Pollution, illness, threats and murder: is this Amazon factory the link?
The death of a Brazilian community leader followed concerns about contaminated water around the aluminium plant but its Norwegian owners deny responsibility
Dom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
@domphillips
Fri 16 Mar 2018 03.30 EDT
For years, the small communities near an industrial park in Barcarena, in the Brazilian Amazon state of Pará, complained that a Norwegian-owned aluminium plant and other factories were contaminating their water, causing diarrhoea and vomiting and poisoning fish and local produce.
In November they launched a $154m legal claim for environmental and moral damages against the Pará state government, the Hydro Alunorte alumina refinery and the Albras aluminium factory. The Norwegian company Norsk Hydro owns 92% of Hydro Alunorte and 51% of Albras.
Community organisers began to receive threats. Then came the February rains, which brought floods of red-coloured water and mud.
. . .
Paulo Nascimento, 47, was shot dead early on Monday morning. He was a leading member of a community group known as Cainquiama. Ismael Moraes, a lawyer acting for the group, said they believe his death was connected to their campaign.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/16/brazil-pollution-amazon-aluminium-plant-norwegian
Environment and energy:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127116020