[2] Soon thereafter, Shapleigh, County Attorney José Rodriguez, Woody Hunt, Robert Brown, John Montford, and others joined in discussions about how best to establish the medical school and which institution should carry the mission forward.

Over the coming legislative sessions, incremental progress was made in establishing the state's ninth medical school and first since 1977.

The smelter, which had been shut down in 1999 due to low copper prices, filed to renew their air permit application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2002.

The Environmental Protection Agency soon intervened, however, citing deficiencies with the permitting process and ASARCO's air control equipment.

As of July 2009, it appears the smelter property will be placed in an environmental remediation trust so that it may be cleaned up using funding obtained via ASARCO's bankruptcy.