Doe Run Supports CDC Recommendations For La Oroya
The Doe Run Company said Thursday it was encouraged by findings of a Centers for Disease Control report on health conditions in La Oroya, Peru, where Doe Run subsidiary Doe Run Peru operates a metallurgical plant.
St. Louis, MO (PRWEB) August 11, 2005
The Doe Run Company said Thursday it was encouraged by findings of a Centers for Disease Control report on health conditions in La Oroya, Peru, where Doe Run subsidiary Doe Run Peru operates a metallurgical plant.
In the report the CDC said the top health-related priority was reducing lead emissions and called on all parties involved to work together to address current lead exposure issues as well as the historical contamination that predates Doe Run's 1997 purchase of the 80-year-old smelter.
A PowerPoint presentation on the agency's findings is available at http://www. doerun. com/uploadfile/La_Oroya_appendix_g. pdf (http://www. doerun. com/uploadfile/La_Oroya_appendix_g. pdf). The full report can be viewed at http://www. cdc. gov/nceh/ehs/ (http://www. cdc. gov/nceh/ehs/).
“We believe that the findings of the CDC's report validate our efforts to reduce emissions and address the concerns of our neighbors,” said Barbara Shepard, The Doe Run Company's vice president of human resources and community relations.
Shepard also noted that, in cooperation with the Peruvian government and the La Oroya community, Doe Run Peru has made significant progress on addressing health and environmental conditions in the Andean town. Much of it has been completed since the CDC's 2004 visit to La Oroya.
Advancements include reducing lead emissions from the main stack by more than 35 percent since 1998 and reducing total lead released into the nearby Mantaro River by more than 90 percent compared to 1994. In addition, she said, the company is working to complete eight of nine environmental projects on time, including a wastewater treatment plant and solid waste repositories.
Updates on Doe Run Peru's ongoing environmental progress are available at: http://www. doerun. com/uploadfile/peruprogressupdate-env. pdf (http://www. doerun. com/uploadfile/peruprogressupdate-env. pdf).
“We support the CDC's recommendation that 'building the environmental public health infrastructure needed to develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated plan' is the first step in finding solutions,” Shepard added. “We also support the Peruvian Government's authority and expertise in making health policy and decisions, while acknowledging the government's responsibility for historical contamination. At the same time, more needs to be done and we are committed to doing so.”
The Doe Run Company, along with its subsidiaries, is a privately held natural resource company focused on environmentally sound mineral production, recycling and metals fabrication. Based in St. Louis, the company and its subsidiaries serve as North America's largest integrated lead producer and third-largest total lead producer worldwide, employing more than 4,000 people. The company and its employees are committed to practicing environmental stewardship while producing essential raw materials – lead, zinc, copper, gold and silver – that are needed for everyday life. Doe Run and its subsidiaries have U. S. operations in Missouri, Washington and Arizona, and South American operations in Peru.
For more information on Doe Run visit http://www. doerun. com (http://www. doerun. com).
Contact:
Sarah Fuhrmann
877-835-8362 ext. 2006
Http://www. doerun. com (http://www. doerun. com)
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