CAMPAIN "LA OROYA SOMOS TODOS"

The city of La Oroya is one of the most polluted in the world (ranking of the Blacksmith Institute - www.blacksmithinstitute.org). The health of the population is strongly affected by the contamination produced by the metallurgic complex owned by the multi-national mineral-metallurgic company Doe Run Peru. The owner of the company is the North American multimillionaire Ira Rennert.13 years ago, the company committed itself to carry out a series of investments to modernize the metallurgic complex and seriously reduce the environmental pollution through a program of environmental adjustment and management (PAMA), which still hasn’t been accomplished, in spite of the expiration of the deadline established and the extensions obtained to this deadline. In the United States, Doe Run has invested in improving the metal casting machinery in the city of Hercolaneum, in order to respect the correct environmental policy of this country (www.doerun.com). After many years of economical wealth, (the net earnings of DRP are increasing for a total of 508 million dollars- La República 28/03/2009) the mineral-metallurgic industry declares itself unexplainably in a state of economical and financial crisis. For this reason, in June 2009, the operations in the Metallurgic Complex of La Oroya are interrupted, without respecting the duties towards the employees and the creditors. The Peruvian government tried to help the company in different occasions in order to allow the industry to find a solution to this crisis. Nevertheless, the company took advantage of the situation escaping from its responsibilities. At the moment, the company is asking the authorities for 4 new benefits to re-start the operations: 1. The modification of the 1997 contract with the Peruvian government, so that the authorities can take charge of the legal responsibilities of DRP ( in this way the charges that DRP is receiving in the United States would pass to the Peruvian jurisdiction); 2. Not to calculate the debt (270 million dollars) accumulated with SUNAT (the national supervisor of tax administration) or eventually to extend the deadline for the payment of this debt. 3. Not to apply the environmental laws till the conclusion of the PAMA (this means continuing to pollute without responsibilities and without an expiry date). 4. The cancellation of the debt (unknown) with the institution supervising the investments on the energy and mineral sector (OSINERGMIN), accumulated for not respecting the environmental policy of the country. Sign up to support the campaign!