RECUPERATING THE DIGNITY OF THE JUNIN REGION IN LIFE, HEALTH, AND WORK THROUGH A MINING COMPANY WITH GENUINE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.

Given the current political situation in which the citizens of La Oroya are living, Monsignor Pedro R. Barreto Jimeno, S.J., Archbishop of Huancayo and Coordinator of the Junín Regional Environmental Roundtable addresses the public to express the following:

1. On the initiative of civil society and authorities of the Junín Region, in March 2005 the following Roundtable of Dialogue was created: "Solution to the problems of environmental and occupational health in La Oroya and the recovery of the Mantaro River."

2. The Roundtable has never stated as an alternative solution, the closure of the La Oroya smelter nor any other mining company and has always encouraged companies to meet their environmental and social commitments.

3. The situation in La Oroya regarding the Metallurgical Complex was exacerbated when a syndicate of banks, consisting of the Banco de Crédito, BNP Paribás and Standard Bank, denied credit to Doe Run Peru - DRP (El Comercio, 12 March 2009). As of March 22 2009, the DRP decided to halt operations at the foundry. In these circumstances, a group of mining companies are offering their financial support for the "economic bailout" (April 02). It’s a decision that today is still not certain.

4. DRP, through a letter to the Union of Metalworkers of La Oroya announces that as of April 14, 2009 it will mandate "forced vacations" to 1800 workers - 75% of its workforce (El Comercio April 16). Faced with social resistance, DRP suspended this measure until April 20.

5. According to a company report, from 2005 to 2008 net income of DRP totaled 508 million dollars (La Republica, 28 March 2009).

6. The Program for Adequacy and Environmental Management - PAMA of DRP (four times enlarged) expires on October 31 2009. Of three sulfuric acid plants under PAMA, only one is operational.

7. In this context, the Environmental Roundtable, starting April 01 begins the campaign "Rain of the letters for dignity" demanding of the President, Dr. Alan García Pérez, a solution to the problems in La Oroya, guaranteeing health care, a healthy and clean environment and dignified work for employees on payroll and contracted by DRP.

8. For the first time, about 10 thousand citizens of the Junín Region, endorsed the petition that was delivered on April 21, 2009 to the table of the Presidential Office in Lima.

9. We reaffirm the importance of continuity of the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex, provided they comply with environmental standards and respect the rights of their workers.

10. This is a historic moment, in that together, state and regional government, mining companies, workers and civil society are taking on a "creative and corporate” solutions to the problem in La Oroya and the Junin region, and are reversing the current situation in La Oroya making it a decent place to live and work. This is our responsibility to ourselves and to future generations.