Asarco stacks to fall at dawn April 13, 2013

EL PASO – The Asarco smokestacks are scheduled to be demolished at dawn on April 13, 2013.

For more than a century, the American Smelting and Refining Co. processed metals, including lead, copper and zinc, on the site just west of Downtown along the Rio Grande.

Once the 825-foot and 612-foot stacks fall, metal in them will be recycled and concrete will be crushed and used as fill on the site.

The demolition is part of a $52 million remediation, which is expected to be complete by 2015. Owner Roberto Puga hopes to sell the site in 2016. The city’s master plan calls for mixed-use, high-density development on the property.

A facility such as a soccer stadium, racetrack or amusement park could be built on the part west of I-10, where hazardous materials from the entire Asarco property will be in a landfill. The part east of the freeway will be safe enough to be used for residential development.