MORE OIL DAMAGES FOR BOLIVIA? Date: Sat, 20 May 2000 18:10:00 +0200 From: Tamara Stenn > PLEASE POST > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > TRANSREDES SEEKS TO EXPAND UNSAFE PIPELINE > > ORURO (BOLIVIA) Cited as unsafe by the Bolivian > government as early as November 1999, a sector of > pipeline operated by Transredes (owned by US Enron and > Dutch Shell) ruptured January 30th 2000 and spilled > 29,000 barrels of crude petroleum contaminating > hundreds of acres of organic farmland, killing fish > and birds in the Andes' Lake Poopo, and destroying the > livelihood of a 5,000 year old native tribe, Uru > Morato. > Last week Transredes admitted to managing the > dilapidated pipeline in an unsafe "risk based > approach," though little has been done to relieve > other risks the 6,000 kilometer pipeline poses to > delicate ecosystems and native groups. > "The pipes are all different sizes," explained > Transredes representative Victoria Copeman, "We can't > even get pigs through." A pig is a device that is put > into the pipeline to clean wax off the inside. It also > can tell if the pipe is getting rusty. > Transredes purchased the poorly constructed > Chile-Bolivia-Brazil pipeline from the Bolivian > government for $263.5 million three years ago. They > have a 40-year contract to operate in Bolivia and are > now soliciting $500 million in loans from commercial > and multilateral banks to expand the current system. > The expansion will encroach on the existing right of > way to native villages, displace native peoples, and > pass through vital rainforest ecosystems, explained > Transredes' Current Operations and Future Plans Report > from March 2000. The company is also seeking ISO 9001 > and ISO 14001 status. > "We are really concerned about what this new expansion > will mean," explained Friends of Poopo spokesperson, > Tamara Stenn de Choque. "We have already seen the > irreparable devastation one negligent oil spill has > caused. With the continued operation and expansion of > unsafe pipelines, how many other disasters will occur > in the next 37 years?" > The Friends of Poopo citizen advocacy group was formed > in April 2000 in response to a plea from the Uru > Morato tribe. The tribe, faced with starvation when > the oil spill destroyed the life sustaining birds and > fish of Lake Poopo, marched 135 kilometers to Oruro to > meet with Transredes representatives and Bolivian > government authorities. Transredes refused to > recognize damages in that region of the lake and to > this day, the Urus still wait, unrecognized on their > barren, lakeside tribal lands. > Friends of Poopo is now in dialogue with Transredes > who claim that they want to be both "environmentally > and socially responsible." > "We now have an opportunity to challenge Transredes > and see if they will follow through on their word, so > let's do it!" urges Stenn de Choque. > Action agreed on by Transredes and Friends of Poopo > will be: >  The long term placement of community liason > officer within the Uru community to act as a > communicator between Transredes and the Urus. The > laison officer will be selected by Orlando Acosta who > has been working with the Uru for the past eight > years. >  A special web page on the Urus posted at the > Transredes web site http://www.transredes.com >  An independently conducted environmental > audit that includes the Uru's region of Lake Poopo to > be completed in four to five months (Sept. - Oct.). >  Inclusion of the Urus in Transredes' funded > compensation projects for assessed damages. > > For more information about Friends of Poopo and the > Uru Morato please contact Stenn de Choque at > tamara_stenn@yahoo.com. Friends of Poopo is based out > of Brattleboro, Vermont, USA. >