Doe Run Co.’s subsidiary, Doe Run Peru, submitted a revised environmental plan to the Peru Ministry of Energy and Mines. The proposal would dedicate additional resources to help mitigate lead contamination affecting the blood lead levels in children located near the company’s smelter in La Oroya, Peru.
The company also announced that it would address plant modernization and improvement projects.
The plan being submitted was in response to a recent government review of compliance with the Program to Administer and Maintain the Ambient and addresses issues outlined in the government report. The report concluded that Doe Run Peru was in legal compliance with the PAMA, and included recommendations to develop a program that more directly addresses the impact of emissions on the community. “We share the community’s concerns and objectives, and will continue working to improve the situation in La Oroya,” said Bruce Neil, president of Doe Run Peru. “When we purchased the 75-year-old facility in November 1997, we accepted the government’s environmental improvement plan. It was based on controlling stack, solid waste, and sewer discharges, rather than on health-based risks. “With updated information and local input, it has become increasingly evident that we must do more to address air lead levels in the community of La Oroya.”
Doe Run Peru intends to use similar technology and plant improvements made in smelters in the United States including the Glover and Herculaneum, Mo., facilities to achieve desired results in La Oroya.