WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED IN 10+ YEARS?
HONDURAS – Declaration of unconstitutionality of the mining law
After denouncing the pollution caused by the San Martin mine in the Valle de Siria in Honduras, the Supreme Court of Justice declared 13 articles of the national mining law unconstitutional, forcing the government to approve a new law that is more respectful of the environment and human rights.
A short video on this case is here.
GUATEMALA – Inter-American Commission of Human Rights precautionary measures for the Marlin mine
After denouncing the pollution and the violations of human rights at the Marlin mine in Sipakapa, Guatemala, and reporting the case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the Commission (a kind of preliminary judge) issued precautionary measures that oblige the state of Guatemala to enforce the rights of the local indigenous peoples.
Here is the Commission's statement.
MEXICO – US$ 50 million compensations for the Carrizalillo community
We complained to Mexico's Agrarian Court about the illegal acquisition of land by Goldcorp mining and the pollution that the company caused to air and water. The company agreed to sit at the negotiating table and guarantee compensation to the community of about $50 million over five years. To avoid corruption and abuse, the money covered services such as building schools and hospitals, scholarships, recreational spaces, and more.
The full list is available at this link.
PERU – Declaration of environmental and health emergency and consequent protective actions in Cerro de Pasco
After more than ten years of research – in which we showed that 100% of children living in Cerro di Pasco would need to be urgently hospitalized (should the WHO standards be applied) due to the presence of heavy metals in their bodies –, the Government of Peru has declared a state of environmental and health emergency in the entire area.
A video recounting years of struggle in Cerro de Pasco is at this link.
MONGOLIA – Approval of the River Protection Act
In cooperation with the local organization Mongolian Rivers Movement, we investigated the impact of riverine gold mining in the Ult and Burujuult valleys. In these regions, river mining has had such a strong impact on the ecosystem that the Ongii River, the only river in the Gobi Desert, has not reached its mouth for over twenty years. This fact had important ecological and social consequences, as many nomadic pastoralists were forced to leave the river banks and abandon their lifestyle. After our work, the government passed the River Protection Act, effectively preventing river mining. Only three years after the law was passed, the river has once again reached its mouth.
Here is an article on the approval of the law.
LIBERIA – Construction of a water treatment plant
Together with our partner SwedWatch, we carried out a study on the pollution caused by the Firestone rubber factory in Liberia. We demonstrated air and water pollution throughout the area and presented the study together with the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment to the UN General Assembly on the Environment. As a result of this achievement, Bridgestone, which owns 100% of Firestone, started the construction of a wastewater treatment plant.
At this link you can read an interview and download the report.
ITALY – ENI fined in Basilicata
Our investigation into water quality in the Viggiano Oil Center area in Italy found that ENI was responsible for the water pollution observed after a recent oil spill. The company was ordered to pay a fine, and some of its assets were confiscated to pay damages.
An article on the case can be found at this link.
PERU – Compensation agreement for the Amazonian communities of Canaan de Cachiyacu and Nuevo Sucre
After we demonstrated the significant oil pollution in the indigenous Peruvian Amazonian communities of Canaan de Cachiyacu and Nuevo Sucre, the British oil company Maple Gas was forced to join a negotiating table with the indigenous communities. The agreement reached in this setting gave the communities access to new sources of drinking water and some food subsidies (the pollution of nearby rivers had deprived the local communities of fish, which is essential for their livelihood). Mongabay also covered the case and an extensive article is available at this link.
Training hundreds of local activists worldwide
In the past ten years, we have trained more than a thousand activists in almost 30 countries around the world. We have taught them how to do environmental monitoring of water, air, dust, health, and to be aware of their rights. We have also taught them how to defend their rights locally, nationally and internationally.
In this video, the story of our training activities in communities affected by coal mining in Mozambique.
