Poison in Peru

Two years ago, Choropampa, Peru, was a quiet, isolated village in the Andes, and the local residents seemed content to keep it that way. But, the town's serenity came to an end on June 2, 2000, when a truck from a U.S.-owned gold mine overturned on a highway passing through Choropampa, spilling 151 kilograms of liquid mercury. In the days and months that followed, the battle to have the mining company recognize the spill's long-term implications - for both the villagers' health and their surrounding environment - transformed peaceful people into angry activists.

February 1, 2002

Two years ago, Choropampa, Peru, was a quiet, isolated village in the Andes, and the local residents seemed content to keep it that way. But, the town's serenity came to an end on June 2, 2000, when a truck from a U.S.-owned gold mine overturned on a highway passing through Choropampa, spilling 151 kilograms of liquid mercury. In the days and months that followed, the battle to have the mining company recognize the spill's long-term implications - for both the villagers' health and their surrounding environment - transformed peaceful people into angry activists.