Peru - Wealthy Mine-layer must pay fine for 12,7 million dollars

The mine-layer Caudalosa, who spilled spilled toxicants in a river of the Peruvian region of Huancavelica, will have to pay to the State a fine for 12,7 million dollars, according to a sanction of the National Authority of the Water (ANN).

ANN informed about the imposed sanction, equivalent to 10.000 Tributary Tax Units (UIT) for the damages caused to the river Stairs and his tributaries, after last June 25 a large puddle of relaves was spilling (garbage) of the said mine-layer in a river of this region of the south of Peru.

Like result, at least 21.420 cubic meters of garbage were spilled and contaminated 100 % of the water discharge of the river Stairs, as well as of his tributaries Huachocolpa, Opamayo and Lircay, according to the analyses realized by the Authority of the Water of Huancavelica.

The spilled one affected 10 Andean communities, the water and even to animals, since some metals exceeded the level allowed even in 50 % in the affected rivers.

According to the studies spread by the portal www.elcomercio.pe, the cadmium concentrations came to 0,225 milligrams for liter of water, when the authorized maximum is 0,005; those of manganese reached 7,867 milligrams, when the maximum is 0,2; those of lead, 0,949 milligrams, more than 18 times the authorized limit; and arsenic, copper and iron was detected.

The chief of Planning of Works of the mine-layer, Guillermo Dongo, proved to be worried by the total of the fine, since a possibility of new sanction exists on the part of the Organism Supervisor of the Investment in Energy and Mining (Osinergmin).

This state organism decided to paralyze recently the activity of Deep in the area, days after the Government was declaring the “environmental emergency” for ninety days in the Huachocolpa district to allow “the recovery of the environmental quality and living conditions in the affected area”.

In his moment, the Andean Coordinating committee of Indigenous Organizations (CAOI), which it assembles to groups of Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Argentina, accused the mine-layer of without alerting the population when the effusion took place and of not expiring with the Program of Adequacy and Environmental Handling (PAMA) that demands the law.

Minem Peru

19-07-2010