Freeport-McMoRan Corp. and subsidiary Freeport-McMoRan Morenci Inc. have agreed to pay $6.8 million to the U.S. Department of Interior to settle pollution complaints involving the company's Morenci copper mine in southeastern Arizona. A complaint filed by the Justice Department and the Arizona Attorney General's Office last week charged that rainwater falling on tailings from the mine created surface water containing high acidity that killed and injured migratory birds...

The copper mines were originally owned by Phelps Dodge, which began mining at the site in the 1880s. Phelps Dodge was acquired by Freeport-McMoran for $26 billion in 2007...Freeport said in a statement Monday that it "will continue to work to manage the environmental impacts of our operations in a responsible manner."

...the money will go to Interior's Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Fund, with $98,138.70 designated as reimbursement of Interior's remaining unpaid past natural resource damage assessment costs.