Ecological catastrophe in Brazil

We are living in a world of ecological and human catastrophe. Events occur, stay in the headlines and then disappear and people forget and don’t give it another thought.

But somewhere people’s lives have been ruined forever and they are living with destituation, ill health – and denial.

One of the examples of this is in Brazil and the mining disaster that occcured in the village of Bento Rodrigues in November,

Much as I’d like to do justice to everyone it is simply impossible. But I am fortunate to have a friend in Brazil, Martha Lu who is chronicling the drought in Sao Paulo and now, this disaster that befell the people of Bento Rodrigues.

She recently travelled to have a look herself, so I will leave her to describe this in her own words:

Genocide?

Martha Lu, Brazil

I would like to share and ask for help. I believe that you all know about the major mine accident here in Brazil, the one who kiiled not only human lifes but a major river.

The UN special rapporteur urged the Brazilian Government to secure access to safe drinking water and sanitation for people affected by catastrophic collapse of a tailing dam in Mariana. - 

See more at: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx

….

By the Brazilian legislation water, to be considered for human consumption, should have a limit of 100 UNT of turbidity. The river has, stated by the own Brazilian government, in some points up to 20.440 

http://bit.ly/1lExfZ4

.

Mineral water is being given to the people but in a very harmful condition. They have to wait, under the sun and 36oC temperatures, up to 8 hours to receive some bottles.

http://bit.ly/1M9Oer4

Now the Samarco Company wants to end the distribuition.

Brazilian Government is telling that the water is safe to consume 

http://bit.ly/1SVrq46

although people are getting sick for drinking it. https://youtu.be/puDwPBxNfe0.

I have traveled the whole area 

http://on.fb.me/1Nq5ZnR

I talk to the people, I saw whats is happening and nobody wants to talk about it.

We do not know what is in that water, even UN asked for safe water but did not tell what is in the water that people are getting in their taps.

We need to know to what people are being exposed to due the contact of this water, we have almost a million people in that area. If they are being exposed to something that will compromise their health and the governmental authorities are doing nothing, this is genocide.

We need to know the truth about the quality of the water

Look what happened with my boot

I am trying to get it analyzed but the reliable institute here said no
They do not want to produce evidence against the boss

Brazil mine disaster: UN human rights expert calls for urgent access to safe drinking water

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16855&LangID=E#sthash.xw51u2ty.dpuf

GENEVA (8 December 2015) – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation, Léo Heller, on Tuesday urged the Brazilian Government to secure access to safe drinking water and sanitation for people affected by catastrophic collapse of a tailing dam in Mariana.

“More than a month after the incident, hundreds of thousands of people in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo States are still suffering interruptions to the water supply,” Mr. Heller said.

“As an emergency measure, the authorities have been providing water at distribution points, and mining companies have been bringing bottled water to the affected areas. However, people continue to complain about the insufficient and disorganized distribution of water,” the expert added. He noted that the affected Doce River is the main water source in the region and that ongoing high turbidity in its water, due to the collapse of the tailing dam, has resulted in the poor performance of water treatment to date.

People are reported to have to queue for hours to get small quantities of water that are insufficient for proper sanitation or hygiene, with no priority given to older people  or persons with disabilities.

“There is growing discontent due to the poor management of this water crisis, which has already generated some violent incidents and could lead to further unrest,” the UN expert warned.

“I remind the Government of Brazil that it is the State’s human rights obligation to take action and ensure access to safe and sufficient water, and to alternative sanitation,” stressed Mr. Heller.

“Understandably, people are worried about the quality of the water coming from the restored water supply system. They are also frustrated by the inconsistent and inadequate information on the safety of the water provided by the different authorities,” said the expert. “Having information about the safety of water is a key element of the human rights to water and sanitation,” he dded.

The UN expert noted that some analyses of the water and sediments of the Doce River have revealed levels of toxic elements above the acceptable levels.

“I call upon the authorities to urgently take preventative measures in accordance with the precautionary principle,” said Mr. Heller. “The Government must strengthen its monitoring of both raw and treated water, improve water treatment, and disseminate clear information to the population in order to protect people’s human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation,” Mr Heller concluded.

Léo Heller is the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation. He was appointed by the Human Rights Council in November 2014. Mr. Heller is currently a researcher in the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil. 

Learn more, log on to:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/WaterAndSanitation/SRWater/Pages/SRWaterIndex.aspx 

Genocídio?

Martha Lu

https://www.facebook.com/notes/martha-lu/genocídio/10208186758216315

PORTARIA CONAMA 357/2005

Art. 1o Esta Resolução dispõe sobre a classificação e diretrizes ambientais para o enquadramento dos corpos de água superficiais, bem como estabelece as condições e padrões de lançamento de efluentes.

XII - condição de qualidade: qualidade apresentada por um segmento de corpo d'água, num determinado momento, em termos dos usos possíveis com segurança adequada, frente às Classes de Qualidade;

Segundo esta portaria somente as águas classe 1,2 e 3 podem ser utilizados ao abastecimento para consumo humano http://bit.ly/1J3jo3m

Classe 4 : águas que podem ser destinadas: a) à navegação; e b) à harmonia paisagística.

A portaria não especifica turbidez para classe 4 mas, indica para classe 3: l) turbidez até 100 UNT; ou seja, qualquer valor acima de 100 UNT torna a água classe 4.

Segundo dados da própria ANA, http://bit.ly/1lExfZ4

, o rio Doce virou classe 4, chega a apresentar Turbidez de até 20.440. Não poderia estar sendo utilizado como fonte de abastecimento humano.

A falta de informação sobre o que, de fato, existe na água é um crime. Não adianta dizerem que a água está boa, até a ONU, apesar de não informar o que tem na água, pede "acesso urgente a "água segura" para consumo http://bit.ly/1UiARLY

e a população passa mal quando bebe a água da torneira https://youtu.be/puDwPBxNfe0.

Por causa do desastre, milhares de pessoas das cidades que dependiam do Rio Doce como fonte de água estão em situação calamitosa, desumana e dependem da água distribuída pela Samarco e de doações. http://bit.ly/1M9Oer4

Segundo a Resolução 96 da ONU de 11 de dezembro de 1946, qualquer indivíduo, governante ou funcionário público que esteja causando danos físicos ou mentais a membros do grupo ou submetendo o grupo a condições de existência que lhe ocasionem destruição física total ou parcial pode ser punido por genocídio. http://bit.ly/1NW6lSy

O que está acontecendo aqui no Brasil é o quê? Cadê o Governo Brasileiro socorrendo seus cidadãos? Vamos envenenar todos os que dependem das águas do Rio Doce? E nós, vamos nos calar e permitir que isto aconteça? Seremos cúmplices?

"Três coisas não podem ser escondidas por muito tempo: o sol, a lua e a verdade. Buddha"

Here is Martha's report about Sao Paulo from 3 months ago