Nicaragua - “Suffocated by Parmalat”

“Suffocated by Parmalat”

A whole neighborhood knocking at the Ministry of the Environment, Policy Division

The neighbors of Selim Shible and Santa Clara in Managua have been strongly struggling against a powerful group. Parmalat, a giant of the dairy industry, appears to be contaminating a nearby river in the residential area; meanwhile the people expect an answer from the Department of the Environment (Marena) and the Department of Health (Minsa) in response to a claim submitted to the Environmental Policy Division. According to the neighbors, the smoke from the chimneys is dark and thick and sets inside their houses, causing eye and throat disorders as well as suffocation to small children. But this is not the only way people are being affected. Every three years they have to change the zinc sheets on their roofs because of corrosion.

“More than once we had to leave our houses to avoid suffocation, since the smoke is usually given off in the early morning hours when we are asleep and also over the week-ends. On Saturdays, in particular, and in the very early hours of Sundays, fog seems to be hanging over the motorway and actually it is the smoke given off”, stated Mr. Augusto Canales Aguilar who has a recorded video tape as evidence.

The neighbors at Santa Clara report they are fed up with the whitish foul-smelling waters with milk residues which all year round are discharged into the streams of rain water. “It is an offensive and sickening smell, which lessens over the winter because the rain flushes the dirty waters into the lake but it is unbearable in the summer. Flies have a real party in our neighborhood”, says Mrs. Blanca del Carmen García who lives in the area.

According to the neighbors, some time ago letters were sent to the company management to request a meeting expecting a solution to their grievances. But when the meeting finally took place, it lasted only ten minutes and the attending company representative concluded that if the company caused such an inconvenience, “people should move away”. They were also told the company was investing millions of dollars in Nicaragua. “Our families have owned this property for over 30 years and the least we expect is harmony and respect towards our property and our right to a healthy environment whereas they carry on with their projects and investment”, Mrs. Claudia Gutiérrez said.

More than 20 days ago, the neighbors decided to take action against the company before the Ministry of the Environment, Policy Division. The Ministries of Health and the Environment were summoned to submit clear evidence that the waters and smoke were not harmful to their health and their relatives’ health. “We took action but the claim has remained in the Environmental Policy Division where, according to regular legal proceedings, it is filed and forwarded to the relevant office, but it has not proceeded. The Ministries involved have no knowledge of it whatsoever”, said Violeta Barberena who works at the legal department of Cedaprode (Center of Environment Law and Development Promotion).

The case is in the hands of Assistant Attorney José Luis García, who made a commitment before Cedaprode to carry out a closed inspection, i.e., with no neighbor, organization or any civil society representative present.

Heinz Liechti, technology manager at Parmalat, told the daily EL NUEVO DIARIO that the company promotes -with the support of Marena, Enacal and the Municipality of Managua- a comprehensive phase out plan to reduce pollution brought about by the dairy industry. “At the time we took over, the company did not abide to any regulation whatsoever. We are aware there are some problems, but we are implementing the plan and, as reported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (Marena), we are one of the very few companies in Nicaragua abiding by environmental regulations, which is the company's global policy”, Liechti said.

With reference to the smoke, Dr. Liecthti pointed out that it is only given off in the mornings, when boilers are started up and only lasts for five minutes. “It is like switching your car engine, smoke is given off only at the beginning and we are below set standards. As a chemist, I can tell you that the smoke from the boilers does not cause corrosion, since no acids are freed to catalyze the reaction. Those are different cases like the Masaya Volcano, where sulphur fumes are given off, the effect of hydrochloric acid or salt air near the sea”, said the manager.

Regarding the milk effluents discharged into the river at Santa Clara, Liechti stated that Parmalat is paying the cost of a pipe connected to the sewage works, to be installed by Enacal (Drains and Pipes Company) and have a final solution to the problem by the end of November to the latest. “Enacal performs treatment of all our waters which flow into a pipe and are then discharged in a sewage deposit, but we recognize that this water is the result of washing and discharged down the rain pipes. We know it smells, and for that reason, works shall be done to avoid inconveniences, but we can assure waters are not toxic”, he added.

Another grievance reported by the neighbors is that Parmalat “has taken over our street", with parking prohibited signs in front of their own homes. “More than once we had to call the police to request they hold back the guards who verbally abuse us when we move the signs to park in front of our own homes”, said Mrs. Claudia Gutiérrez.

Neighbors also said that if they have visitors, they have to park their cars far away to avoid a bad time with the guards. But these guards have never reproved the truck drivers who park in front of our houses and block the way out of the garages and become such a nuisance in the early hours of the morning. “The street is not their private property. If they were a serious company, they should build a parking place and an area for their workers who are so noisy and even urinate against our front doors”, they said.

Norma Medina, Human Resources Manager at Parmalat, argued that the parking prohibition is for safety reasons, and such resolution was authorized by the Municipality of Managua and the National Police. The daily EL NUEVO DIARIO contacted María Teresa Rocha, responsible of Urban Policies at the Municipaly (Distrito Cuatro), who denied being aware of the situation and promised to send an inspection.

The Police Station of the same district denied such a permit had been granted for the company, and at the same time strongly encouraged the aggrieved neighbors to send letters to the district for appropriate measures to be taken.

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