The City of Cottonwood received notification from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) on Wednesday, October 4, regarding the voluntary suspension of operations at the Minerals Research & Recovery Inc. copper slag processing facility in response to a Notice of Violation issued by ADEQ to that facility.
City Manager Scotty Douglass stated, “While this new information was presented late yesterday afternoon by ADEQ to the City, the City continues to be committed to working closely with ADEQ on this matter.”
Minerals Research operates within the city limits under a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). On August 31, 2023, the City’s Community Development Department received a complaint that the facility was operating in violation of its CUP. The City reviewed the complaint and conferred with ADEQ to ensure that the facility was in compliance with applicable air quality regulations. The complaint was closed out on September 29, 2023 with the understanding that the facility was in compliance. Given the notice from ADEQ, the Community Development Department will reopen the complaint pending the outcome of the ADEQ’s Notice of Violation.
Discussions are underway for a community meeting, hosted by the City of Cottonwood and led by ADEQ. This meeting will provide an opportunity for ADEQ to explain their inspection and air quality enforcement measures and answer the community’s questions concerning regulation of the slag pile. A specific date for the meeting has not yet been confirmed but will be scheduled in the near future.
Concerns and inquiries regarding the status of MRI operations can be filed at https://www.azdeq.gov/EnvironmentalComplaints.
