Residents blame health problems on nearby Asarco plant, landfill

Could pollution be the cause of health problems in Sunland Park? Many residents suspect that it is.

[Textlatipoca]

The fight goes on.

[Betty]

The problem is copper toxicity. Look into what excess copper can do to your body.

[Leaders]

The real problem is the filth the area lives in.

[Leaders]

What's Chappareal's excuse?

[OGI Conservative Egotist]

The real source of the problem is that SShitt hole city to the south.

[the man]

the problem isnt pollution the problem is kids are just so dumb. kids in this area are retarded anyway. and the parents always look to blame something or someone on there kid being dumb.

[NEW TEXAN]

It is time El Paso take action on its problem with the trash going out of the State. As for Sunland Park, New Mexico needs to act on this and say NO to the settlement of $52 million by Asarco to clean the site. That won't cover the contamination in New Mexico, let alone all the contamination in El Paso. This is why we need to get RID of all those Corrupt officials that hold or held elected positions. I wonder how much these crooks took home??????

[the WOman]

I'm sooooo tired of people who hate El Paso and stay here just to talk about how much they hate it! The problem isn't that kids in this area are dumb if you would do a little reasearch you would realize that lead has been proven to affect the brain and the nervous system the smelter that is direcly across from them distributed a great measure of lead to their soil.

the man wrote:

the problem isnt pollution the problem is kids are just so dumb. kids in this area are retarded anyway. and the parents always look to blame something or someone on there kid being dumb.

[Ruben Segura Dumpmaster]

I worked for Waste Connections for 7 years and was in and out of the Camino Real landfill all of the time. I took that seven years to get a couple of degrees (Magna Cum Laude) at night and on the weekends. Before that I worked in and out of the Phelps Dodge copper smelters in New Mexico. People in Anapra are blaming the landfill for dropping out of school?? I think the lure of fast dirty money without the need for education is the bigger problem in Anapra.

[-------abc]

OGI Conservative Egotist,the man,NEW TEXAN,and Ruben Segura Dumpmaster,You all have valid comments. The retardation did not come from these companies.It came from the illegals that took a chance at crossing and living in the area.They were retarded to begin with because they came from a contaminated country.We are now the victims because they are polluting our country.We will become a third world country if don`t stop their illogical lawsuits.

[Yea Asarco]

I wanna work for Asarco...

El Paso in many ways is still Mexico. Having lived in other states, the state environmental agencies would be all over businesses poisoning the people and the ground. In El Paso - I wanna work for Asarco, and a TQC that are probably enjoying a free vacation - compliments of Asarco, because of their vote to reopen the plant.

[40Below]

Welfare mentality! Blame others for your lack of motivation and responsibility. It is not the fault of those companies for the community not to have a high school graduate in 10 years. It is the fault of the parents who let the kids drop out or are not there to supervise them, allowing them to ruin their brains on drugs or sniffing paint. They didn't drop out because of developmental problems. They dropped out because it is easier to draw welfare than get an education and get a job. It is easier to join a gang and make illicit money than to get a job. It is easier to blame someone else. This mentality is the biggest problem this country faces today. Quit blaming others and take responsibility for your own actions.

[STFU]

ASARCO was there way before these homes in Sunland park you people knew that it was there so why did you buy your homes...

[no name]

ok thats no excuse some of the homes that are near there are in CORONADO territory and they still manage to graduate...so don't blame asarco it was there 100 years before you people showed up..your kids are just stupid

[no name]

40Below wrote:

Welfare mentality! Blame others for your lack of motivation and responsibility. It is not the fault of those companies for the community not to have a high school graduate in 10 years. It is the fault of the parents who let the kids drop out or are not there to supervise them, allowing them to ruin their brains on drugs or sniffing paint. They didn't drop out because of developmental problems. They dropped out because it is easier to draw welfare than get an education and get a job. It is easier to join a gang and make illicit money than to get a job. It is easier to blame someone else. This mentality is the biggest problem this country faces today. Quit blaming others and take responsibility for your own actions.

AMEN YOU SAID IT

[Pollution Head Count]

With the Ft Bliss growth adding to the resident population and the transient population entering the city, the resultant "commerce" drive will kill the regional respiratory life quality.

HEED!
Without ant evidence, there is no success...

EL PASO AND CIUDAD JUAREZ SHARE A COMMON AIRSHED

Inversions trap emissions from both cities in the Rio Grande river valley, causing pollution buildup.

Source: Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, Texas Near Non-attainment Areas: Technical Background (1994).

El Paso is the only city in Texas in violation of national standards for both respirable particulate matter and carbon monoxide. The city is also designated as a "serious" nonattainment area for ozone. El Paso has been in compliance with national standards for nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and, since 1986, lead.

