Project
Preserving the legacy of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Heart of the World
Rising abruptly from Colombia’s Caribbean coast, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta reaches 5,775 meters (18,946 ft.) at its highest points, the peaks of Bolívar and Colón. It is the highest coastal mountain system in the world, a place where indigenous knowledge and nature’s own wisdom converge.
The sheer changes in elevation create a wide variety of ecosystems within a small area, where the diversity of plant and animal life creates a unique exuberant region. The melting snows of the highest peaks form rivers and lakes, whose freshwater flows down steep slopes to the tropical sea at the base of the mountains.
The indigenous Arhuaco, Kogi, Wiwa, and Kankuamo people protect and care for this natural treasure with an authority they have inherited from their ancestors. According to their worldview the land is sacred and shared in divine communion between humans, animals, plants, rivers, mountains, and the spirts of their ancestors.
Despite this ancestral inheritance, development projects proposed for the region have failed to take the opinions of these indigenous groups into consideration. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is currently threatened by 251 mineral concessions, hydroelectric projects, agriculture, urban sprawl, and infrastructure projects.
Many of these concessions were granted without the prior consultation of the indigenous communities, which represents a persistent and systematic violation of their rights.
Mining, which implies the contamination and erosion of watersheds, threatens the health of more than 30 rivers that flow out of the Sierra; these are the water sources of the departments of Magdalena, César, and La Guajira.
These threats have brought this natural paradise to the brink of no return. With it, would go the traditional lives of its indigenous inhabitants, who are dependent on the health of their land and the sacred sites it contains.
The Sierra hosts the archaeological site of la Ciudad Perdida, the Lost City, known as Teyuna, the cradle of Tayrona civilization. According to tradition, it is the source from which all nature was born—the living heart of the world.
The four guardian cultures of the Sierra are uninterested in allowing this natural and cultural legacy to disappear.
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Doe Run Smelter in La Oroya, Peru, Loses Environmental Certification
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION: April 9, 2008 Press Contacts: Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director OK International 415-362-9898 [email protected] Anna Cederstav, Ph.D. AIDA and Earthjustice 510-550-6700 [email protected] DOE RUN SMELTER IN LA OROYA, PERU, LOSES ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION Lima, Peru – Doe Run Peru, which operates one of the largest metal-smelters in the hemisphere, has lost its Environmental Certification in a highly unusual move taken by the company’s independent third-party auditors. TUV Rheinland initially granted the certification less than two years ago, but revoked it March 11, 2008 citing non-compliance with Peruvian environmental laws and the lack of adequate pollution prevention measures. The loss of the certification comes on the heels of a $234,000 US fine imposed last year against Doe Run Peru for several serious violations of environmental laws in Peru. This week, Peruvian authorities released a report detailing those violations, including noncompliance with the standards for lead and particulate matter. Doe Run Peru obtained the environmental certification under ISO 14001 in 2006 calling it a “significant milestone in delivering on our commitments to our communities, our employees and the environment." The Doe Run Company’s web site calls the ISO certification an “internationally recognized symbol of a company’s dedication to superior quality, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.” Nevertheless, a number of studies conducted by the government as well as international health experts have shown that almost all of the children living in the area surrounding Doe Run Peru’s smelter have unacceptably high levels of lead in their bodies. Many are severely exposed and require immediate medical treatment. “TUV Rheinland acted responsibly in taking this unprecedented action to underscore the need for Doe Run Peru to do more to protect public health in La Oroya” said Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International (USA). “Revoking the certification should send a strong message to Doe Run that they have much more work to do,.” said Anna Cederstav, Staff Scientist with AIDA and Earthjustice, and author of the book La Oroya Cannot Wait. “Nevertheless, we are still concerned that, if paid enough, another certifying body will agree to provide Doe Run with a similar certification.” she added. In 2006, several organizations filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, seeking a recommendation that the Peruvian government implement urgent measures to halt the grave violations against the health and lives of the citizens of La Oroya. Last year, the Commission agreed and requested that the state implement such precautionary measures. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 120 million people are overexposed to lead (approximately three times the number infected by HIV/AIDS) and 99 percent of the most severely affected reside in the developing world. Lead affects both children and adults and causes brain damage, metal retardation, and other learning disabilities in children. In addition to lead, the population of La Oroya is also exposed to extreme levels of other harmful contaminants, including arsenic, cadmium, and sulfur dioxide.
