Doe Run Peru Partners with Local Farmers to Clean Mantaro River Channel
Revitalization project will benefit 15,000 Andean farmers.
ST. LOUIS (PRWEB) July 21, 2005 -- Doe Run Peru has partnered with local agricultural groups to complete a major maintenance project that removed more than 60 years of accumulated mud and debris from a river channel in the Andes Mountains near La Oroya. This is the second such cleanup project Doe Run has been involved with since arriving in Peru in 1997.
The $1.1 million project, funded by the Peruvian government, was designed to increase the supply of water available to some 15,000 farmers living near the Mantaro River, as well as expand the amount of fertile farmland available to them. It was completed ahead of schedule and won praise from Peruvian government officials.
The project was supervised by the Mantaro District Watershed Users Council, working in coordination with the Regional Bureau of Agriculture and Doe Run Peru. Using a fleet of heavy equipment provided by Doe Run Peru, work crews removed 140,000 cubic meters of waste, accumulated during the last 60 years. At the direction of the Agriculture Ministry in Huancayo and the request of local farmers, the material was moved offsite to serve as fertilizer.
The effort is expected to improve water flow by 11 cubic meters per second, benefiting approximately 40,000 hectares of farmland. It covers a 75-kilometer channel running from Jauja to Huacrapuquio in the district of Huancayo. Agriculture Minister Manuel Manrique said in an interview with Perus Radioprogramas radio network that the work would not have been possible without the participation of Doe Run Peru.
This is work that the Ministry of Agriculture could not do, so we got help from Doe Run, which with great pleasure agreed to this collaboration,” Manrique said. This is an indication that concerted efforts between the public and private sectors can benefit the farmer directly, especially when mining and agriculture work together, which is something we dont see in other places.”
According to Mario Melgar, the regional director for the Ministry of Agriculture in Junin, the channel has received minimal maintenance since its construction in August 1944. The only exception was in 2002 when Doe Run Peru assisted in a similar, but more limited project.
In recognition of the companys efforts and contributions, Doe Run Peru recently received a Drop of Water” award from the Mantaro Water Users Group and a certificate of recognition from the minister of agriculture, the president of the Mantaro Water Users and the president of the National Association of Water Users.
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 Americas 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 keeping its operations and communities clean and safe 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.
Contact:
Christi Dixon
314-469-3500
http://www.doerun.com
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