National Public Radio: In December, the Justice Department announced a settlement in one of the largest environmental bankruptcies in U.S. history. The American Smelting and Refining Company, known as Asarco, will pay a record $1.79 billion to settle claims for hazardous waste pollution at 80 sites in as many as 20 states. Cleanup will begin this year on one of Asarco’s most notorious properties — the copper smelter in El Paso, Texas. Icon Of A Bygone Era Driving through El Paso on …