The Pollution Blog

Solving Pollution Problems, Saving Lives

Posts Tagged lead pollution

Doe Run Peru – A Solution in Sight

Feb 7

Posted by admin in World's Worst Pollution Problems | 1 Comment

Kids in La Oroya

The embattled Doe Run lead smelting facility in Peru may finally be getting a break. We met with Dr. Juan Carlos Huyhua, the president of Doe Run Peru, in New York last week to get an update on the situation.

Three years ago, the plant was shut down by a mixture of politics and litigation. So work installing new pollution mitigating technologies at the plant stopped, cleanup was halted, and the people of La Oroya were left without work and a legacy of pollution. But not without income – we learned that the refinery has continued to pay salaries for 4,000 employees, even while the plant has been closed.  That good citizenship may now be paying off.

We’ve been told that the government of Peru is working to reach a consensus to approve a plan for Doe Run Peru within 60 days, by April 12. If everything goes well, the company expects the plant will reopen, appropriately, on May 1- labor day.

“It is a very positive message for the country that finally, working together – the state, the company and community – it is possible to solve an issue that is dated more than 90 years,” Dr. Huyhua told me.

After three years of no movement, he interprets the government’s actions as a “vote of trust” for his company.  And he is ready to go forward. Dr. Huyhua told us that Doe Run Peru plans to invest up to $200 million more in environmental projects within 30 months. The company has also continued to support the public health programs in La Oroya during the plant’s closure.

“We believe in the business,” he told me. “We consider that an investment because La Oroya needs technical people and we need to keep them.” He reiterated that it all depends now on the government. “Everyone has to work together to get results and what’s better for the country.  And that’s to reopen the plant.”

And we do agree. While corporations like Doe Run Peru are often vilified, and many are guilty of unspeakable pollution, they can be moved to make a difference because they have the resources to do so and the incentive.

This is the only way forward for the people of La Oroya, because the alternative is a stalemate in which nothing happens.  No one wins if the smelter is left shut down and contaminated. But finally installing state- of-the-art pollution management technology, and restoring livelihoods for thousands in the Andes is a goal worth reaching for.  And only then can the cleanup of legacy contamination around the town begin as well.

With the company and the government of Peru now on the same path, all this might happen.  It is the only practical solution to a massive problem.

Related:  Surprise – Corporations NOT the worst pollution problems

Tags: , , , ,

Surprise – Corporations NOT the Worst Pollution Problems

Nov 28

Posted by admin in World's Worst Pollution Problems | 4 Comments

Contrary to popular belief, large multinational corporations are NOT the worst pollution problems.  That was one of the more interesting findings revealed in our 2011 World’s Worst Toxic Pollution Problems report.

Kids in La Oroya

Of course large corporations are associated with pollution, like the well-documented case of the Renco Group and their Doe Run refinery, blamed for not doing enough to deal with the big lead pollution problem at their smelter in La Oroya, Peru.

But if you look at the data we’ve been collecting from thousands of hotspots we’ve assessed as part of our global inventory of polluted sites, you will see that there are just as many smaller polluting sites.  And in terms of public health, poorly regulated small-scale operations like artisanal mining and backyard metal recycling have the greatest impact globally.

Most large corporations, thanks to the efforts of tireless advocates, tend to behave as they work at managing pollution (and their image) in what is essentially a very polluting industry.

When Renco bought the previously state-run smelter in 1997, they took over one of the most toxic enterprises.  Over ten years, they have spent as much as $30 million on pollution mitigation.  They have put in water treatment, tailings management, and other controls, and were in the process of replacing the primary smelter with lower polluting and lower sulfur technologies. [Read an update of Doe Run/La Oroya's problems in Crain's New York]

Frankly, the main hope for La Oroya is if Renco/Doe Run Peru is given the chance to finish the job and complete the installation of new equipment.

They’ve been shut down by politics, the weak economy and also litigation.  The town’s livelihood has been adversely affected because the plant is not operating but in the long term, if the plant is to reopen, new equipment must be installed.

Regardless of news reports, the company has shown a lot of good faith. And for things to change, people need to work together.

With a new government in place in Peru, I hope common sense will prevail and Renco/Doe Run Peru will be able to install new equipment and finally continue the cleanup of La Oroya.

[See the Top Ten List of the 2011 World's Worst Toxic Pollution Problems report, released by Blacksmith Institute and Green Cross Switzerland at www.worstpolluted.org]

Tags: , , , , , ,

What is Pollution?

Sep 22

Posted by admin in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

It’s Pollution Prevention Week. Chances are, you’ve not really heard about it.

