S I T E   N O M I N A T I O N

Madrigal, Peru

Nominator: Asociacion Civil Labor
www.labor.org.pe

Description:
Madrigal is a district which is located in the Caylloma province in Arequipa Peru, is near to the “Colca Canyon”. According to the poverty figueres, this district is one of the poorest in the region. On the other hand, Madrigal district is a well-known tourist destiny, because of its natural environment and beautiful view.

The main activities of the population of “Madrigal” are dedicated to the farming (and stockbreeding) and a small scale to the tourist services, due to its location near to the Colca Valley, the Condor balcony, and near to the Incas “andeneria” (the Incas agriculture in the mountains), which until now is used by the local farmers, that is one of its high touristic value. There is a gold, silver and lead mine in the area.

Population:
For this 1,300 inhabitants city does not exist an epidemiological study or even a health diagnosis. Even though there are some people who show respiratory diseases, skin affections, and eyes ulcers.

Toxin:
According to an environmental audit carried out by MAGMA S.A (1996) and COPERSA SECURITY (1997):

• The tailings are being dispersed by the wind in 12 hours per day;
• The tailings are spread over crop fields in layers from 0.05 m to 0.4 m height, with several piles oh 2 m. high;
• The pasture and crops in contact with the tailings are being consumed by the people and cattle of Madrigal;
• The water of rivers and lakes receives directly the dust from the tailings. In these rivers the fauna has disappeared;
• The plants analysed in a laboratory showed concentrations of lead, arsenic, cadmium and copper.

A laboratory analysis confirmed that the tailings have high concentrations of heavy metals specially lead, zinc, copper and antimony. This metals are dispersed into the air.

Current Efforts:
Recently these problems have been spread by the national media, as an evidence of the serious limitations of the environmental mining Peruvian control.

The Madrigal Municipality had initiated a number of administrative actions against the Madrigal Mining Corporation, as a result; the Peruvian Ministry of Mining and Energy have imposed a fine to the Company, but the tailings are still there and the dispersion continues in the agricultural areas.

Taking in account this case the NGO LABOR have been taking contact and coordinating with the local actors, the authorities of the province as well as others NGO's who are working in the Colca Valley to analyse the problem and the alternatives of solution.

Labor have had meetings with the Regional Authorities such as the Environmental and Regional Resources Management office, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Mining and the San Agustin National University of Arequipa, over the necessity to develop a series of actions directed to solve the problem of environmental pollution due to the tailings.

At the present, there are some conditions to move on the solution of this problem, due to an important agreement process, with the leadership of the Department of Provincial Council of Development of Caylloma, which is working several years in the Province and who has as one of its main objectives to solve the environmental mining problem in the area.