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For decades, oil spills have been contaminating a northern section of the Peruvian Amazon. Cumulative years of inadequately mitigated contamination has adversely affected the rainforest, water sources, and indigenous communities including Achuar, Quechua, Kukama, and Candoshi communities that live in the region.
Now, after much effort and prompting on the part of indigenous federations in the region, Peru's Minister of the Environment has declared an environmental state of emergency for the Pastaza River Basin.
Decades of Contamination Harms Indigenous Residents and River Basins
Pluspetrol, the oil and gas company that has been operating in the region since 2001, was responsible for 78 oil spills between 2006 and 2010 alone.
Indigenous residents in the region have complained of oil contamination for years, saying the pollution has caused illness, birth defects, and spontaneous abortion.
Andrew Miller, lead Peru campaigner for Amazon Watch, has stated that several years ago the Peruvian health ministry found unacceptable levels of lead and cadmium in the blood of Achuar children.
Peru's environment ministry said recent tests found high levels of barium, lead, chrome and petroleum-related compounds at different points in the Pastaza valley, and a British activist who works with indigenous residents says not just the Pastaza, but also the Corrientes, and Tigre river basins, all of which are tributaries of the Amazon, have been contaminated.
Alianza Arkana, an organization that advocates for the Peruvian Amazon and its residents, has noted that the Marañon river should also be included on the list of contaminated rivers.
Ironically, though not surprisingly, Pluspetrol's website states: "It is possible to operate in highly complex environments using the best proven technologies," and "It is possible to do it while respecting the environment, the local culture and archeological heritage of each operation."
New Environmental Regulations Give Peru's Government the Means to Act
Peru's government is demanding Pluspetrol clean up contamination within 90 days to reduce risk of it harming local residents.
Earlier this year, the government levied an $11 million fine against Pluspetrol for failing to complete an environmental clean-up, which the company has appealed.
Spurring the Peruvian Government's sudden willingness to act is a new environmental quality standards law that sets limits for contaminants in the soil. Prior to now, Peru has lacked such regulations to the chagrin of environmental activists in the country.
The Environment Minister's March 26th environmental emergency declaration orders the government to immediately "reduce the risk on the health and the environment in the zones affected by human activities in the Pastaza River Basin.”
Indigenous Social Movement's Efforts Finally Reap Results
Ultimately, collective indigenous effort stands behind the Peruvian government's decision to at last address oil contamination in the Pastaza. Once acting independently against Pluspetrol, Peruvian indigenous federations joined forces in 2011. The federations, representing the four river basins in the region, created PUINAMUDT (Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon United in Defense of their Territories).
PUINAMUDT, along with other indigenous groups from the four rivers region, began nonviolent efforts against Pluspetrol's damages shortly after forming their alliance.
Aurelio Chino Dahua, president of the Quechua federation of the Pastaza and one of the founding members of PUINAMUDT, has stated, "We are still drinking contaminated water every day... We think that with the declaration of emergency the government will be forced to worry about us and can solve our problem sooner."
Videos:
- Peruvian news program Panorama released a short documentary on petroleum contamination in the Pastaza Basin (Spanish): Justice After 40 Years of Oil Contamination
- Alianza Arkana's video featuring Aurelio Chino Dahua speaking about the situation in the Pastaza: State of Emergency on Pastaza River
Sources: the Guardian, The New York Times, Alianza Arkana, and Amazon Watch.
Photo of Pastaza contamination from source-international.org.