In my last post, I wrote about the Brown Agenda vs. the Green Agenda. Pollution is part of the Brown Agenda.  I bet you haven’t heard a lot about that either.

Talking about "The Brown Agenda: Toxic Waste and the Environment" at the American Australian Association, Sept. 13, 2011, New York City.

I give talks about pollution throughout the year because real discussion about the pollution is hard to come by. People are constantly surprised at the extent of the problem.  So I’ve decided to summarize my key points here to keep conversation going.

So, what is pollution?

Pollution is the introduction of substances that contaminate and poison the environment. Pollution can come from chemical waste dumped into rivers, factories spewing toxins into the air, scavengers burning e-waste to extract valuable components, industrial accidents, and many other sources.

Pollution – life-threatening toxic pollution – is one of the biggest and most pressing global problems. It affects over 100,000,000 people.  The health impacts from pollution exceeds issues like HIV.

Yet, pollution is one of the most underreported and underfunded global issues.

Pollution is especially prevalent in developing economies, where rapid industrialization and lack of regulations have resulted in unchecked toxic pollution.

Pollution is a death sentence in poor countries, where poisoned communities cannot afford to clean up toxic pollution, cannot afford to move, and cannot afford to demand change.  Even if the cause of pollution, say a factory, is closed down, the contamination often remains. This is called legacy pollution – pollution that continues to poison even through the source is gone.

Pollution is invisible in many countries, where it is so much a part of daily life.

  • In Nigeria, no one realized that lead pollution was the cause of hundreds of child deaths.  Parents were bringing lead-filled ore back to their homes for processing. The problem was not uncovered until doctors found almost no children in some villages on their immunization visits.
  • In Tanzania, a factory was spewing toxic waste into the environment because no one noticed that the treatment plant was not turned on.
  • When the wind blows in Gorlovka, Ukraine, poison spreads unnoticed. The lethal substance has been leaking from rotting containers at an abandoned chemical plant located close to a town of 500,000 people.  Moreover, with 30 metric tons of explosive TNT stored nearby, the danger of an accident producing a toxic cloud that could kill 50% of the town’s residents in a few minutes is very real.

Pollution is the root cases of many diseases that kill and disable.  In some of the world’s worst polluted places, babies are born with birth defects, children have lost 30 to 40 IQ points, and life expectancy may be as low as 45 years because of cancers and other diseases.

Pollution is global. Blacksmith has assessed and identified over 3,000 polluted hotspots across 80 countries, including about 200 sites in Africa and 600 in Asia. While pollution extracts the greatest toll on the people living in contaminated communities, the effects of pollution extend far beyond its source. The global market place loses valuable contributions from poisoned, broken economies.  And in many cases, toxic pollution travels and spreads.

Pollution is a global problem that can be solved. We know there is a solution because life-threatening toxic pollution has been eliminated in most developed countries.  We have the technology and know-how to remove pollutants, and we have prevented pollution with strict regulations. So while pollution reduces the standard of living and makes people sick in this country, the instances of extreme, life-threatening toxic pollution are rare.  So rare that they made a movie  - Erin Brockovich – out of the last high profile incident in the U.S. 

Pollution is a cheap problem to solve. $20,000 is enough to start a project that saves lives.

So now that you know, help us spread the word about pollution. Talk about pollution. I certainly will.

Tags: , , , , ,

Pollution: Top Six Toxic Threats

May 17

Posted by admin in World's Worst Pollution Problems | No Comments

My last post pointed to new studies that indicate chronic mercury exposure in the U.S. has risen dramatically. In fact, mercury is identified as one of the Top Six Toxic Threats in Blacksmith Institute’s most recent report, which draws on the substantial volume of research conducted to identify and assess polluted sites worldwide.

Today, more than 100 million people are estimated to be at risk from toxic pollution at levels above international health standards. This is a public health issue as salient as tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/ AIDS, and one that should receive considerable attention and resources.

So what are the Top Six Toxic Threats?  Here’s the list:

Tags: , , , , , ,

Earth Day in the Developing World

Apr 16

Posted by admin in Uncategorized | No Comments

It has been 40 years since the very first Earth Day. No doubt, things have changed for the better, at least here in the U.S. Our environment is much cleaner, and life-threatening pollution of the kind brought to light by Erin Brockovich (chromium-contaminated water) are few and far between. Instead, much of the talk these days about the environment in this country focuses on carbon emissions and long-term goals. It has taken us 40 years to get to this point. But in the developing world, it is still Day 1 in the fight for a cleaner environment.

