Abby and Sebastián joined a panel discussion for the film screening of “Arica: A Toxic Waste Scandal” hosted by The Sanctuary for Independent Media. Arica, Chile, is one of the two cities where Our Soil/Nuestros Suelos will hold workshops with residents to test local soils for lead and arsenic this year. The people of Arica have a long history dealing with the health consequences of lead and arsenic contamination of city soils. One substantial contribution of lead and arsenic to soil in Arica is smelter waste exported from Sweden to Chile in 1984. The metallic waste contained extremely high concentrations of lead and arsenic, and local residents continue to face the contamination due to negligence of the Swedish and Chilean companies involved and both governments.
The documentary, created by Lars Edman and William Johansson Kalén, covers this history and the ongoing pursuit of justice by residents in Arica. You can find more information about the documentary here and about film screening at The Sanctuary’s website here.
