不顧當地民眾反對聲浪，秘魯政府照樣准許英國礦業公司蒙特瑞科（Monterrico Metals）對祕魯北部高山區里約布蘭科（Rio Blanco）採礦計畫周圍八個緩衝區採礦權的要求，民眾計畫將在1月10日舉辦公民會議以環保立場抗議這項決定。
里約布蘭科銅和鉬金屬蘊藏量為世界未開發之最大銅資源之一。蒙特瑞科計劃發展里約布蘭科為露天地面礦區，生產銅和鉬精礦，並表示里約布蘭科的計畫生產量將可排名在世界20大銅礦之行列。
蒙特瑞科所准許通過後獲取包含27個位在皮烏拉區望卡邦馬及阿雅巴卡省等共21, 794.6公頃的採礦權。這項新通過的採礦權為蒙特瑞科原有之採礦權的四倍。
關於礦區開發案，祕魯總統賈西亞曾發布一道Decree 024-2008-DE法令，許多當地公民認為此法令將在違反大眾意願下出讓當地社群傳統領域，於2007年9月16日舉行公投，結果為壓倒性的反對金屬礦計畫。
長期研究皮烏拉區的美國生態學家當挪（Craig Downer）表示，「這些開採計畫案將會對北秘魯和南厄瓜多一大區塊的水源涵養地造成嚴重危害。」
上千個莊稼家庭依賴河水灌溉耕種角豆莢、芒果、芭樂、番荔枝、檸檬和酪梨以及稻米、有機咖啡、棉花等多項水果蔬菜等。
任職保育瀕危哺乳動物組織的安地斯貘基金會（Andean Tapir Fund）總負責人當挪接著表示，「這些開採計畫將會破獲或污染多數位在祕魯北部的重要淨土，如雲霧林（cloud forests）及禿高原（paramo）。」他表示，至今高山貘仍棲息於採礦權範圍內的區域，「此區域為秘魯最寶貴的貘棲息地。」
The government of Peru has approved the request of British mining company Monterrico Metals to acquire a buffer zone around eight core mining concessions of the company's Rio Blanco Project in the high mountains of northern Peru.
The approval was granted against the will of the local residents, who are planning a public meeting this coming Saturday to protest the decision on environmental grounds.
The Rio Blanco copper and molybdenum deposit is one of the largest undeveloped copper resources in the world. Monterrico plans to develop Rio Blanco as a conventional open pit mine, producing copper and molybdenum concentrates, saying that at planned production rates, Rio Blanco will be among the 20 largest copper mines in the world.
The additional area granted to Monterrico comprises 27 mining concessions totaling 21,794.69 hectares located in the provinces of Huancabamba and Ayabaca in the Department of Piura. The newly approved concessions more than quadruple the original amount of land open to mining by Monterrico.
Many local citizens believe that with Decree 024-2008-DE President Garcia has given away their community territory against the popular will. A public referendum on September 16, 2007 resulted in an overwhelming rejection of the mining project.
"These mining projects will also place into serious jeopardy the water supply for a large portion of northern Peru and southern Ecuador," he said.
Thousands of farming families depend upon this river water to cultivate orchards of carob bean, mango, guava, chirimoyo, lemons and avocados, as well as rice, organic coffee and cotton, and many other fruits and vegetables.
"These mining projects will destroy and/or contaminate much of northern Peru's most important undisturbed cloud forests and paramos," said Downer, who is president of the Andean Tapir Fund, a nonprofit organization for the conservation of this endangered mammal.
Mountain tapirs still inhabit the area of the mining concessions, which Downer characterizes as Peru's "most important bastion for this species."
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
