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Last Update: July 16, 2008
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- Paper Pulp Mills - Uruguay
- Corporate Accountability and Human Rights
- Climate Change and Human Rights
Another Accident at Finnish Pulp Mill in Uruguay Burns Finnish Worker
Botnia Mutes Communication to Avoid Bad Press
January 31, 2008 - Reports streamed in yesterday of yet another serious accident involving the failure or its principal caldron last Tuesday, at the controversial mega pulp mill by Botnia, on the Uruguay-Argentine border. According to eye witnesses, the large caldron failed or exploded, severely burning a Finnish worker and causing the multi million dollar pulp mill to halt operations. Botnia, fearing public exposure to the accident, reacted immediately by confiscating worker cell phones so that the news could not reach beyond company walls, claim workers inside the mill at the time of the accident. Today Botnia denied the confiscation of cell phones.
Community groups feared that the leakage of pulp from the caldron would contaminate the Uruguay river , just meters away. The mayor of the city of Gualeguaychú, Juan José Bahillo, unconvinced by Botnia's declarations indicating that there was no risk to the river, ordered studies on the waters by the plant, claiming “Botnia is likely to sweep such accidents under the rug”.
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