Jon Sohn To j sohn@attbi com cc 02 09·09 2 q6 1 9 O · subject AM Karl Kendall@exim gov j ames mahoney@exi m gov Atoss a so1 tani atossa@amazonwatch org Re camisea Inquiry Karl- Ex-Im and IDB funding is what will enable this project to go·forward I don't know of any hard lines being taken by IDB or Ex-Im that would certainly change the overwhelming out of control pace you describe below IDB has no credibility from an NGO perspective- no standards aggressively pushing the project encouraging the companies to continue with their ongoing on the ground work try1ng to cut side deals with conservation groups etc we have as much information about· what IDB is doing behind the scenes as their own staff The notion that this project is in line with principles of sustainable development is without any merit ironic position for u s taxpayer dollars with the world summit on sustainable Development just around the corner ' The companies are not equipped or capable of dealing with the impacts of this project The companies are a financial risk in their own right Independent studies show and will continue to show the impacts are going to be irreversible regardless You are starting from the presumption that this project will go forward But if the financiers step up nd acknowledge the problems here and the f1nanc1ng goes away query what happens to this momentum ----- original Message----From Karl Kendall@ xim gov To Jon Sohn j sohn@attbi com sent Tuesday June 18 2002 4 30 PM subject Re camisea Inquiry I could see it's a very fair position from your perspective of course to take with PlusPetrol And we can gleam a few specific nuggets from that position It's just with or without us this thing is apparently charging along and we may not have the luxury to wait until the project is nearly done and perhaRS some unneeded damage has been done to then engage and seek specific improvements Naturally we remain open to good ideas suggestions otherwise -Karl K Jon Sohn j sohn@attbi c om 06 18 2002 Vasilios Giannopoulos@exim gov David 12 35 PM david@amazonalliance org To Karl Kendall@exim gov cc james mahoney@exim gov Popi Artavanis@exim gov Rothschild subj ect Re camisea Inquiry Karl-In response·to ¥our request FoE supports the position noted in the letter below -Jon washington DC June 14 2002 Alberto Moons vice Presidente Desarrollo de Negocios Inter acionales Pluspetrol Av Rep de Panama 3055 ·piso 7 san Isidro Lima 27 Fax 511-222-1318 Dear Mr Moons we are writing regarding a recent request from Betsy Rodriquez at Pluspetrol for a meeting between the Amazon Alliance and Pluspetrol and ERM staff in Washington DC we agreed on a tentative meeting date of July 19 but have decided to decline the request until we can obtain further information The Amazon Alliance for Indigenous and Traditional Pepples of the Amazon Basin is an initiative born out of the partnership between indigenous and traditional peo les of the Amazon and groups and individuals who share their concerns for the future of the Amazon and its peoples There are over eighty non-governmental organizations from the North and south active in the Alliance The Amazon Alliance works to defend the rights territories and environment of indigenous and traditional peoples of the Amazon Basin Prior to meeting we would like to confirm that Pluspetrol has met with AIDESEP COMARU Racimos de ungurahui CEDIA and shinai serjali to share its evaluation of the independent report prepared by Patricia Caffrey and to fully respond to their concerns Befor enga ing in dialogue 1 we also request that Pluspetrol suspend all activities in the KUijakapori-Nahua Reserve until the end of the due diligence and consultation processes pertinent to the IDB Exim and CAF loans and until stakeholders have resolved the major di fficulties relating to operating inside the Reserve we appreciate your inquiry and would welcome any written materials that Pluspetrol has prepared in response to caffrey's independent report sincerely David Rothschild and Johnson Cer da Quichua co-Directors Amazon Alliance cc Ralph Braccio Environmental Resources Management Fax 202-466-9191 Betsy Rodriijuez PlusPetrol brodriquez@pluspetrol com ar Sandra Martinez PlusPetrol smartinez@pluspetrol com ar -----original Message---- From Karl Kendall@exim gov To Jon Sohn j sohn@attbi com cc james mahoney@exim gov j sohn@attbi com Popi Artavanis@exim gov Vasilios Giannopoulos@exim gov sent Tuesday June 18 2002 9 29 AM subject Re camisea Inquiry Atossa Soltani asoltani@igc or g 06 20 2002 05 45 PM To ' cc subject Karl Kendall@exim gov j sohn@attbi com 1ris gold@citicorp com camisea 1 atossa@amazonwatch