Have you ever heard of a place where tons of cancer-causing pesticides were carelessly dumped? That’s the story of Monte Cidade dos Meninos. Right here in Duque de Caxias a neighborhood in the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area stands Monte Cidade dos Meninos a place haunted by a tragic environmental disaster.
Monte Cidade dos Meninos wasn’t always known for this terrible secret. In the 1940s under President Getúlio Vargas it was an orphanage. It housed over 1200 orphans. Imagine the bustling life within its walls. Children playing laughter echoing.
But then in the 1950s tragedy struck. The government established an institute for malaria research. This institute soon began producing organochlorine insecticides. These included DDT and HCH now banned nationwide. These incredibly toxic substances were used to fight mosquitoes.
The factory closed a decade later. Hundreds of tons of HCH a deadly pesticide were abandoned. The residents believed that if it was dangerous the government wouldn’t have left it there. Children played with the discarded pesticide. Adults used it for construction and pest control.
For two decades the poison seeped into the soil and water. It continues to contaminate the area today. Nearly 75% of residents have organochlorine residues in their blood. The consequences are devastating. The orphanage and public schools closed. Economic activity in the area greatly diminished.
Despite everything many residents refuse to leave. They fight for decontamination. They proclaim the pesticide must go not them. The fight for justice and environmental remediation continues at Monte Cidade dos Meninos a stark reminder of a past environmental injustice. A story etched in the very soil under our feet.