| DOE RUN VS. PUBLIC HEALTH The U.S. company Doe Run bought the La Oroya refinery during the past decade, promising to make investments to control emissions of pollutants that poison the air in the area. Today, nearly a decade later, Doe Run wants for 5 years it can continue to pollute with metals that cause serious health problems to the population. is not a slight problem. A study supervised by the University of St. Louis, Missouri, has found that children in La Oroya have more lead in their blood than international standards maximum, leading to various health problems and in particular limited mental development. 9% of children have blood lead both need urgent medical attention, but 97% exceed "levels of concern" international. 90% of expectant mothers in La Oroya have blood lead levels that compremeten fetal development. Not for nothing: the company issues tons per year of lead into the environment. The study also found elevated levels of antimony and cadmium, metals that cause cancer, genetic defects and renal failure. The excess of heavy metals extends to Concepcion, 100 miles away. The company wants to Doe Run renege on commitments it made when it bought the refinery. The reason: it is costly investments in the tens of millions of dollars. But that cost is well known when they bought the refinery. Moreover, in recent years the extraordinary international metal prices have allowed exceptional profits. Allow Doe Run is off the hook not only unacceptable from the standpoint of public health. For future privatization, it would be a clear sign that the competitors can offer anything but then have to keep his word, vitiating the entire process. In addition, reaffirm to the public the bad image of a mine contaminant does not notice anything as long as maximizing profits. We must not allow it. |
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