The Promise of Gold: Tambogrande, Peru
The Tambogrande mine would involve relocating roughly half the town, and digging a large open pit next to the Piura River.
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| A street in Tambogrande, Peru. The proposed open-pit mine would require relocating half the town's residents. By: Ernest Cabellos |
One of the most controversial mining projects in South America is one proposed for Tambogrande, a town of roughly 18,000 people in northern Peru, near the border with Ecuador. The government of Peru has conceded three blocks of land totaling 87,000 hectares (214,890 acres) to Manhattan Minerals, of Vancouver, Canada.
Tambogrande project implodes: Community Succeeds in Opposing Controversial Gold Mine
December 12, 2003
One 10,000-hectare (24,700-acre) concession, right in the town of Tambogrande, is particularly attractive to Manhattan Minerals. It is a massive polymetalic deposit known as "TG-1" that has gold sitting closest to the surface. Manhattan Minerals can mine the gold first and finance the underlying copper and zinc extraction with the revenues generated early in the project's life. The Tambogrande mine would involve relocating roughly half the town, and digging a large open pit next to the Piura River. Fruit growers in the arid region say that toxic mine wastes from the project would endanger the largest fruit-exporting area in the country and its World Bank-funded irrigation system. A majority of the 65,000 people living in the area make their living directly or indirectly from growing fruit.
Knowing all too well the type of environmental and social problems that can come with a massive mine project, fruit growers and others in the province of Piura oppose the project. There are seven mineral deposits just like TG-1 scattered around Piura, with one in particular just across the river from TG-1, so farmers and environmental activists see this as a crucial case. If the mine goes ahead there is little chance of preventing the other deposits from being exploited. People in Piura fear it would change from a region dominated by agriculture to one dominated by mining.
A conflict is growing in Tambogrande about whether this mine should be established or not. Farmers and those dependant on agriculture are concerned that the mining operation will contaminate their irrigation system. Environmentalists are committed to protecting the fragile dry tropical forest, and local officials fear they won’t be able to provide services for those sure to move to the area looking for work. Roughly half the townspeople in Tambogrande will have to relocate to make room for the one-kilometer-long open mine pit. Not all are enthusiastic, despite promises of new houses and water and sewer infrastructure provided by Manhattan Minerals. With the Peru mining ministry holding a 25 percent stake in the mine project, the people of Tambogrande do not feel they are being protected by their national government. This combination of uncertainty and vulnerability has led to frequent demonstrations in the town, one of which turned violent in February of 2001. Protestors stormed a Manhattan Minerals compound, where they burned down special “demonstration” houses, model homes proposed for the relocated community. Since then, both the Mayor of Tambogrande and the Archbishop of Piura have spoken out against the mine. The mayor circulated a petition against the mine and got over 70 percent of the town to sign it.
The people of Tambogrande and their mayor called for a referendum, which took place in June 2002. Citizens of Tambogrande voted overwhelmingly against allowing mining in Tambogrande.
To help the people of Tambogrande, Oxfam America has supported an independent hydrological study of the proposed projects. Oxfam has also has assisted a group of local non-governmental organizations, including the Tambogrande Defense Front, to carry out a broader study of the impacts of the proposed mine and consider alternative economic strategies.
For more information about Tambogrande and what you can do to help the people there voice their opposition to the mine proposal:
Comments from the Mayor of Tambogrande
An Alternative Look at a Proposed Mine in Tambogrande, Peru: Research Report by Dr. Robert Moranart615.html
Tambogrande Speaks Outart2763.html
Tambogrande Wins Prestigious Human Rights Awardart3929.html
Tambogrande Gana Premio en Derechos Humanosart4002.html
News/Press Articles
December 2003: Gold Mine Fails to Glitter in Peruhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3256594.stm (bbc.co.uk)
August 2002: Gold and Land:Democratic Development at Stake
Report of the Observation Mission of the Tambogrande Municipal Consultation Process in Peru, by Stephanie Rousseau and François Meloche.
De agosto el 20 de 2002: El Oro y la Tierra: Retos del Desarrollo Democrátic
Informe de la Misión de observación de la consulta vecinal de Tambogrande, Perú
Por Stéphanie Rousseau y François Meloche
July 2002: Tambogrande Referendum Has Domino Effect in Peru
by Stephanie Boyd
Peru Seeks More Environment Info From Manhattan Minerals-
Links
Tambogrande Defense Front (en espanol)http://www.geocities.com/frentetambogrande
Manhattan Mineralshttp://www.manhattan-min.com/s/TamboGrandeOverview.asp
Red Listedhttp://www.redlisted.com/peru_tambogrande.html