EPISD School Board Votes To Join Fray Opposing ASARCO

By Darren Hunt

EL PASO — A majority of trusteeswith the El Paso Independent School District joined the opponentsof the prospect ofASARCO’s reopening.

Board President David Dodge, along with four other trustees, announced from the steps of Vilas Elementary School, that the district has adopted a stance in opposition to renewal of the air quality permit for ASARCO.

The decision, Dodge said, was influenced by the proximity of seven EPISD schools to the copper smelter’s West El Paso plant. The resolution was passed witha 5-to-1 vote to adopt the ‘opposition stance.’

“We’re against the operation of Asarco because of our concern about the environmental health not only of our neighborhoods, but of our students,” said Dodge.

ASARCO officials released a statement saying they are ‘astounded’ by the district’s stance.

“The District’s position is especially troubling considering that they are leaving more than $1million in property tax revenue on the table annually and that their fellow state agencies — tasked with protecting the health and environment of the state, have scientific studies that dispute the District’s opinion.”

They referred to several studies over the years that indicated that the smelter poses no health hazard to the public.

But the ‘majority’voice of the school board did not represent the entire district. El Paso Federation of Teachers President Frances Wever said she was unaware of the resolution.

“I just think maybe if you’re going to make a resolution that impacts everybody, you just might publish it ahead of time. Every teacher may have said, ‘Yeah, yeah, go ahead and take this stand.’ They just didn’t ask,” Wever said.