a cleanup opportunity without peer, page-6

Hi Healyn.

I have been following the Doe Run story for some time with considerable interest because I follow zinc production and mine closures or cutbacks.

I know that "La Oroya, located about 108 miles (174 km) east of Lima, Peru's capital, frequently ranks among the world's top 10 most polluted sites" and how important the refinery is to the Peruvian government. However the cleanup will be very costly as, as far as I understand it, the heavy metals are wide spread in the town and over the countryside. A big area without a great concentration of metal but more than enough to cause great concern.

It is like Xstrata's Mount Isa pollution. Heavy metal in the town and over a wide area causing high lead levels in children of the town. The Queensland government is monitoring the situation but has no clean-up plan as I think there is nothing that can be economically done to solve the situation.

I also feel that since Doe Run has not got even enough money to purchase concentrates how can it afford to pay the capital cost of a completely different technology?

Cheers.