To the Ministry of Energy and Mines
To Perupetro
To the Defensor del Pueblo (Human Rights Ombudsman)
To the Defensoria del Proyecto Camisea (Human Rights Ombudsman on the Camisea Project)
To OSINERG (Peru Energy Regulatory Agency)
To the Regional Government of Cusco
To the General Public
Today, Friday, November 25th of the present year, TGP (Transportadora del Gas del Peru) in a press release distributed through various local radio programs, declared that there was a “drop in pressure” in the (liquid) pipeline on points 50 and 52 of the Right of Way on November 24th of the present year at approximately 4:53am. In the same press release they indicate that this incident was detected on time by the “PIPEPLINE OPERATION AND SUPERVISION SYSTEM” in the CONTROL CENTER, thus activating the corresponding “BLOCKING SYSTEM” to close the gas pipeline, also indicting that the Gas Transportation System had not suffered any damage and provision of gas would be carried out in normal fashion.
The Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River (COMARU) and the Office of Native Machiguenga Communities, which represent the whole machiguenga population of the Urubamba River basin, have corroborated this information in communication with our base communities who live in the affected area, and have determined that the press release does not coincide with the facts that occurred during the “PRESSURE DROP.”
Our native base communities (Mayapo, Camana and Carpintero), have identified the place where the “PRESSURE DROP” occurred, it is inside the protected area MACHIGUENGA COMMUNAL RESERVE, between points 50 and 52 of the Right of Way, at the start of the PAROTORI river (summit of diverging rivers), which is a tributary of the PICHA river which, in turn, is a tributary of the Lower Urubamba river. Meaning that the aforementioned incident is not a simple “PRESSURE DROP,” but a “RUPTURE IN THE GAS LIQUIDS PIPELINE,” which took place several hours before the hour indicated by TGP’s press release, and that would have been controlled several hours later.
During this time, there was considerable discharge that affected the Parotori river and contaminated the environment – particularly the waters of the whole Parotori basin – Picha – Urubamba, seriously affecting the native communities Camana, Mayapo, Puerto Huallana, Carpintero and the communities along the downstream waters of the Lower Urubamba, causing the poisoning of the waters, the extermination of aquatic species and others which depend on them, and thereby causing a shortage of food (fish) that these rivers generate and that is the main diet of the native communities.
The Machiguenga Council of the Urubamba River (COMARU) and the Office of Native Machiguenga Communities, on several occasions submitted comments to TGP and government officials regarding the seriousness of the technical construction of the pipeline and the possible future problems that would follow a “FAULT,” to which the company always responds that they utilize “STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY,” and in particular, they have mentioned at various events of our organization, the “INTELLIGENT PIG” design that works inside the pipeline to diagnose possible “faults,” on which they wholly trust – the same trust they place on the officials of OSINERG [the Peruvian energy regulatory agency]. We ask now, what happened with your state of the art technology? What will happen throughout the thirty years of gas exploitation? What action will the authorities take to defend the rights of our native brothers? It has only been one year since the inauguration of the gas pipeline and already there have been four so called “incidents,” of which three have occurred in the Lower Urubamba and which have seriously affected our life and that of the pristine environment that existed at the start of the Camisea project.
At the same time, in the last meeting between the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Native Community of Shivankoreni; the representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mines reported on the “Failure” of the gas pipeline in the central highlands of the country (the 3rd incident), wherein they declared that this would be the last of such incidents and if it where to happen again, the Ministry of Energy and Mines and OSINERG would suspend the operations of TGP. With the 4th incident having occurred in such a young project, will the Ministry of Energy and Mines and OSINERG comply with applying the corresponding fines? And if they are applied, will that be effective? Or is the State, through its governmental agencies, not able to comply with the law?
In view of the inactive politics by all the authorities toward the Camisea project, which should be emblematic of good environmental, social and technical practice in order set a benchmark for future hydrocarbon investments, COMARU and CECONAMA, on behalf of the Native Communities affected by the discharge from the RUPTURE IN THE GAS LIQUIDS PIPELINE; demand:
• An independent environmental and technical audit of the activities of the Camisea project, conducted by an international entity, with the expressed order that the results are made public.
• Total clean up of the area of influence where the gas liquids spill took place and prompt compensation for the environmental quality of the area; including the right of way in all forested areas where waste from company operations has been collecting which, on numerous occasions, the communities have notified this, but have been ignored.
• The causes of the spill are made public.
• Immediate ocular inspection of the rupture in the pipeline.
• The Ministry of Energy and Mines do its duty and enforce compliance of the Technical and Environmental Norms by all hydrocarbon companies, as well as compliance of ILO 169.
• OSINERG carry out an immediate investigation and monitoring of the incident and enforce EFFECTIVE compliance of the technical norms and commitments of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
• Immediate intervention by OSINERG during emergencies, with a transparent and impartial approach, including an increased and independent staff.
• That the money from the fines stemming from breaches of environmental impact norms, directly go to the affected areas in order to implement permanent systems of control and restitution of the environmental quality in our communities.
• Extensive guarantees be given that for the next 30 years of the project, spills and damage, as we have witnessed in the short term, will not continue.
• That communication between the Camisea Consortium and the communities is re-established in order keep the latter informed of all the activities taking place during the life of the concession.
• Greater control and repair of the sections of the pipeline that are surfacing because of the rains.
• Adequate compensation to the affected native communities.
• Create fact sheets on the prevention of accidents and damages brought about by negligence of pipeline operations.
• Hand over total control of community monitoring to local indigenous federations, including the necessary equipment for daily inspections, and particularly during emergencies such as this on.
• The establishment of a Community Relations office in Malvinas (as we have repeatedly asked for) to respond to community needs.
• The company TGP should carry simulations with the participation of our communities and their representative organizations.
The undersigned, on behalf of the native communities of the Urubamba basin, give the authorities a timeline of 15 days to formulate a plan to meet all the aforementioned demands; we require that a response to this pronouncement be made public and channeled through our organizations, citing people, agencies, dates, timelines and amounts for each point.
Quillabamba, November 25th, 2005
Sincerely,
WALTER KATEGARI IRATSIMERI
Chief of COMARU
Vice President, Comite de Gestion del Bajo Urubamba
LUIS VASQUEZ RÍOS
President of CECONAMA
President, Comite de Gestion del Bajo Urubamba
