“Si a la vida, no a las papeleras” (yes to life, no to the paper pulp mills)
4 May 2006

AN international dispute over two half-built pulp mills in Uruguay has reached boiling point in recent days.

In neighbouring Argentina, a major roadblock and mass protests appear to have temporarily halted construction of the mills, which are being built near the Argentina-Uruguay border. The Argentinian Government filed a case against the mills in the International Court of Justice in the Hague on May 4.

Argentinian protesters claim the mills would damage the environment and the tourism industry — although opportunistic politicians could be motivated more by leftist geopolitical sensibilities than by fear of dioxins. Whatever the motivation behind the high profile spat, it has cast doubt on the effectiveness of regional trade pacts, particularly Mercosur. The dispute comes at a sensitive time for a continent which appears to be in the process of political fragmentation.

The mills are being built by Finnish company Botnia and Spanish company ENCE at a total estimated cost of US$1.8 billion. Construction has already begun on the mills, which will use Elemental Chlorine Free technology to produce bleached eucalyptus pulp for export. The mills are being built near the Uruguyan town of Fray Bentos, just across the border from the Argentinian town of Gualeguaychu.

The pulp mill dispute began in earnest last month when Argentinian protesters blocked a major highway into Uruguay. The roadblock was lifted on May 2 — but not before an estimated 100,000 people attended a rally in Gualeguaychu on April 30 to protest the building of “las papeleras” (the pulp paper mills). “Si a la vida, no a las papeleras” (yes to life, no to the paper pulp mills), the protesters chanted.

Fears for the environment, tourism

Argentinian president Nestor Kirchner is to head another protest in the town on May 5 and has commanded the attendance of most of the country´s provincial governors.

Mill opponents say they are motivated by environmental concerns.

The Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA), an environmental lobby group with an office in Argentina, has produced a paper on the pulp mill project. CEDHA argues that Botnia and ENCE are using second-rate technology that is being phased out in Europe. The companies have to turn to countries with less stringent environmental laws to build their mills, CEDHA says.

CEDHA says the waste produced by the pulping and bleaching stages of the ECF process would contaminate the environment. CEDHA claims that dioxins, carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide would be discharged into the air and into the River Uruguay, which is used for drinking water by nearby towns. Large volumes of fresh water would be extracted from the river for the mills and plantation expansion would see native vegetation cleared, according to CEDHA.

Botnia, which is building the larger of the Uruguayan mills, says it conducted the necessary environmental assessment into the water, ground water, soil, flora and fauna of the area around the mill. Botnia points out that the assessment was approved by the Uruguayan Government last year.

Odour disturbances at start-ups and shut-downs

“The negative environmental impacts (of the mill) will be minimal. There will be no biological effects,” Botnia´s website says.

“Odour disturbances” would only occur during start-ups and shut-downs, Botnia says, and they would have no detrimental impact on humans.

Botnia says the mill, which would produce 1 million tonnes of pulp a year, would boost Uruguay´s GDP by 1.6 per cent per annum and employ 300 people.

The Argentinian Government´s opposition to the two mills may not be motivated by environmental concerns alone. The country is still smarting from the economic crisis of 2001-02, which saw cashed-up foreign companies look elsewhere to invest. While Argentina´s economy has been plagued by instability, Uruguay is perceived as being a safer bet for foreign investment — which causes some envy in Argentina.

The Argentinian Government of Nestor Kirchner also appears keen to prove its leftist credentials.

Some South American countries, eg Uruguay, are taking the path of bilateral trade deals with the USA and rough convergence with US policy on hydrocarbons, drugs, foreign investment and economic management. South America´s left-wing governments, of which Argentina is a moderate example, are less enthusiastic about the “US way”. Bolivia has this week announced plans to nationalise its hydrocarbons, causing widespread panic in business circles, and the leftist governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Bolivia recently agreed to work together on improving regional cooperation rather than building close relations with the US.

While far from radical, the Argentinian Government is left-wing and is not adverse to thumbing its nose at the US approach to economic management. In a decidedly non-capitalist move, Mr Kirchner banned the export of Argentinian beef in March to combat rising domestic prices. Argentinians can now buy their beef more cheaply — and the country´s meat industry is fuming.

Similarly, Mr Kirchner, who faces a presidential election next year, has taken the side of the townspeople and farmers of the Gualeguaychu area over the pulp mill, instead of prioritising commerce and development.

Argentina´s chest-thumping over the pulp mills appears unlikely to sink the project. The mills have been approved by the Uruguyuan Government, and construction has started. The current dispute may serve only to sour relations between Argentina and Uruguay, and further divide a continent struggling for unity.

What CEDA says, Here

And,

Wilderness Society
MEDIA RELEASE

5 MAY 2006

INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ADVISOR VISITS TASMANIA
100,000 at pulp mill protest in Argentina

David Barnden, an advisor working with Argentina’s CEDHA (Center for Human Rights and Environment) is visiting Tasmania to help boost the local campaign against Gunns’ proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill. He describes an inspiring account of mass community protest and a government prepared to stand up for the environment and welfare of its citizens.

Last weekend saw 100,000 people march in opposition to two pulp mills under construction in Uruguay. Concurrently, the Argentine national Government is taking Uruguay to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, to try and halt construction on environmental grounds.

“Argentineans at all levels are concerned about environmental degradation through pulp mill pollution and have mobilised to stop the construction of these two pulp mills,” said Mr Barnden. “This has gone all the way to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.”

Combine this with community disquiet in Tasmania and Valdivia in Chile, it can be seen that on an international level public protest over pulp mill construction is mounting.

“Whilst the Tasmanian Government, Gunns and numerous study tours that visit the wrong places report that communities are living harmoniously side-by-side pulp mills, unrest and dissatisfaction is growing in many parts of the world,” said The Wilderness Society Spokesperson Vica Bayley. “New pulp mills, similar to Gunns’ proposal are facing opposition at a grass roots, state and national level.”

The protests target two plantation based eucalypt pulp mills that like the Gunns mill, propose ECF bleaching technology.

“This opposition is generated over the very real fear of air and water pollution,” concluded Mr Bayley. “These fears are shared in Tasmania, however, here we have the added concern of pulp mill driven native forest destruction and the well documented environmental damage that is associated.”

Visit CEDHA website – http://www.cedha.org.ar/en/initiatives/paper_pulp_mills/
ALSO- http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N30425323.htm
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