Official Petition to terminate Minerals Research Inc. Slag Crushing Operations in the center of Cottonwood, AZ. 

The “Copper Slag Dust” being created at the Minerals Research Facility in the heart of Cottonwood, AZ contains high levels of toxic heavy metals including Arsenic, Aluminum, Lead, Barium, and more.  

The Materials Data Safety Sheet for the slag dust states it can cause cancer, birth defects, reproductive disorders, exacerbate respiratory illness and more.  

No risk analysis has ever been performed on the slag dust and therefore no safe limit of exposure to the slag dust has ever been established for children, the elderly, and the immune compromised.   This critical risk assessment has never been performed by ADEQ, the City of Cottonwood, or any other governmental agency.  

This petition asserts the following: 

1. The fugitive copper ore slag dust containing toxic heavy metals that is blanketing our community coming from the slag crushing operation poses a clear health risk to the citizens and children of Cottonwood based on all science available and doctor testimony.
2. The constant emissions of toxic slag dust are an ongoing nuisance to our community.
3. For approximately 9 years, the MRI operations have been conducted in violation of ADEQ regulations, Arizona Revised Statutes and the Clean Air Act.  
4. MRI has never submitted to the City the required Phase 2 Environmental testing. 
5. MRI has been operating in violation of section 302 relating to their conditional use permit.
6.  MRI has violations and material inaccuracies in their SWPPP.
7. MRI has never obtained the required air quality permit or ANY valid ADEQ permits for the last 9 years of operation and resulting contamination.  
8. We request that Minerals Research Operations be shut down immediately until and unless 1. all violations are corrected, and all fugitive dust emissions fully cleaned up in our entire community, to be verified by phase 3 environmental testing  2. a safe level of exposure for children to the specific levels of toxic heavy metals within this specific slag dust is established according to the risk assessment methods outlined in the EPA document “ISSUE PAPER ON THE HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS OF METALS” and proven that MRI fugitive emissions can stay within that limit to be confirmed with specialized air quality monitoring stations located around the fence line of the facility.  The safe exposure limit for the slag dust, rich in toxic heavy metals, will be much stricter than the National Ambient Air Quality standards, which are the only current guidelines influencing the emission requirements for dust from MRI. We request immediate action from our government, environmental, and health agencies to enforce penalties for the above violations, to compel testing to determine the extent of contamination, to initiate full clean-up of the contamination, and to ensure all requests herein are fully enforced to protect human and environmental health.