondering about the residents of Utah, a state that had, and is in danger of losing what is left, such wonders of land and life. Why don't they, the residents and neighboring states, stand UP and tell the miners and destroyers, to stop the desecration. The book of supposed wisdom, Pearls of Great Price, surely did not mean the destruction of the earth at any cost, even for growing human consumptions. Nor did/do any of the interpretations of the bible.

Judith M.

11:35AM PST on Jan 26, 2012

Sick. It's all about greed & the almighty buck. Utah has some of the most spectacular scenery on this planet. Why destroy it?

Karen B.

12:28AM PST on Jan 26, 2012

So awful.

Joan M.

11:15PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

The citizens of Utah with the backing of the rest of us needs to standup and say enough is enough, this does not only affect Utah but global warming as well which effects all of us.

Jusemmy A.

8:20PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

So how can the citizens of Utah do something to. Protest this, are most of people even aware that this is occurring. This is the first time I hear of it, it is pretty atrocious the stuff that goes on and one has no clue! How can we stop this!?

Lee W.

7:49PM PST on Jan 25, 2012

In fact, Mormons are among the greatest hypocrites in our society. Bygamists, money mongers, don't drink caffeine until they become stock-holders, destroy our planet so they can finance their pilgrimage to Mormon heaven, etc. Notice the stair-steps of the mine headed downwards? Perhaps they are confused as to which way is heaven.