Doe Run Shares National Ambient Air Quality Standard Results
Broad Street monitor pushes third-quarter average beyond national standard; nine others are within.
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) October 3, 2006
The Doe Run Company announced today that its Herculaneum, Mo., smelter facility exceeded the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for lead in the third quarter of 2006 at the Broad Street monitor. While nine of 10 air monitoring stations have consistently met the standard, this single monitor, located 200 yards west of the facility, has been slightly over or under the standard since the 2000 State Implementation Plan (SIP) was completed in July 2002.
“We are working with the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and the MDNR [Missouri Department of Natural Resources] to identify measures that will allow us to consistently meet the standard,” said Gary Hughes, general manager of Doe Run’s Herculaneum operation. “Improving air quality and maintaining a healthy community are our shared objectives. As we press forward toward the goal of consistent attainment at all 10 monitors, we sincerely appreciate the continued support and cooperation of our community.”
According to data collected by Doe Run, final third-quarter results from strategically positioned air monitors in Herculaneum ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air, placing the area just outside the EPA-specified air quality standard of 1.5 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air (averaged over a calendar quarter). The Broad Street monitor registered 1.6 micrograms of lead per cubic meter of air for the third quarter. The remaining air monitoring stations (High School, Bluff, Sherman, City Hall, South Main, South Cross, North Cross, Mott and Circle) were all within the standard.
Aaron Miller, environmental manager with Doe Run, says the company constantly explores ways to bring emissions levels down– and keep them there. “We’ve come a long way since 1981, when the first State Implementation Plan was established. In fact, cooperative efforts have resulted in a 92 percent decrease in lead emissions since that time. We’re currently working on controls and technologies to further minimize emissions, and we expect to include some of those measures in the SIP that’s in development.”
The MDNR is reviewing proposed State Implementation Plan control strategies to determine if those measures will enable the area nearest the Herculaneum facility to stay within the NAAQS. A new SIP will be submitted by MDNR for the EPA’s approval in April 2007.
“We have tackled all of the big changes, so there are no more big bites to take out of the apple,” said Miller. “Our team is diligently working to control the things we can, nibbling at every part of the proverbial core to protect our neighbors and deliver what’s needed to our customers.”
Establishing a “buffer zone” between the plant and community is another of the strategies being considered in the SIP by agencies and the company to further protect the community. Discussions on the proposed buffer zone are ongoing.
Based in St. Louis, The Doe Run Company is a privately held natural resources company dedicated to environmentally responsible mineral production, metals fabrication, recycling and reclamation. The company and its subsidiaries deliver products and services needed to provide power, protection and convenience through premium products and associated metals including lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver. As the operator of one of the world’s only multi-metal facilities and the Americas’ largest integrated lead producer, Doe Run employs more than 5,000 people, with U. S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and Peruvian operations in Cobriza and La Oroya. Committed to sustainable development, The Doe Run Company has helped bring electrical power, business training, educational opportunities and improved telecommunications to rural communities in Peru and the U. S. For more information, visit http://www. doerun. com (http://www. doerun. com).
“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted, either positively or negatively, by various factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to satisfy its debt and environmental obligations, regulatory compliance with local state and federal governmental agencies, financing sources, potential and actual litigation, weather, permits, raw materials cost, competition and business conditions in the mining and recyclable industries. As a result, the forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the statements herein. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see the risk factors set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recently ended fiscal year.
Contact:
Christi Dixon
314-469-3500
Http://www. doerun. com (http://www. doerun. com)
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