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Last Update: July 16, 2008
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Victories
Cañada Honda
A Cordoba corporation planned to construct of a massive apartment complex close to a natural canal in the southern part of the City of Córdoba. Projected impacts included the destruction of the canal, which serves as a watershed and important aquatic resource for the community; the possible collapse of the sewage system; and the aggravation of an already-severe traffic problem. The community organized itself to combat this project and, with the assistance of the Clinic, has successfully compelled the municipality to suspend construction until further review of the corporation's compliance with municipal health and safety codes.
Chacras de la Merced
An low income community in Cordoba had no access to the municipal water supply system, and could access only contaminated well-water and water from the Rio Suquía. This river, a lifeline for the community, was inundated by pollutants discharged from a failing sewage treatment plant located just four kilometers from the community. A number of community members, including children, contracted gastrointestinal diseases and other illnesses as a result of this contamination.
Community members organized to demand a vindication of their basic human rights to health, water and a decent quality of life, and in this endeavor sought aid from the Clinic. The Clinic facilitated scientific analyses into the extreme levels of contamination present in the community's wells, and subsequently brought the results of the investigation before a provincial judge. After hearing the case, the judge issued an order requiring the city of Córdoba to provide clean water to the community. Although a final order has not been issued, the residents are currently receiving a steady supply of fresh water, imported regularly in a mobile water tank. Read more about this case (in Spanish).
San Vicente
Residents of the San Vicente neighborhood sought help from the Clinic to halt construction of a cellular antenna tower situated nearby several of the community's schools, senior citizen facilities, and hospitals. In a September 2003 hearing before the Cordobese environmental administrative agency, the Clinic demanded suspension of construction until the agency thoroughly investigated both the project's possible environmental impacts, and the communication corporation's adherence to municipal construction requirements. In November 2003, the environmental agency ordered that construction of the tower cease until these investigations and all necessary mitigations occur.
