October 2015
NEWS & NOTES
An Update from the Peru Partnership

Recent Developments in La Oroya

As you know the smelter operated by Doe Run in La Oroya , was taken over by the board of creditors. The smelter had ceased operations but was  reopened on a limited basis by the board of creditors with the intention of selling to smelter to a new operator.

The sale of the smelter is moving forward. In order to facilitate the sale of the facility the board of creditors  has proposed a return to the emission standards of 2006  (which was 365 parts per million) with an eventual return to the 80 parts per million level. This would allow the buyer to start up full production immediately while installing the updated equipment to reduce emissions. The timeframe proposed to install the sulfuric acid plant and reduce emissions down to 80 parts per million is the year 2030. 

To note; the 20 parts per million emissions standard that was approved into law and supposed to take effect in La Oroya in 2014 but then later re-interpreted by Congress and indefinitely postponed, is not even mentioned in the proposal...as if it does not exist.

It is unknown who all the prospective buyers are, but we understand there are about 12 or 13 lined up. Among them is Glencore. Also among them is Renco Group (or one of its entities). We'll keep you updated as we here more.


TPP - Still More To Be Done
In July  President Obama signed into law Fast Track Authority for the Trans Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement (TPP). Our efforts were not able to stop Fast Track but were able to slow things down. The administration was forced to use significant political capital to make that Fast Track Deal happen.  But it's not over for us in the fight against TPP. There is still more work to be done.

There are a number of ways the TPP could still be stopped in the coming months and we need to be ready when an opportunity presents itself.

  • Investor-State Dispute Settlement may emerge as a deal-breaker: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has powerfully communicated the threat of a TPP provision called "Investor-State Dispute Settlement." ISDS would undermine U.S. sovereignty by allowing foreign companies to challenge U.S. laws without going into a U.S. court. U.S. taxpayers could be on the hook for millions or even billions of dollars based on the ruling of a non-U.S. arbitration panel. Once the agreement is no longer secret, this provision may be a deal breaker for members of Congress on the right as well as the left.
  • Another opportunity to fight in the House: Once the deal is finalized by countries that are part of the negotiations and the full text with the ISDS and other controversial provisions have been released to the public, Congress will have to take one final vote on the TPP itself. Fast Track was only approved in the House of Representatives by two votes, so it may be possible to defeat the TPP in the final House vote.
  • Collaboration with global resistance groups and trade unions: There are a number of remaining points of contention among the countries negotiating the TPP, including the degree to which Japan's agricultural markets will be opened up, the length of patent protections for big pharmaceutical companies' new drugs, and Canada's protections of its dairy markets. It remains possible that negotiating countries will fail to reach agreements on these and other parts of the agreement. Working in collaboration with global resistance groups and trade unions could make this more likely to happen.
Stop The TPP Actions
Trade ministers from throughout the Pacific Rim met in downtown Atlanta yesterday  as part of an effort to complete the TPP negotiations which are reportedly struggling.  Protestors rallied in Atlanta yesterday in an attempt to knock TPP off track indefinitely.  

Just days ago, Japanese Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Akira Amari said that if the Atlanta TPP round fails to deliver a finished pact, "there is a risk that an agreement will be put off for years."

Below are opportunities for days of global solidarity actions throughout the fall targeting either members of Congress who support the TPP or corporations that support the TPP:
 
October 10 to 16 is an international week of action against corporate "trade" and investment agreements like TPP, TTIP, and TiSA. Members of Congress will be in-district that following week from Oct. 10 to Oct. 19, 2015. Local actions could be organized during that period.  

November 18 and 19 are days when APEC will be meeting in Manila, Philippines and protests are planned around that. President Aquino is trying to change the constitution so that land and businesses can be owned by foreign investors so that the Philippines can join the TPP. Congress will be in-district Nov. 20 to 29, 2015, so this is another opportunity for local actions.

November 30 is the 16th anniversary of the Battle of Seattle and the first day of the COP 21 as well as the beginning of the Global Climate Strike. Congress will be in session Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, 2015.


To Get Involved and Stay Connected
Email: Rev. Pamela Lupfer  - [email protected] or
 Lori Hylton - [email protected]