08-06

Religious Leaders Propose Ethical Solution to Health Crisis of La Oroya, Peru. Doe Run Resources and Renco Corporation Deny Request to Meet with Religious Leaders

June 8, 2007. A group of religious leaders met with the president of Doe Run Peru(DRP) today to propose and an ethical solution to the Health Crisis in La Oroya and to prevent further contamination of the Mantaro River Valley.

Contamination produced by DRP Peru operations has had a negative impact on thousands of children and pregnant women who live near the company’s Metallurgical complex in La Oroya.

The meeting marks the first stop of an international pilgrimage to St. Louis, MO and later to New York to convince Doe Run owner, Ira Rennert, to invest in the proper technology to update company operations in Peru. DRP emits 2,200,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide, lead, arsenic, and other toxic substances on a daily basis in order ensure a competitive place in the world market. Rennert, apart from making large donations to religious and charitable causes, finances the Torah Ethics Project which promotes ethical values in the U.S. Jewish community.

Among those attending the meeting with the Doe Run Peru president, Juan Carlos Huyhua, were Monsignor Pedro Bareto Jimeno, the archbishop of Huancayo and coordinator of the State of Junín Dialog on Environmental Concerns, Rev. Rafael Goto Silva, ordained minister and president of the National Council of Protestant Churches in Peru, Sister Adela Human, Dominican Nun of Springfield, IL who served in La Oroya, and Rev. Pedro Bullón, ordained minister and president of the Lutheran Church in Peru. “Given the 150 million dollar profit of Doe Run Resources last year, Mr. Rennert has the opportunity to reduce contamination, thereby improving the health of thousands of children and families,” said Monsignor Bareto, leader of the religious delegation. Monsignor Bareto added, “The purpose of our meeting today with Mr. Huyhua was to inform him of our intention to meet with Mr. Rennert, the only one who could solve the current problem”. In spite of many court rulings, various fines, and one constitutional tribunal sentence, the contamination of DRP has increased in the last two years according to the Civil Labor Association. The Peruvian government has granted the company an extension to adhere to environmental requirements (PAMA) by 2011. It is estimated that by 2011 the lead emissions of DRP will be 11 times that of the Doe Run plant in Herculaneum, Missouri which were measured in 2003. There will also be approximately 1,245 times the amount of Arsenic emitted in 2003.

This Sunday, Monsignor Pedro Bareto and Elías Szczytnicki, Jewish layman and secretary of the Inter-religious Committee of Peru, in association with the Israeli Union of Peru, will travel to the United States. First, they will be traveling to St Louis to meet with the representatives of Doe Run Missouri. Later they will travel to New York to meet with the owner of Renco Corporation, Ira Rennert, 99% owner of the operations of DRP in La Oroya. Doe Run Resources and the Renco Corporation have denied the leaders request to meet with their representatives, claiming that DRP is a company that was founded under Peruvian laws, with responsibilities that are limited to Peru. It also claims that DRP operations fall under the authority of DRP president Juan Carlos Huyhua. Rev. Goto noted that, “since Rennert is a person who is known as a pious believer and philanthropist, this [meeting] is an opportunity to open a space to dialog about an issue that speaks to the core of our ethical and religious sensitivity, the defense of human life”. According to the latest study conducted by Saint Louis University, 97% of the children in La Oroya have elevated lead blood levels.

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