El Paso and other cities along the Texas-Mexico border face unique pollution problems. Modeling studies designed by the state have shown that air pollution originating in Ciudad Juárez -- which lies in a desert valley across the Rio Grande from El Paso -- contributes as much or more to overall air pollution in El Paso than pollution originating on the U.S. side of the border.* In fact, pollution levels monitored in Ciudad Juárez are significantly higher than those in El Paso. These two cities, along with Sunland Park, New Mexico, share a common airshed in a valley characterized by the Rio Grande and surrounding mountain peaks. Temperature inversions in the area contribute to air pollution problems.

A 1990 joint study by the EPA, Texas Air Control Board, El Paso City/County Health Department, and Mexican authorities found that the highest concentrations of particulate matter occurred in urban Ciudad Juárez and in the mountain pass along the border.* The principle sources of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and ozone in the area include motor vehicles, industries located in the airshed, open burning of domestic and agricultural wastes, and the burning of common and hazardous wastes by brick kilns.

A problem specific to the area is the large number of vehicles waiting to enter or exit the United States from Mexico. The El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border crossing is one of the busiest crossings along the border. Each vehicle crossing the border, about 40 percent of which have Mexican license plates, must wait at least ten minutes at the border while its paperwork is processed. Vehicles at idle produce higher emissions. In addition, Mexican vehicles, because they are older and have less stringent maintenance and emission controls, tend to be higher emitters.

[Heather]

About Asarco's weak "clarification" published in EP Times Tuesday July 7, 2009: Rep. Reye's comments about that same GAO report said it all: "Asarco was able to hide its activities from El Pasoans...Asarco paid out millions of dollars on the condition that details of its activities would not be released to the public" (Reyes official statement Nov 13, 2007).

Asarco still wants us to believe it didn't happen. But in 10/2006 the Federal Government broke eight years of silence and gave us a formerly confidential-for-settlement-pu rposes-only EPA-DOJ Asarco document. The EPA told the Federal Dept. of Justice, "THIS ACTIVITY PLAIN AND SIMPLE, WAS ILLEGAL TREATMENT and DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS WASTE." and that "IT APPEARS THAT ASARCO BENEFITED SUBSTANTIALLY" (google "secret asarco document" on the internet).

Asarco signed the consent decree on conditions that details of what they had done would never become public. The secret is out. God only knows what poisons rained down on Cd. Juarez and the communities of Sunland Park and El Paso from those years of illegal activity.

Asarco's "clarification" is all about closure and not about disclosure.

[Real Culprit]

Now, as politicians sell building permits for folks to build in arroyos, and propose violating the laws of nature by over extending the demands on Mother Nature,demand on water, building and air quality-- all suffer.
The FT Bliss Growth was not part of the air basin study, resulting in arrival to a dangerous fork in the road.
Which path needs to be taken for survival?
IF the leadership had any guts, the denial of all air emmission non complying automobiles/trucks from entry into the El Paso air basin via bridges would be a vital first step. We know otherwise...
Blame ASARCO but turn your head when the AUTO is the PRIME CULPRIT!
El Paso is the only city in Texas in violation of national standards for both respirable particulate matter and carbon monoxide. The city is also designated as a "serious" nonattainment area for ozone. El Paso has been in compliance with national standards for nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and, since 1986, lead.
El Paso and other cities along the Texas-Mexico border face unique pollution problems. Modeling studies designed by the state have shown that air pollution originating in Ciudad Juárez -- which lies in a desert valley across the Rio Grande from El Paso -- contributes as much or more to overall air pollution in El Paso than pollution originating on the U.S. side of the border.* In fact, pollution levels monitored in Ciudad Juárez are significantly higher than those in El Paso. These two cities, along with Sunland Park, New Mexico, share a common airshed in a valley characterized by the Rio Grande and surrounding mountain peaks. Temperature inversions in the area contribute to air pollution problems.
A 1990 joint study by the EPA, Texas Air Control Board, El Paso City/County Health Department, and Mexican authorities found that the highest concentrations of particulate matter occurred in urban Ciudad Juárez and in the mountain pass along the border.* The principle sources of carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and ozone in the area include motor vehicles, industries located in the airshed, open burning of domestic and agricultural wastes, and the burning of common and hazardous wastes by brick kilns.
A problem specific to the area is the large number of vehicles waiting to enter or exit the United States from Mexico. The El Paso-Ciudad Juárez border crossing is one of the busiest crossings along the border. Each vehicle crossing the border, about 40 percent of which have Mexican license plates, must wait at least ten minutes at the border while its paperwork is processed. Vehicles at idle produce higher emissions. In addition, Mexican vehicles, because they are older and have less stringent maintenance and emission controls, tend to be higher emitters.