AMERICA/PERU - Over 10 towns in the Andes with contaminated water

Huancavelica (Agenzia Fides) – Recent reports have been made on the contamination of the Opamayo River in the region of Huancavelica, Peru.
There have been great ecological damages and over 10 towns in the Province of Angaraes, in Huancavelica (in the central Peruvian Andes), have been severely damaged by the collapse of a dam containing 21,420 cubic meters of “relave” (liquid waste) produced by the mining company Caudalosa Chica.
According to local sources of Fides, the incident occurred on Friday, June 25 at around 8 pm. An avalanche of mining waste emptied into the Totora River, in the Huachocolpa district, polluting 80 percent of the Opamayo River, which flows into the area of Lircay, capital of the Province of Angaraes, in the region of Huancavelica. The communities affected by this contamination are Totoro, Palcas, Yanaututo, Tucsipampa, Rumichaca, Lircay, Ocopa, Anchonga, Huayllay, Callanmarca, Huancahuanca, Congalla, and others.
The head of the Andean Coordination of Indigenous Organizations (CAOI) denounced the fact that the mining company did not warn the public of the contamination, seriously endangering the lives of human beings, animals, and crops that depend on these rivers for their survival. The Environmental Defense Committee of the Province of Angaraes also asked that institutions like the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Office of the Huancavelica Region assess the damage and apply exemplary sanctions against the mining company responsible for the event. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 03/07/2010)