Peru: A Cleaner Forest

In a post before this one, I wrote about the Peruvian night monkey and the destruction of its habitat, due in part to human activity.

Peru has now indicated a “state of emergency” in parts of its northern rainforests where oil fields are located and operated by Pluspetrol, an Argentinian corporation. A new law was implemented this Monday requiring suitable standards for pollution in surrounding soils, and “officials” agree this will make a difference (Collyns).

 

Acquired At: https://www.theengineroom.org/mining-companies-are-contaminating-your-water-supply-what-do-you-do/

 

According to the Peruvian government, since 2001, when Pluspetrol started operating, contaminates released into the surroundings were never cleaned. In the Pastaza river basin, where the borders of Peru and Ecuador link, the indigenous Anchuar and Kichwa people have lived in poor conditions for too long. The environmental ministry of Peru has stated, from tests performed in February and March, that “[…] high levels of barium, lead, chrome and petroleum-related compounds […]” were found in Pastaza (Collyns).

 

The environmental ministry of Peru has given Pluspetrol 90 days to clean and reduce contaminates that were exposed to the surrounding public.  Fortunately, the government has finally decided to solve the issue involving the north, for for some time the government “[…] lacked the required environmental quality standards” (Collyns).

Andrew Miller (a Peru campaigner for Amazon Watch) states that thanks to the indigenous people and Congress, proper action was taken in time.

 

Works Citied

Collyns, Dan. "Peru Declares Environmental State of Emergency in Its Rainforest." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2013. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/26/peru-declares-environmental-emergency-rainforest>.