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Historic mining induced environmental pollution: lessons from La Oroya, Peru
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2023
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Abstract
The case study of rampant pollution at La Oroya, Peru sheds light on the environmental and humanitarian impacts of mismanaged mining operations. The study aims to describe the nature and scope of La Oroya’s environmental conflict to understand its magnitude and the importance of communicating risks on time to prevent similar scenarios in the future. The analysis presented in this article focuses on three key factors that influenced this conflict: governmental incapacity, political instability, and corruption. Different sources of information such as grey literature, peer-reviewed academic papers, government reports, international organization publications, and news articles were reviewed to provide a complete picture of the events. The key findings underscore that environmental remediation and preventive measures can effectively lower pollution levels in La Oroya. The results demonstrate that the government's role is crucial in implementing robust regulations, facilitating risk communication, and enhancing transparency. Collaborative efforts and proactive measures contribute to the sustainability of operations, reducing the risk of escalating environmental conflicts. Lessons from the La Oroya Metallurgical Complex highlight the necessity of addressing governmental incapacity, political instability, and corruption to successfully manage environmental conflicts stemming from high pollution levels caused by extractive industries.
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