Read moreDoe Run Smelter in La Oroya, Peru, Loses Environmental Certification
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION: April 9, 2008 Press Contacts: Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director OK International 415-362-9898 [email protected] Anna Cederstav, Ph.D. AIDA and Earthjustice 510-550-6700 [email protected] DOE RUN SMELTER IN LA OROYA, PERU, LOSES ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION Lima, Peru – Doe Run Peru, which operates one of the largest metal-smelters in the hemisphere, has lost its Environmental Certification in a highly unusual move taken by the company’s independent third-party auditors. TUV Rheinland initially granted the certification less than two years ago, but revoked it March 11, 2008 citing non-compliance with Peruvian environmental laws and the lack of adequate pollution prevention measures. The loss of the certification comes on the heels of a $234,000 US fine imposed last year against Doe Run Peru for several serious violations of environmental laws in Peru. This week, Peruvian authorities released a report detailing those violations, including noncompliance with the standards for lead and particulate matter. Doe Run Peru obtained the environmental certification under ISO 14001 in 2006 calling it a “significant milestone in delivering on our commitments to our communities, our employees and the environment." The Doe Run Company’s web site calls the ISO certification an “internationally recognized symbol of a company’s dedication to superior quality, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.” Nevertheless, a number of studies conducted by the government as well as international health experts have shown that almost all of the children living in the area surrounding Doe Run Peru’s smelter have unacceptably high levels of lead in their bodies. Many are severely exposed and require immediate medical treatment. “TUV Rheinland acted responsibly in taking this unprecedented action to underscore the need for Doe Run Peru to do more to protect public health in La Oroya” said Perry Gottesfeld, Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International (USA). “Revoking the certification should send a strong message to Doe Run that they have much more work to do,.” said Anna Cederstav, Staff Scientist with AIDA and Earthjustice, and author of the book La Oroya Cannot Wait. “Nevertheless, we are still concerned that, if paid enough, another certifying body will agree to provide Doe Run with a similar certification.” she added. In 2006, several organizations filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, seeking a recommendation that the Peruvian government implement urgent measures to halt the grave violations against the health and lives of the citizens of La Oroya. Last year, the Commission agreed and requested that the state implement such precautionary measures. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 120 million people are overexposed to lead (approximately three times the number infected by HIV/AIDS) and 99 percent of the most severely affected reside in the developing world. Lead affects both children and adults and causes brain damage, metal retardation, and other learning disabilities in children. In addition to lead, the population of La Oroya is also exposed to extreme levels of other harmful contaminants, including arsenic, cadmium, and sulfur dioxide.
Read moreThreats from Proposed Dam in La Parota, Mexico, Challenged in Amicus Curiae Legal Brief
AIDA and other international and Mexican organizations submitted a legal brief (Amicus Curiae) to the Collegiate Tribunal of Guerrero in Acapulco in support of a constitutional lawsuit brought by CECOP and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law against the Federal Commission of Electricity (CFE) and other authorities. The lawsuit alleges that the Mexican authorities failed to consult with affected parties and adequately evaluate the environmental impacts of the construction of La Parota dam. Approval of the hydroelectric project disregards national laws, as well as international human rights and environmental laws, including those that protect the rights to a fair trial and economic, social and environmental rights. Among other things, the project’s major human rights violations are a lack of information provided to those affected by the dam and gaps in the comprehensive environmental impact study, which is designed to evaluate damages the dam will cause, measures to prevent impacts, as well as alternatives to the project. Considering these flaws and the human rights violations of people affected by the La Parota megaproject, we appealed to the Collegiate Tribunal of Guerrero, arguing that it should make use of its power, accept the arguments of the Amicus, and cancel all work related to the construction of the La Parota dam until the Mexican government completely complies with local people’s demands and applicable national and international laws. AIDA will continue pursing this paradigmatic case because it is an example of how infrastructure development can cause severe environmental damages and human rights violations in the hemisphere.
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