News Room

Thousands earn right to enter Asarco air permit renewal hearing
January 27, 2005

More than 300 people packed the Tomas Rivera Conference Room at UTEP on Thursday during Asarco’s preliminary hearing.

Written by Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Press Release

News144

Thousands of El Pasoans, including the UTEP Student Government Association, the Get the Lead Out Coalition and the Sunset Heights neighborhood, were classified as an “affected party” in the Asarco air renewal permit hearing on Thursday.

Thus, these groups, which also include the Sierra Club, Juarez residents, Anapra, N.M., residents, and Senator Eliot Shapleigh, will get to participate in all of the hearings pertaining to the renewal of the air permit.

“What we want is a public hearing so that we can have a full ventilation of the issues associated with Asarco’s air permit,” Shapleigh said. “Our community has never had a full airing of the issues publicly, it is time that we do.”

More than 300 people packed the Tomas Rivera Conference Room at UTEP on Thursday during Asarco’s preliminary hearing. The purpose of the hearing was to establish the guidelines for the contested case hearing and to decide if other groups or people would be allowed to participate in the hearing.

The hearing judge basically ruled that anyone living with a one- or two-mile radius of Asarco would be considered an “affected party” because they breathe the same air. This applied to people living in Juarez and New Mexico, as well as those living in El Paso and UTEP’s students.

For more information visit the /Get The Lead Out website.

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