Peru's Bayovar Phosphate Mine Hit By Protests
Published by MAC on 2011-07-11Source: Dow Jones, El Correo
Failure to hire local workers is becoming a serious problem for Vale, the Brazlian mining giant. The company's two main fertilizers units (Bayovar in Peru and Potasio Rio Colorado in Argentina) have been facing delays, protests and blockades over this issue in recent months.
See previous MAC coverage: Mendoza province suspends $4.6 bln Vale project, Argentina
The company has been denounced by the community of San Martín de Sechura in Piura, northern Perú, over an incident that spoiled small scale salt operations (one of the main local businesses).
Salinas de Bayóvar loses 360,000 Soles on Vale incident
By Denis Pumajulca
http://diariocorreo.pe/
6 July 2011
Some 360 thousand Soles (more than US100,000) is the estimated economic loss caused by Vale to the Salinas de Bayóvar salt flats, which are under administration by the community of San Martín de Sechura in Piura, northern Perú.
The figure was estimated by Ing. Víctor Labán, head of local State agency Defensa Civil.
Inspectors from Defensa Civil documented that a thin layer of water had flooded the main salt deposits.
The water spilled into the salt flats from the company's phosphates mine tailings, located in the proximity of community small scale salt operations.
The company strongly denied that the water was contaminated.
Peru's Bayovar Phosphate Mine Hit By Protests
By Robert Kozak
Dow Jones Newswires
15 June 2011
LIMA - Production at the Bayovar phosphate mine in Peru, controlled by Brazil's Vale SA, has been hit by protests.
Newspaper Gestion said Wednesday that protesters are alleging that the company hasn't hired enough local workers.
A company spokeswoman said Wednesday that the mine continued to operate despite the protests, which lasted for eight hours on Monday and six hours Tuesday.
The spokeswoman said that there had been some problems with shipping minerals.
Vale began operating the $566 million project in July. The company says the mine, located in Sechura Desert, is capable of producing 3.9 million metric tons a year.