Source International Ets

Problem Large mining and oil extraction activities are some of the biggest environmental problems in the world. The US Environmental Protection Agency recognizes mining waste as the major environmental concern in the US. Remote areas are especially affected by the lack of environmental controls. In some areas, mining water waste can present concentrations of pollutants up to a thousand times the legal limit. In some cases the median age at death of affected communities is less than half of the national average and some pollution-related illnesses can have an incidence rate approaching 90%. Moreover, human rights, as well as the impact on traditional ways of life of Indigenous populations, are often insufficiently accounted for. Solution We support local communities that are dealing with environmental pollution and health problems primarily caused by extractive industries. Our goal is to bring local communities and extractive corporations together to develop sustainable solutions. We do this by providing high-level technical and scientific support to local communities, helping them assess the damages caused to local resources and building their capacity to safeguard their capacity and their human rights. Impact to date Based on our studies, the Honduran Supreme Court ruled that the country’s mining law was unconstitutional because it adversely affected public health. Parliament subsequently passed a new law that was more critical of these practices. In Peru we published a study on the pollution caused by an oil company in the Amazon forest. As a result, the regional government and the company are now working together with the community in order to clean the area. Illnesses have since decreased by 50%. In Mexico, thanks to our work, the community of Carrizalillo obtained approximately $10 million a year for five years in infrastructure compensation.