Illegal transit of trucks to Pascua Lama:
Explosives go through populated areas of Alto del Carmen
by Huasco Valley communities and organizations that defend life and water
October 28th, 2009
|
|
 | |
|
The
Canadian transnational mining source said in October 2009 that they would
begin the building its controversial Pascua Lama project. However, there are a number of requirements of environmental
authorities unsettled by the company. Despite this, since early October, we, the
neighbors of the municipality of Alto del Carmen, have been
threatened by the passage of large trucks. Within the first weeks of October
we note with concern an increase in vehicular traffic miners, from 5 to
6 trucks with an entourage of trucks and Chilean police, who are
supposed to prevent accidents. All this at about 5 am. Within these caravans, the community has seen a truck with plates that read Enaex (an explosives
company) and other loads that are unknown to the community,
to declare that:
1.
Our roads are not suitable for mining trucks. That is common
sense, in addition to the Resolution Environmental Qualification (RCA) Pascua
Lama, which requires the company to build a bypass if they want to go through our town. That work was not carried out; the trucks are
going, but the authority does not enforce the law. Instead, it sends police to
suppress the legitimate demands of our community. It is so absurd, that
every time you pass a truck, you need to lift the power lines to let the trucks through.
2.
Even when we asked for trucks and vans in Barrick's entourage and Chilean
police who accompanied them showed no permits or customs documents, as
required by the Treaty Chile-Argentina Binational Mining. If this project starts in this way, what guarantees do we have
of integrity in the future?
3.
In two weeks of intensive and illegal transit of trucks to
the border with Argentina, there was an explosion on the morning that
woke up to several neighbors. It is not yet sure what happened. Who
is liable if accidents occur when carrying the poisons that need to steal the gold from the mountain? Who will respond if new
"accidents" in transportation of 82 tons daily of explosives as
required by this absurd project? Remember, the street that the cross goes to a school in Alto del Carmen, in the parish of
the municipality and the central square.
|
|
|
|
|
As the
Huasco Valley communities and organizations that defend life and water,
we reiterate that we are against chemical mining projects open in the high
mountains. We reiterate that the authorities are serving the mining and
not the communities they represent. We reiterate that the Police
should uphold the legitimate demands of communities and not the petty
interests of transnational corporations such as Barrick Gold.
SIGNED:
Defense Council Huasco Valley
Pastoral Safeguarding Creation - Huasco Valley
Atacama Clean - Vallenar
Latin American Observatory for Environmental Conflicts OLCA
Pascua Lama Coordinator against Santiago
Radial Water Seed Program
Jorge Pino - Councilman Vallenar
Alejandro Valencia V. - Councilman Alto del Carmen
Gudelio Ramirez - Councilman Alto del Carmen
Arturo Aliaga Bravo - Councilman Alto del Carmen
Huasco Valley, Santiago, October 28, 2009
|
|
