As a Fullbright scholar, Corey LaPlante studied the environmental impact of the La Oroya – Doe Run Peru (DRP) smelter over the past year or so. He published some summaries of his findings on his blog, including:

• Research that shows contamination in La Oroya may actually have increased since Doe Run arrived in 1997.
• Some regulatory background about Peru’s environmental management plan or PAMA. Excellent questions whether PAMA is really sufficient and whether Doe Run Peru has complied with its obligations.
• Research on children’s blood-lead levels near La Oroya. Interesting finding how the improvements advocated by Doe Run correspond with testing further and further away from the smelter.

I think Corey did a great job studying the environmental impact as well as the social and economic drivers that keep enabling the situation at La Oroya. He kept his research free of inflammatory rhetoric or ideological influences which all too often skew the environmental debate.

Again, check out his findings here.