ASARCO in El Paso: the Early History
Begin reading about El Paso here. ASARCO was central to El Paso’s economy. By 1927 it commanded "a million dollar payroll."
Controversy in El Paso
It was common knowledge that Asarco often waited until the winds blew south towards Mexico to fire up the furnaces and increase production.
Lead Poisoning in El Paso
"Even in the worst inner city neighborhoods…we had never seen 3/4 of the children with blood lead levels above 40." Dr. Philip Landrigan
City of El Paso and State of Texas vs. ASARCO: The Fate of Smeltertown
In 1972, the City of El Paso, led by Mayor Bert Williams and the State of Texas filed suit against ASARCO.
ASARCO's Environmental Practices Exposed
In the 1970’s and 1980’s ASARCO's plants around the U.S. were receiving heightened scrutiny from local, state and federal officials,...
The Battle for ASARCO's Air Permit
In 1999, one year following the EPA consent decrees, ASARCO closed the El Paso plant, citing the falling price of copper as the reason...
El Paso Images
Historical and contemporary images of El Paso.