AS OF Dec. 3, 2010:

REGISTERED PROPERTIES:  More than 90 percent (4,272) of the town's properties have signed up for sampling

TESTING COMPLETED: 3,967 properties sampled

CLEANUPS COMPLETED: 660

Freeport-McMoRan and its predecessor companies have worked cooperatively with Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) since 1992 to investigate and clean up environmental conditions in Blackwell associated with the former smelter. Freeport-McMoRan is committed to implementing effective and responsible solutions to the environmental issues associated with the former smelter.

The residential soil remediation work has been very effective to date, and upon completion will meet ODEQ requirements for cleaning up soils that have been impacted by historical smelter operations in Blackwell. As areas with lead, arsenic or cadmium concentrations above the ODEQ cleanup levels are identified, the soils exceeding those levels are removed. The level of participation has been excellent with almost 90 percent of all residential property owners in Blackwell requesting sampling of their properties under the supplemental soils program.

Soil cleanup in residential neighborhoods under the supplemental soil program began in October 2008. As of Dec. 3, 2010, Freeport-McMoRan had sampled 3,967 properties, and of those 742 properties exceeded one or more of the cleanup levels established by the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality for Blackwell and 660 properties had been cleaned up pursuant to the remediation plan approved by ODEQ. The majority of the properties only exceeded the cleanup level for one metal, but some exceeded more than one cleanup level. Approximately 18 percent of the sampled properties require some level of cleanup under the ODEQ plan.

In addition to the cleanup of residential properties, soil cleanup work has been completed at Dewey Park, Memorial Park, Riverside Park, McClung Park, Washington Center, and the Blackwell High School. The affected areas are being identified and properly addressed in compliance with ODEQ requirements.