For almost a hundred years, the smelter in La Oroya has processed metals such as copper, lead and zinc, which were mined in the area. This has led to the air, water and soil containing high levels of pollution, as well as the bodies of the inhabitants. At the last measurement that was made, 97 percent of children under the age of 12 had harmful levels of lead in their blood. – Many of the victims suffer from breathing problems and have long suffered from skin conditions and from problems with their teeth. Research results show that these problems are due to them being exposed to toxic metals, says plaintiff’s assistant Liliana Ávila, in an interview with TV4 Nyheterna. Sued the state In 2006, 80 residents of La Oroya sued the Peruvian state – for allowing the owner company to poison the residents. It took 18 years, but the other day the population was vindicated in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The Peruvian state is considered to have violated the Oroya people’s right to a healthy living environment and a dignified life. The state must now analyze the air, water and soil and then clean up the area and ensure that the limit values for lead, mercury and arsenic and other toxic substances are respected. The 80 plaintiffs are to be given free medical care and financial compensation. The plaintiff’s assistant Liliana Ávila says that it became emotional when the verdict was announced. – People were very happy. They saw it as recognition, as it was the first time they felt they were right. That a court decided that what they claimed for 20 years had not happened in vain and was not a lie, she says. The state got the bill The smelter was an economic engine in La Oroya, a town of 20,000 inhabitants, close to 4,000 meters up in the Andean mountains. The work was owned by an American company, which went bankrupt in 2009 due to stricter environmental requirements. Now the Peruvian state is sitting with the bill. Last year, the business was opened, with 1,300 miners as co-owners. The company has promised to protect both residents and the environment. Prejudicial judgment Liliana Ávila believes that the world’s mining companies are wise to review how they comply with international environmental legislation, as the judgment is expected to be prejudicial. – The judgment is one of the most significant in international environmental law. It also creates an important framework around how states must maintain requirements for the monitoring and control of companies. So it is a very important precedent, she says.
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