14-05-07

Public Hearing in La Oroya regarding Compliance of Doe Run Peru. Congresswoman Rejects Company Manipulation

May 14, 2007. Last Friday a public hearing on environmental concerns was held in La Oroya. At the hearing, Congresswoman Gloria Ramos pronounced that no hostility should be shown towards those who are carrying out environmental studies and public awareness.

. “What we’ve got to do is provide another reality [for La Oroya], and since we are concerned about the current reality, we are here [today],” said Ramos. She added that the federal government should require mining companies to fulfill their federal responsibilities. “When the operations of DRP are questioned, [DRP] says it will leave. We cannot allow bribery or manipulation by the mining companies. Doe Run is a North American Business, and no city in North America would accept this type of contamination,” concluded Ramos.

The Congresswoman spoke on these issues in a hearing organized by the Congressional Commission for Andean, Amazonian, and Afro-Peruvian Towns, Environment and Ecology. Juan Perry, Gloria Ramos, and Carlos Cánepa were the organizing congressional representatives. The hearing took place in the Parish Room of La Oroya to field opinions and proposals of many social organizations. The proposals from the hearing will be organized by the commission and later presented in a report in Congress.

In the hearing, Agustin Mamani, former municipal executive of the Yauli La Oroya, mentioned the total effects of the emissions are eight times greater than the emissions from the central smokestack, which are also impacting the surrounding areas of the Mantaro River Valley, according to the Klepen Report. José Mogrovejo, representative of DRP, noted the advances being made to meet the PAMA requirements (a federal extension given to DRP to comply with Peruvian industry standards). Mogrovejo mentioned the 58 children that have lead-blood levels exceeding 45 micrograms/deciliter who are given special treatment in Casaracra in cooperation with DRP.

Dr. Hugo Villa Becerra, neurologist of Essalud Hospital, emphasized the serious health situation for the people of La Oroya, particularly for the children. He cited recommendations from the International Workshop on Neurotoxicity held in Italy last year. In Italy, the recommendation was that the children needed to lower their lead-blood levels by 10-15 micrograms per deciliter, due to the toxicity. Finally Dr. Villa challenged the governmental health system to become directly involved in addressing the health crisis of La Oroya.

After the proposals and presentations of speakers, Aníbal Carhuapoma, Secretary General of the Worker’s Union for the Metallurgical Complex, challenged the townspeople and the company to unite efforts to solve the environmental problem. Carhuapoma added that the DRP workers should not allow the company to manipulate them. The participants of the Health Movement for La Oroya asked that the Congress address the problem by implementing the “Action Plan to Improve Air Quality.” The Health Movement also proposed that the Ministry of Energy and Mines create an office that gathers data and monitors the activities of the Metallurgical Complex of La Oroya.

Movement for Health of La Oroya (MOSAO) and Technical Roundtable
Tels. / (51-1) 333-0152 /