RUST IN PIECES: PART 2: Verde Valley Mining Legacies- 20 Million Tons of Slag + A Mountain Ghost Town Junkyard
- Lo Frisby
- Jun 4, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 1
*For mobile readers: I apologize for the awkwardly large photo sizing! I'm currently only able to include photos in my articles via HTML embed links (a storage issue related to my current account status). Unfortunately I can't edit sizing on mobile right now. To view whole images, slide left/ right & up/down or open in a separate tab.
The above photos are of the 20-million-ton slag pile (from United Verde Copper Company) which lies like a sleeping giant in Clarkdale, AZ. The slag, a.k.a tailings, are leftover byproducts from mining & smelting operations.
United Verde produced 2 billion tons of gold, silver & copper during Arizona’s early years of statehood. In 2007, Freeport-McMoran acquired the company which had been operated by its next owner, Phelps Dodge since circa 1935 until its closure. Since then, FM has taken steps toward mitigating the operation's environmental impacts, which include soil remediation of historic sites & properties affected by the toxic fumes from airborne metals that went unchecked for decades.
"What's going on in Clarkdale is a good illustration of how the soil replacement program works and why it is needed.
When the United Verde smelters were operating, there were no limits on emission controls used on the smokestacks. So, a variety of airborne metals drifted over the community for decades, eventually settling to the ground and getting into the soil.
The federal Clean Air Act, which restricted smokestack emissions, was passed in 1970, nearly two decades after the Clarkdale smelter closed. Since then, environmental laws and regulations have set what are considered safe levels for metals and other components in soil.
The aim of Freeport's soil remediation program is to remove any dirt from affected properties that does not meet current regulatory standards and replace it with soil that does. It's not that the concentrations that exist today are toxic, though prolonged exposure could pose a long-term health risk, for instance to a child who ingests soil from dirty hands.
The work in Arizona is being done in coordination with and under the oversight of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality through its voluntary remediation program."
-Excerpt from "Company Refurbishes Yards Impacted by Historic Mining Activity"
Via Freeportinmycommunity.com, October 14, 2021
Despite the remediation that was done by FM, the slag pile is still viewed as a threat by nearby communities, especially in recent years.
Many residents have reported that efforts (beginning in 2015) by a contracted company, Minerals Research Inc. (MRI), to repurpose the mountain of tailings have once again caused the materials, which are known to carry high levels of arsenic, to become airborne and have claimed that some have experienced negative consequences to their health as a result.
UPDATE 4/1/26: On March 19, a community meeting was held in Cottonwood by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) and the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) where, after a 2 hour presentation of testing results was given, a spokesperson for ADEQ concluded that the health risks to the community were "minimal".
However, ADEQ did caution that untreated well water and frequent contact with soil in areas with higher concentrations of arsenic could pose a threat, and stated that sensitive individuals such as those with asthma could be affected, especially on windy days.
As someone who has stood close enough to the slag pile to breathe in the fumes that it gives off on a hot summer's day, I am not inclined to linger. I have personally experienced headaches and dizziness after just a few minutes near the site, so, there's that.
With MRI's history of permitting violations and the ADEQ's tendency to favor mining companies, I feel that this story is, as they say, to be continued...
Meanwhile...
When in Jerome....
Be sure to check out the veritable treasure trove of rusting metal that is the Gold King Mine and Ghost Town to see more remnants of the mining boom and early Americana, including old equipment, earth moving machinery, buildings and vehicles that have been collected by the town's operators over the years.
The site is quirky. You may see a donkey or two. Plus, the 360 views of the Verde Valley alone are worth the trip!
Come take a ride with me in this dash cam vid of a trip through Jerome to Gold King Mine via my Instagram page:
The above images are also from various areas of Jerome. There are many sites throughout Jerome & Clarkdale that have ties to historic mining operations. It's a bit like a scavenger hunt, as the more you explore, the more you see; whether on foot or in a car. I'd also highly recommend a trip through the old mining country via the Verde Canyon Railroad- it's well worth the $ if you can spare it. My husband surprised me with a ticket to ride for Valentine's Day in 2019 & it was fabulous! They even had a chocolate fountain on the dining car. I was amazed at how close you can get to the mountainsides & slag piles as the train passes through, rather slowly, the winding canyon corridor.
Enjoying a coffee and views w/ hubby on the Verde Canyon Railroad- what a day!
To see additional gallery images, visit my Adobe Behance page: https://www.behance.net/gallery/226662629/Rust-In-Pieces-An-Ongoing-Exploration
©Lo Frisby 2025
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