New Updates to the ASARCO Smelter Site Website
{www.RecastingTheSmelter.com}

The Texas Custodial Trust is committed to the remediation of the Site and to working with the surrounding community and stakeholders. As part of our stakeholder outreach efforts we are dedicated to maintaining a website that has the most current and up-to-date site information. Please note that there have been new website updates and some new site activities. These include:

1. Trustee Returning

   The Site Trustee is scheduled to be in El Paso on August 16 & 17th. Currently the Trustee has scheduled the following meetings for August:

   • August 16
     • 3:00pm – Meeting with UTEP, Special Collections Department, Discussion on potential donation of historical documents
     • 4:30pm – Meeting with Community Scholars
   • August 17
     • 10:30am – Meeting with TxDOT
     • 12:00pm – Meeting with El Paso Central Business Association
     • 2:00pm – Meeting at UTEP with Dr. Natalicio, President of UTEP
     • 3:00pm – Meeting with UTEP, Trustee is speaking to the Administrative Forum Group
2. Rail Removal

   The plant rails, rail ties, switches and other track material have been sold to National Salvage for $215,000. The materials will be removed, rinsed on-site, loaded onto trucks and transported offsite for reuse and/or recycle.

   Removal activities will begin the week of August 9th and will continue for up to two months. During that time, it is expected that less than 5 trucks per day on average will be leaving the site.

3. Asbestos Survey of the Contop and Old Reverb

   An asbestos survey of the Contop and Reverb areas of the plant will begin the week of August 2nd. Texas-licensed asbestos inspectors, AnE Consulting of El Paso, will sample materials that could potentially contain asbestos. The samples will be analyzed and the results will be used to identify which materials will require abatement.

4. Site Auction Postponed

   The Site Trustee recently announced that the equipment liquidation auction originally scheduled for the week of August 2, 2010 will be postponed. A new date has not been set.

   Mr. Puga explained that more time is needed to value various assets and personal property and to determine which items could bring better returns if sold by direct sale to commercial purchasers. Any money generated by the sale of equipment and salvage items goes directly to fund cleanup and remedial action of the site.

5. Clarification on El Paso Inc. News Article

   The Site trustee is NOT taking bids for demolition at this time. Currently the bid package is being formulated and a notice will be emailed out to all interested parties if they are registered on the website. Additionally all bid information will be posted on the RFPs/Bids section of the website.

Thank you for your interest in the website. We appreciate your blog posts and are working to answer any questions in a timely manner.