or9 James Mahoney@exim gov Please respond to Atossa Soltani · Please be advised that there is a great deal' of misinformation in the documents Pluspetrol has been presenting at their meetings this week in Washington In particular in their documents they deny meeting with Nahua and Nanti isolated communities Groups in Peru have audio recordings of such a meeting on April 12 and a transcript is available on the web site http www serjali org we will be providing a response to this misinformation in the near future As you may be aware the Washington Post reporter attempted to contact Pluspetrol representatives on this issue Bel•ow is a press release Amazon watch is circulating For Immediate Release June 20 2002 contact Atossa Soltani Amazon 'watch 310 456 9158 EXIM Bank urged to Deny Government Loan to Egregious Energy Project in the Amazon ' Peru's uncontacted'Indigenous Peoples Threatened by Massive camisea Gas Project Maps Photos video Footage Related Reports Available upon Request Washington DC - The Argentinean energy giant Pluspetrol and its partners arrived in washin ton this week to meet with Exim Bank of the united States to drum up financing for its camisea gas project and pipelines in Peru Their visit was mar ed by a wave of denouncements from environmental groups who declared the project the most egregious energy project in the Amazon today critics are urging EXIm Bank and the Inter-American Development sank to reject the company's request for financing on the grounds that the project will lead to the destruction of pristine tropical rainforests and endanger uncontacted and isolated indigenous populations In attempt to neutralize its critics Pluspetrol sought meetings to present its green face in California and Washington with environmental and human rights groups However not one California NGO met with Pluspetrol and nearly all of the DC groups roundly rejected meetings given the onsortia's current practices and dirty dealings in Peru Located deep in the Lower urubamba region of the Peruvian Amazon the project area is home to several groups of uncontacted and isolated indigenous peoples The $2 7 billion project would affect indigenous reserves and protected areas of global ecoloP ical significance described in 1998 by the IUCN as the last place on earth' to drill for fossil fuels Groups are particularly opposed to the project iven that 75 percent of the gas field is located inside the Nahua-Kugapakor Reserve ·ironically established to protect isolated and uncontacted indigenous populations The financially troubled Pluspetrol in partnership with Houston-based Hunt oil and a ragtag consortium of small and inexperienced energy players is forging ahead with its operations without any safeguards or independent or government oversight Citigroup is the financial advisor Having suffered heavy losses in the Argentine economic crisis Pluspetrol will have great difficulties securing private financing and first needs government backed loans · Thii roject violates every environmental and social standar and should be rejected our tax dollars should not be subsidizing large scale forest destruction and ethnocide said Atossa Soltani director of Amazon Watch Amazon watch National Wildlife Federation Friends of the Earth Rainforest Action Network Pacific Environment and the Amazon Alliance all demanded the suspension of the camisea project from the Nahua-Kugapakori Reserve NGOs point to Pluspetrol's violations of internatipnally recognized indigenous ' rights by forcibly contacting groups living in voluntary isolation Knowing the risks of introducing fatal diseases Pluspetrol sends search parties into the remote forest to track down uncontacted peoples In the 1980's 50 percent of one indigenous group- the Nahua - died from illnesses introduced by workers when Shell Oil was exploring for oil and g s in the area · Pluspetrol's questi onable dealings with isolated communities was documented in and audio recording of an unannounced encounter with the isolated Nahua community in April The Peruvian advocacy NGO shinai serjali publicly released their audio recording of this meeting available on www serjali org critics doubt Pluspetrol's ability to manage the hu e environmental and social risks surroundin the Camisea project and point to the company's appalling track record 1n oil production blocks known as 1-AB and 8-X in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon A history of major oil spills toxic contamination and community health problems surrounds Pluspetrol's Peruvian operations Background information is available on www amazonwatch org # # #