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My name is Oscar Funez.
We're in the community of El Porvenir,
in the Atlantida department of Honduras.
Next to this community an international company
is growing pineapple on about 3,000 acres of farmland.
There are several thousand meters of canals that carry rainwater
from the fields to the main rivers of our community.
Along with this rainwater, the canals carry mud
and chemical waste from fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides.
We're finding a problem as we observe the rivers.
The plants and animals are being contaminated by
this chemical waste.
Also, when we get a lot of rain,
erosion pushes a lot of this waste into the rivers
and they reach the sea, where they put our coral reef in danger.
Several times we've called on the local and national authorities,
and on this agricultural company, to make an agreement with us.
We propose that the company
make ponds where they can deposit the runoff,
and that they build a plant to treat the runoff,
so that only clean water runs into the rivers.
After the water and land is treated, it can be used for planting.
We're worried about incidents of skin and stomach illnesses,
and various cancers that we believe are caused by these chemicals.
As soon as this company helps us with these ponds,
we can move past this crisis of our rivers
and improve the environment here in El Porvenir.