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Danone –Argentina
Closed due to Contamination
August 24, 2007 – Buenos Aires . In a series of sting operations cracking down on contaminating industries, Danone-Argentina , the local affiliate of the large multinational French lactose company, was preventively closed late yesterday due to worker and community risks presented by ammonium and compressed air storage facilities at one of its plants in Longchamps, Buenos Aires .
Moments before inspection teams led by Raul Vidable of the federal environment authority (SAYDS) showed up and placed highly visible closure bands at one of Danone's Buenos Aires factories, headlines were running in local dailies and digital newspapers that another well-known transnational corporation (TNC) with an Argentine affiliate, Bridgestone Firestone, had production permits suspended for non-compliance of environmental and human rights norms governing industry. Bridgestone Firestone also had to close its doors until it meets established environmental standards and reduces risks to local residents.
The SAYDS reports that in addition of failure to meet regulatory specs on storage facilities, Danone had expired operational permits placing workers and residents at risk, as well as problems in toxic waste handling facilities. Danone will not be able to resume operations at the closed facilities, until they correct the problems. Danone Argentina produces lactose products, cereals, and mineral water among a variety of other products for the local market.
The crackdown is part of a clean-up operation launched this year in one of the region's most contaminated river systems, the Matanza Riachuelo, an urban river running through Buenos Aires and home to some 3,000 industries, which have (with almost absolute impunity) polluted the river basin over the last 150 years. Some 4 million people live in the general river system area, making it one of the most dangerous and infectious river basins in the region. It is the first time the governmental environmental authorities, in a collaborative effort with local government, are making effective progress to clean up the environment in the river basin.
Preventive closures are a discretionary power attributed to the SAYDS but hardly never before utilized in Argentina to preempt contamination and human health risks.
More than 1,500 inspections have taken place in the Riachuelo alone, and since July of last year, when Argentina's Environment Secretariat was elevated to Ministerial level, over 200 industries have had permits temporarily or permanently revoked for failure to comply with social and environmental normative regulations, 168 companies have had preventive measures applied, and 39 have been temporarily or permanently closed. Ten large petrochemical companies, including Dow Chemical, have also been obligated to relocate to a less environmentally sensitive area.
More Information
For more information please contact:
Cel: 54 116 182 3172
