Environmental Justice for Communities Affected by Mining Contamination in Oruro, Bolivia
By Clotilde Loza Quispe, UMAVIDA
“We do not want the contamination to continue in our communities. Before, we raised our cattle and sowed our fields, but now we have nothing to do. Our lands are contaminated by the mining companies, and we want them to know that we are being affected…”
Mrs. Florinda Ajuacho from the Altantañita community of the Huanuni Sub-basin, asking the government - "enough contamination". Photo: CEPA, Bolivia
These and many other stories are heard from women and men who live in communities that, since the beginning of mining operations, have experienced the contamination of their soil and water, the death of their animals and the loss of their pastures. CORIDUP (Coordinator of Organizations in Defense of the Desaguadero River and the Uru Uru and Poopó Lakes) was formed to fight for the environmental justice of these communities and to demand the Bolivian Government to carry out an Environmental Audit on the mining company of the Kori Kollo mine.
The Environmental Officer, under pressure from the protesting population of Desaguadero Uru Uru Poopó basin, called for the Environmental Audit of the Kori Kollo mining operations, located in Chuquiña of the Saucari Province, 50km west of Oruro city, of the Inti Raymi Company (whose greatest shareholder is Newmont, a US company). This mining operation began in 1982 and is an open pit mine which uses sodium cyanide in its metallurgical extraction process of gold and silver. In 2009, the Environmental Audit on the mining project was executed by the PCA Engineers Consulting Company of La Paz, with an objective to determine the present state of the existing contamination in the area (within water, soil, vegetation, animals and people) and to define its causes, consequences and those responsible.
After much pressure from the affected communities, the results of Phase 3, the last phase, of the Environmental Audit were released in September, 2012. Unfortunately, the Environmental Audit did not stick to its original plan and objectives. Samples were not collected during the dry season, only during the wet season; hydrogeological models were not detailed or well elaborated; samples from vegetation and animal organs were missing; and there was very little focus on collecting human health related samples.
Local communities do not accept the results of Phase 3 of the audit and CORIDUP is pushing for further explanation and/or changes from the Environmental Authority of the Deputy Minister and the auditor. International experts from the United States, Belgium and Austria collaborated on analyzing the data and raised questions about some of its methods and results as well.
The PCA Engineers Consulting Company responded to the observations that CORIDUP made by sending to the Minister of the Environment and Water a statement which indicated “that a Closure Audit should be carried out when the mine closes which will evaluate the final conditions before the State takes charge” (p. 206). The process of this final audit still has not been initiated and to date, government officials in the region are not responding to community demands for it.
Kori Kollo open pit mine. Photo: CEPA, Bolivia (Center for Ecology and Andean People) - (partner organization of UMAVIDA)
The importance of the Kori Kollo audit cannot be overestimated, as it is the very first carried out in Bolivia. It sets a precedent for future audits carried out on the Kori Chaca operations of the same company, Inti Raymi, and other extractive industries operating in the country. Public health was not a central focus for this audit. The UMAVIDA Joining Hands network in Bolivia and the communities believe that is a critical oversight.
UMAVIDA is working with one of its partners, the Center for Ecology and Andean People (CEPA), to continue accompanying these communities and to strengthen their voice as they denounce the violations of the rights of local people.
