November 6, 2007

Peaceful March Follows Advocacy Panel on La Oroya, Peru

After 10 years of smelting in La Oroya, United States-owned Doe Run Peru has not been able to clean up its act. Last month a group La Oroya residents, youth from Lima and a few government officials made it clear that they would not accommodate for economic expansion that resorts to environmental degradation.

Congresswoman Gloria Ramos said, “If Doe Run does not comply with [Peruvian Environmental Standards] it should be shut down until it is able to do so.”

Washington Mori of the Region Roundtable on the Environment also added, “The Peruvian government is not accepting its responsibility to regulate the company, so that is why La Oroya ends up on lists with cities like Chernobyl.”

La Oroya has been named one of the 10 most contaminated places on earth by the Blacksmith Institute of New York. Ramos and Mori were two of the panelists at a roundtable discussion in the Peruvian Congress in Lima, Peru, an event organized by Joining Hands.

After the roundtable discussion, young activists took to the streets to speak out for the people of La Oroya. Julio Incio, a participant in the PC (USA) triennium, organized several young people from his church and community to pass out balloons that said, “Clean Air for La Oroya.”

Incio said, “We walked the streets of Lima from the Congressional building to the Plaza de Armas to sing a special song about La Oroya. The police interrupted our peaceful demonstration and told us to leave the plaza. That didn’t … get us down. Thanks to those who helped us in this noble cause. I hope it is not the last time. We continue to encourage people to support these actions.”

The Peruvian government’s Environmental Health Organization published a study conducted in May indicating that sulphur dioxide and lead levels far exceed World Health Organization standards. Lead and sulfur dioxide also largely exceeded the air quality standards set by the Peruvian Government.

The Joining Hands Network-Peru, Green Network and Labor Organization focused on the government’s responsibility to enforce governmental regulations for Doe Run operations in La Oroya and to make environmental standards more stringent.

These activities were part of the October campaign to highlight Doe Run Peru’s ten year presence of contamination in La Oroya. - Jacob Goad