Physical Health Peru Project #25643

Defend Children's Health in Peru

by Asociacion Interamericana Para La Defensa Del Ambiente (AIDA)

Project Report | Aug 29, 2017
Keeping La Oroya's Air Clean(er)

By Rodrigo Sales | AIDA Human Rights Attorney

No matter what they seem to do, Doe Run just can’t seem to find a buyer for the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex.

In July, the last of six scheduled auctions of the 100-year-old smelter again drew no bids, despite concerted efforts by the Peruvian government to attract a buyer.

Peru even lowered air quality standards across the nation in order to make the purchase more attractive, since the La Oroya smelter has for decades pumped out sulphur dioxide levels well above legal limits (even the new ones).

The failure is a blow to President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who drew attention to the smelter during his presidential campaign and has promised to expand the country’s metal refining capacity. He has extended the deadline of sale for another year.

Since the smelter has not been in full operation, air and environmental quality in La Oroya have improved considerably, as have the concentration of heavy metals in the blood of the town’s children.

Allowing the smelter to be reactivated under relaxed environmental standards could drastically reverse that progress.

The new standards were intended to allow a potential investor to operate the smelter without finishing mandatory upgrades, which were in progress when previous owner Doe Run went bankrupt.

So if it were to go back online now, the smelter would once again pump out highly damaging levels of sulphur dioxide and other airborne contaminants.

This would represent yet another violation of the community’s basic rights to life and health, and would be a major regression in terms of environmental protection.

The Technical Environmental Study Group on Air Quality will soon be having a meeting to discuss the flexibility of air quality standards in La Oroya. Our partners at APRODEH hope to attend to discuss the human rights implications of such a decision.

Together we’re continuing to fight to uphold higher standards in La Oroya and to ensure that the people there receive the medical attention they need after a lifetime spent living in a cloud of toxic pollution.

Thank you for joining us and supporting their fight.

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May 31, 2017
Peru's Proposal to Lower Air Quality Protections

By Rodrigo Sales | AIDA Human Rights Attorney

The smokestack in La Oroya. / M. Gilbert

Last month Peru’s Environmental Ministry proposed lowering air quality standards in an attempt to encourage the sale of the beleaguered metal smelter in La Oroya.

The move comes after a recent failed attempt to auction off the smelter; the lack of investors is believed to be due to Peru’s strict limits on airborne sulfur dioxide.

And so, the government’s newly proposed standard would increase by more than 12 times the limit for airborne concentrations of sulfur dioxide, and double the allowable amount of fine particulate matter.

Both substances are known to cause serious health problems, including lung problems and other illnesses, particularly among the most vulnerable populations.

The proposal not only ignores the State’s obligations to uphold conditions suitable for human life and health, but also clear scientific evidence.

“There is overwhelming scientific evidence to conclude that sulfur dioxide pollution poses a serious health risk, particularly when the contamination reaches high levels over short periods of time, something the proposal does not take into account,” explained AIDA Co-Director Anna Cederstav.

Upon hearing of the government’s proposal—which came conveniently just before the Holy Week holiday—our team sprung to action to prepare comments, and submitted them directly to the government.

Together with our partners at APRODEH, we pointed out that reducing sulfur dioxide in the air would lead to longer life expectancy. We also highlighted flaws in the proposal’s public consultation process.

Above all, we wanted to make it clear that the State has an obligation—under the American Convention on Human Rights and other international treaties—to protect the rights to life and health of all the people of Peru.

Relaxing air quality standards to facilitate the sale of the complex and increase investment in the country would be a major setback for the protection of health and the environment in Peru.

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Mar 5, 2017
Holding Peru Accountable for Protecting Residents

By Rodrigo Sales | AIDA Human Rights Attorney

Houses in front of the smokestack. / M. Gilbert

Lately, Juan* can feel the impacts of decades of pollution with every breath he takes. These days, it hurts just to breathe.

Visits to the health center have given him little relief, as there’s been no doctor to diagnose his ailment. Staff there don’t tell him much, but they assure him there’s no link between his pain and the pollution.

For long-time La Oroya residents like Juan, that seems hard to believe.

The people of La Oroya have been living in clouds of toxic smoke for decades; many of them have severe respiratory problems and most of the town’s children’s have elevated levels of lead in their blood.

They go to the health center seeking diagnosis, treatment, and solutions. Most leave with none of the above.

This is concerning, considering La Oroya’s community health center is the entity charged with implementing the precautionary measures—among them access to specialized healthcare—granted by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in 2007.

Over the last six months, together with APRODEH attorneys, I’ve been making regular visits to La Oroya to understand the main issues facing residents there. We’ve been meeting with the people we represent, as well as with local authorities, in order to gather the evidence necessary to support our case against the State.

This information will be presented before the Commission on March 17 in a special meeting with the State of Peru to determine what measures they will take to effectively implement the precautionary measures.

Understanding the State’s intentions takes on special importance now, as the process for the sale of the smelter could begin as early as next week.

I will travel to Washington DC to represent the victims before the Commission. We will ensure both the State and the Commission understand the lack of adequate healthcare in La Oroya.

We will be there to share the realities of residents’ lives, and to propose solutions to the problems they face every day.

We will be there to hold Peru accountable, and to ensure the people of La Oroya get the healthcare they so desperately need and deserve.

* name changed to protect identity.

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