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Christianity Today, April, 2007 |

Cleaning Up La Oroya

How American and Peruvian Christians teamed up when factory pollutants were poisoning children.

Hunter Farrell | posted 4/20/2007 08:59AM

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Peruvian and North American Christians together played a key role in reducing La Oroya's pollution, beginning cleaning, and alerting authorities and residents of the pollution's dangers. What started as one woman's cry for help mushroomed into a global mission effort across denominational lines and national borders. The mission effort went beyond financial and spiritual support as Christians offered not only their faith, but also access to scientific information and the media.

Two-way Ministry

The work in La Oroya also led to a serendipity: Because of Peru's mission history, Peruvian Catholics and Protestants have often considered each other to be nonbelievers. One of the tangible results of the mission in La Oroya has been a surprising unity among Peruvian and U.S. believers, including evangelical lay pastors and a Jesuit archbishop, North American missionaries and Pentecostal mothers, Dominican nuns and Presbyterian congregations.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer asked, "Will the church merely gather up those whom the wheel has crushed, or will it prevent the wheel from crushing them?" Hinostroza and Javier—together with hundreds of Christians in Peru and the United States—are learning the answer to that timely question.

Hunter Farrell is a Presbyterian missionary. He has lived in Peru with his wife and three children for the past nine years and works with the Joining Hands Network of Peru.

Related Elsewhere:

The Blacksmith Institute, which works to solve pollution problems in the developing world, has a page on La Oroya, which it says is one of the top ten most polluted cities in the world.

The Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Joining Hands Network of Peru has articles about the ongoing problems in La Oroya.

Hunter Farrell is head of a PCUSA World Mission area.

The Dallas Morning News has a profile of Farrell and his work in La Oroya.

The Doe Run Company, which runs the metallurgical complex in La Oroya, has also polluted in the US, reports the New York Times.

Other coverage of La Oroya's pollution includes:

Pollution's Youngest Victims | Peruvian smelter likely cause of health problems in town's youngest. (CBS News)

Peru: Life Under a Toxic Cloud | According to the Blacksmith Institute, La Oroya is one of the world's 10 worst pollution sites. Contaminants include lead, arsenic, cadmium and sulfur dioxide. (PBS's Frontline:World)

Gasping for Clean Air in La Oroya | A grey blanket of smog hangs over the mining town of La Oroya high up in the Andes in Peru, where several generations have suffered the effects of the lead dust and toxic fumes spewed out by a giant smelting complex. (Inter Press Service)

Peruvian mining town must balance health and economics | While health activists want the town's toxic plant shut down, residents worry about the economic consequences. Barbara Fraser reports. (The Lancet)

Christianity Today's other articles on Peru and global warming and the environment are available on our site.

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April 2007, Vol. 51, No. 4

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Displaying 1 - 3 of 17 comments.

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Will A.

Posted: April 30, 2007 2:01 PM

What fascinating debate that includes interesting traffic patterns formed around each individual perspective on a global issue of poverty that we as Christians all seek to improve through our OWN gifts, and gifts of our PARTNERS in mission, and partners in Christ. “For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—or rather so that we might be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.” –Romans 1:11-12 My thoughts run parallel to many of my friends’ frustrations and angers that so much scientific research has been done, which undoubtedly required the resources of many Christians involved in this project, and yet not “ENOUGH” tangible reform has taken place in La Oroya. As the above opinion flows, I can’t also help but recognize some validity in the opinion of those whom I don’t know, who seem to question why substantial reform hasn’t taken place, and in my interpretation seem to go further suggesting that the Pe

Tim	Posted: April 25, 2007 4:05 PM

I think Jay's comment can be easily dismissed as simplistic. Jesus quoted Isa. 60:1-2 at the beginning of His ministry explaining the the Gospel--"the good news" is about taking care of those who cannot take care of themselves. The Gospel is more complex than what Jay wants to distill it down to be--hence Mark begins his book with "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." Jay needs to consider Isa 58. There the words of the Lord are clear that false worship to God is manifest most obviously in neglect of the poor, homeless, oppressed, etc. However, it is the cross of Christ which must be preached ultimately if we are going to call it evangelism. Let us not confuse preevangelism with evangelism. Both are necessary. We are the most wicked of all if we turn our backs on those who cannot help themselves especially when we have been given so much that God requires we give in return for His glory!

Karen Wilson

Posted: April 25, 2007 10:59 AM

It is so important to get the word out about what is happen to the children in La Oroya. Technology is available to vastly improve the air quality. Without public pressure, nothing would be done. With public pressure, hopefully the Doe Run Company will be forced to comply with the regulations that they have for so long been ignoring. Parents should not have to be afraid they will lose their jobs if they stand up for the health of their children. Doe Run is only concerned with their bottom line. The lives of the children need to be a priority in La Oroya. Thank you for publishing this article.

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