Peruvian Environment Under Attack from Government, EIA Comments

LIMA, PERU—Earlier this week, the Peruvian Congress’ Commission on Andean, Amazonian and Afro-Peruvian Peoples, the Environment and Ecology considered an “economic reactivation” bill that includes provisions that could weaken environmental protections in Peru.

The bill builds upon Peruvian Law 30230, which was passed in July 2014. Law 30230 included a suite of stipulations that rolled back environmental protections in Peru, justified as an effort to stimulate investment in the country. Both Law 30230 and the new reactivation bill were proposals originating in the Executive Branch and subsequently sent to the Legislative Branch for consideration.

Civil society organizations in Peru and the United States have come out against Law 30230 and similar attempts to weaken the country’s Environmental Impact Assessment process—one of the most important tools for ensuring environmental protection in the face of controversial multimillion dollar investment and development projects such as mining and oil extraction.

“Environmental institutions are under attack in Peru and hard won victories to protect the environment, such as a sound and thorough EIA process, are being watered down at every turn,” said Environmental Investigation Agency’s Peru Program Director Julia Urrunaga. “If the Congress continues to approve measures like this one, a handful of investors win and the Peruvian environment loses, bringing a broad range of direct negative impacts for the local communities.

“Ultimately, it is a loss for all Peruvians and for the international community which has helped to strengthen environmental institutions in Peru,” Urrunaga said.

Initially sent to Congress in November 2014, the bill was approved by the Economic Commission of the Peruvian Congress. The full Congress then referred the bill to the Commission on Andean, Amazonian and Afro-Peruvian Peoples, the Environment and Ecology for further debate.

The new bill proposes to:

• Reduce by half the number of days needed for approval of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs).
• Allow for approved EIAs to be applied to future projects located in the same zone during a five-year period.
• Reduce the timeline for decisions to be made on expropriation of lands for large infrastructure projects and other projects deemed in the public interest.

Contact:
Maggie Dewane, Press Officer, EIA, 202-483-6621, mdewane@eia-global.org