Superfund sites benefit from Asarco bankruptcy settlement

Five Superfund sites in Missouri will receive nearly $70 million for environmental cleanup and restoration. The money comes from a $1.79 billion settlement with Arizona-based mining company Asarco LLC for cleaning up 80 polluted sites in 19 states. The U.S. Justice Department announced the settlement Thursday. More than $37 million will go toward cleanup of three sites in southeast Missouri: Big River Mine Tailings/St. Joe Minerals Corp.; Federal Mine Tailings; and Madison County Mines. Two sites in southwest Missouri will get $32.8 million. Those sites are Jasper County/Oronogo-Duenweg Mining Belt, and Newton County Mine Tailings.