Argentina's Never Ending (Starting) Cleanup Of El Riachuelo

RichardP

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Even after US 5.2 billion spent, still no results?

http://www.globaliss...017/02/11/22866

<p><a href="http://www.globalissues.org/news/2017/02/11/22866">Argentina’s Never-ending Environmental Disaster</a>, <cite>Inter Press Service</cite>, Saturday, February 11, 2017 (posted by Global Issues)</p>
 
If you really think there is no results, I wonder if you ever saw it before?
The first time I saw the turning basin in La Boca, it was full of half sunken ships, with a sheen of oil and rotting garbage floating on it. This same condition existed up the Riachuelo, and there was still plenty of garbage floating downstream in the Diques.
If you crossed the bridge on 9 de Julio to Avelleneda, you saw more sunken debris.

now, its all gone, and daily, the garbage skimming boats prowl the turning basin.
I rode the collectivo to Avelleneda a few years ago, and saw pretty large ships, pulled from the river, being sliced up like loaves of bread for scrapping.

Should they do more, especially in terms of building sewage plants, forcing industry to recycle or filter, and changing laws?
Of course.

But to say nothing has been done is just propaganda.
Its a lot better than it used to be, and still has a long way to go.

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where there were huge paper pulp mills in many cities.
The new slogan, for the city of Everett, for example, now that the pulp mill is shut down, is "Everett- it doesnt stink any more".
Similarly, you used to be able to smell the Riachuelo blocks away.
 
My wife is from La Boca and I've been seeing the river for 25+ years since before Menem's 1000 day cleanup. I recall Argentina getting a huge sum from the BID for cleanup which is when they started pulling out sunken wrecks. Beyond that, I doubt the quality of the water has changed very much and is likely even worse as the amount of people and industry has grown in the drainage (cuenca) throughout the years.
The Riachuelo does still stink and gives me a headache every time I get near that toxic soup. It all depends on the wind direction.
Next to nothing has been done if that sounds more accurate to you if you consider the enormous amount of money directed toward the cleanup.
 
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