In poor countries across the globe, the environment is still being used and abused, pushed to the limits by economic pressures as countries play catch up in the global marketplace. The trade-off? Polluted air, water and land, and a global public health crisis that is affecting millions in the developing world. While we cannot expect emerging economies to abandon their economic needs for a cleaner environment, we can help them in a number of ways, most notably by offering filtering technologies to curb pollution, and to clean up what’s already been dumped into the environment. It took us 40 years to learn to do this. Now we can pass the know-how along.

This Earth Day, what is life like in the developing world? This special Earth Day video–”The Story of Lead”–takes you through four countries to show you what is being done about lead pollution–one of the world’s worst pollution problems.

In Haina in the Dominican Republic, many children show signs of lead poisoning.

In Rudnaya Pristan in Eastern Russia, lead is prevalent and many have a casual attitude about the toxin. Our coordinator in Russia recalls staff of a local hospital telling him: “Lead poisoning? Nothing serious! We sometimes operate on people with AIDS without gloves.”

In Senegal, lead in the ground, water and air killed 15 children in 2008 and more are at risk.

In Mexico, a Blacksmith team member recalls finding a pot of food contaminated with lead, but being unable to persuade the family to throw it away. Sometimes, filling empty bellies take precedence.

As we celebrate 40 years of Earth Day, let’s remember that in some places, it is still just Day 1.

Interested in being a part of our Earth Day 2010 campaign?

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Read All About it – God’s Paradise Starts to Shed World’s Worst Polluted Label

Mar 18

Posted by admin in Solutions, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

“God’s Paradise Will be Removed from World’s Worst Polluted Places”

“Declared Green Zone at God’s Paradise – Happiness Where There Was Once Contamination.”

“Park Provides Health at God’s Paradise”

These local headlines tell the story. Twelve days ago, Paraíso de Dios, or God’s Paradise, got a new park. Everybody was at the grand opening – local officials, ministers, families and the local press. Children played, women danced. It was festive.

Why so much rejoicing over a new park? Well, because the park represents a fresh start for the community plagued with an extraordinarily high level of lead contamination.

The park was once a highly polluted plot of land. Just running around barefoot could get children poisoned. Whereas the soil used to contain 11,400 to 463,970 parts per million of lead, it now tests at only 10 to 300 parts per million of lead after Blacksmith-led cleanup efforts. This is a level considered safe in the U.S.

Blacksmith Technical Advisory Board member Dr. Ian von Lindern was there to witness the celebration and to push through further cleanup efforts. After all, the park is only the start of what the local press have been calling the “green zone.”

Dr. von Lindern told me that the Mayor of Haina, where God’s Paradise is located, has agreed to continue working with us. The successful cleanup has energized everyone. A Blacksmith team is scheduled to return to the Dominican Republic in the next six weeks to begin planning the remaining cleanup and to continue testing children for lead.

Today a park, tomorrow the entire city. Slowly, God’s Paradise is moving away from the label of “Dominican Chernobyl” and closer to its namesake.

It’s amazing what a clean park can do for a community.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Pollution, Poverty and the I.Q. Connection

Feb 3

Posted by admin in Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Does pollution plague a country because it is poor? Or does pollution make a country poor?

While the case for the former can be easily made — poorer nations have less resources for cleanup and regulations; the case for the latter is often ignored. But the fact is, pollution destroys economies, triggering an endless cycle of poverty.

Here is a vivid example of how this happens:

Under normal circumstances, in a population of 100 million, if average IQ is 100, there are 6 million gifted people (IQ above 130) who can be expected to drive the economy forward, and 6 million cognitively impaired (IQ below 70) who will likely depend on social or government welfare.

If the average IQ in that population is driven down 5 points to 95 as a consequence of widespread exposure to lead, the number of gifted individuals falls by more than half to 2.4 million, while the number of cognitively disabled persons rises to 9.4 million.  This decimates the future leadership of entire countries and further increases disparities between rich and poor nations.

It is a little ironic but the growing worldwide focus on global warming issues and the environment has, in a way, made the problem of toxic pollution more widespread.  All the increased scrutiny on industry has given rise to a sad legacy in many developing countries — legacy pollution, which refers to pollution left behind when a factory is closed or abandoned, or if the polluter has gone bankrupt.  At many of these “orphaned” sites, the pollution…and the population remain.  Here, people are routinely exposed to levels of toxins simply unacceptable in the West.

So what’s the lesson? Toxic pollution does more than just cripple and kill.  It traps and engulfs.

Here’s a one-page summary, The Effects of Toxic Pollution in the Developing World, looking at how health, education, economic development, and the ecology are all affected.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,