La Oroya, Peru

(Languages of this post: Interlingua, English)

In La Oroya, Peru, un planta de fusion de plombo es un exemplo typic del conflictos inter le economia del citate e le maladias causate per le processos industrial del planta.

Activistas peruvian e statounitese insista que le effluxo de plumbo, arsenico, e altere substantias toxic ha compromittite le disvellopamento mental e physic del pueros qui vive circum La Oroya. Ma on non ha facite studios epidemiologic e statistic que establirea definitivemente que le planta es le causa de iste problemas proque tal studios es costose e nemo ha potite accumular le moneta pro financiar los.

Le compania que possede le planta, Doe Run, insiste que le taxa de emissiones toxic de su planta se ha reducite per un tertio durante le annos que illo ha possedite le planta e que illo ha modificate le conditiones de travalio in le planta pro reducer significantemente le contacto inter su obreros e le substantias toxic que le planta processa.

Ma iste asseverationes per Do Run non convince le activistas qui protesta le conditiones de vita in La Oroya proque le compania mesme basa su position in su proprie statisticas, que facilemente poterea esser falsificate pro justificar le status quo in ille parve citate.

Il anque ha un conflicto inter le gente qui vive in La Oroya. Alicunes es convencite que le problemas causate per le polution liberate per le compania es troppo sever in su effectos e que le planta debe esser claudite. Alteres insista que on ha necessitate del empleos providite per le planta e que La Oroya morirea sin le ressources economic producite per illo.

"Basicamente, Do Run face lo que illo vole in despecto del damno causate per su activitates," insista Cesar A. Gutierrez Revilla, le burgomagistro de La Oroya, qui habeva travaliate pro le compania como un ingeniero chimic ma qui ganiava le election a causa de su opposition al planta.

Le functionarios de Doe Run tamen insiste que illes es multo active in continuar lor effortios pro reducer le taxa de polution in La Oroya.

"Nos vermente ha besonio de iste planta," diceva Rocio Guadalupe Mejia, qui es un alte functionario de un gruppo de appoio subventionate per Doe Run.

Le pollution de lo que nunc es La Oroya comenciava con le espanioles durante lor colonisation de Peru. Illes esseva interessate principalmente in le auro que illes trovava in le area. Ma nunc le planta processa plumbo, cupre, zinc, cadmio--e anque reducite quantitates de argento e auro.

E le pollution del planta ha afficite le terrenos circum La Oroya, invenenante con substantias toxic multe lagunas del area cuje aquas nunc ha le color de rubie o orange brillante e luminose, e il es impossibile usar los como un fonte de aqua potabile.

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La Oroya, Peru

In La Oroya, a lead-smelting plant is a typical example of the conflicts between the economy of the town and the illnesses caused by the industrial processes of the plant.

Peruvian and American activists insist that the outflow of lead, arsenic, and other toxic substances has compromised the mental and physical development of the children that live around La Oroya. But epidemiological and statistical studies that would definitively establish that the plant is the cause of these problems have not been made because such studies are costly and no one has been able to accumulate the money to finance them.

The company that owns the plant, Doe Run, insists that the rate of toxic emissions from its plant has been reduced by one third during the years that it has owned the plant and that it has changed the working conditions in the plant to significantly reduce the contact between its workers and the toxic substances that the plant processes.

But these statements by Do Run do not impress the activists who are protesting the living conditions in La Oroya because the company itself is basing its position on its own statistics, which could easily be falsified to justify the status quo in that small town.

There is also a conflict between the people who live in La Oroya. Some are convinced that the problems caused by the pollution released by the company are too severe in their effects and that the plant should be closed (down). Others insist that the jobs provided by the plant are needed and that La Oroya would become a ghost town without the economic resources produced by it.

"Basically, Do Run does what it wants in spite of the damage caused by its activities," insists Cesar A Gutierrez Revilla, the mayor of La Oroya, who had worked for the company as a chemical engineer but who won the election because of his opposition to the plant.

The executives of Doe Run, however, insist that they are very active in continuing their efforts to reduce the rate of pollution in La Oroya.

"We really have need of this plant," said Rocio Guadalupe Mejia, who is a leader of a support group subsidized by Doe Run.

The pollution of what is now La Oroya started with the Spanish during their colonization of Peru. They were interested principally in the gold that they found in the area. But now the plant processes lead, copper, zinc, eadmium--and also reduced amounts of silver and gold.

And the pollution of the plant has affected the land around La Oroya, poisoning with toxic substances many lagoons of the area whose water now has the color of a brilliant and luminous red or orange, and it is impossible to use them as a source of potable water.