Page 11 - Aruba Today

WORLD NEWS A11
Friday 8 April 2016

Brazilian police probe whether water utility treats sewage

A worker collects floating trash from the Guanabara Bay during since an Associated Press ture of the problem. as Rio Mayor Eduardo
the inauguration of the renovated Marina da Gloria in Rio de investigation revealed as- The probe grew out of the Paes inaugurated the re-
Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, April 7, 2016. The revamped marina on tronomical viral levels in the “notorious public knowl- vamped Gloria Marina on
the Guanabara Bay is to be the starting point of the 2016 Sum- waters. Brazilian authori- edge” of sewage pollution the Guanabara Bay where
mer Olympic sailing competition. ties had pledged to clean problems in the two water- the Olympic sailing events
them up as part of the ways, Prudente said, add- will start.
(AP Photo/Felipe Dana) city’s Olympic bid nearly ing that testing of the sam- The refurbishment costing
nine years ago. ples collected at the plants the equivalent of $19 mil-
JENNY BARCHFIELD utility, Cedae, for allegedly In a statement late Thurs- would help “measure the lion includes new docks,
Associated Press dumping raw or minimally day, Cedae expressed treatment the plants may as well as restaurants in-
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — treated sewage into the “surprise” over the police or may not be doing.” tended to draw the public
Police investigators took city’s waterways, police operation and insisted its Prudente didn’t provide to what had long been a
samples at some of Rio de investigator Marcelo Pru- activities “contribute to the many technical details private facility. Despite the
Janeiro’s largest sewage dente said at a news con- improvement of the quality about the testing, saying upgrade, the black waters
treatment plants on Thurs- ference. of life of the population of only that the results will like- of the marina were still dot-
day to determine whether The plants are located near Rio de Janeiro, not causing ly take weeks. Depending ted with floating trash and
the facilities are actually polluted lagoons in western pollution.” It denied charg- on the results, both Cedae stank of raw sewage at
treating sewage. Rio that hug the Olympic ing for services not provid- itself and its top executives Thursday’s event.
Police also collected docu- Park and on the sewage- ed. could be handed pollu- Paes said he has received
ments in the surprise sting blighted Guanabara Bay, Prudente suggested that tion and larceny charges promises from state author-
at least six plants. The ma- where Olympic sailing the investigation into Ce- for charging consumers for ities that a project aimed
terial collected will help au- events are to be held. Wa- dae preceded the AP’s sewage treatment services at staunching the flow of
thorities decide whether to ter pollution has become a July 2015 report. Rio was the utility doesn’t actually raw sewage into the mari-
bring charges against Rio’s hot-button issue ahead of targeted because of the provide, he said. na would be finished by the
state water and sewage the Aug. 5-21 games in Rio highly visible and smelly na- The police operation came end of next week.

Colombia high courts paves
way for gay marriage rights

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Santos had argued that
Colombia’s highest court is denying same-sex couples
paving the way for same- the right to wed is discrimi-
sex couples to marry in the natory. Only a handful of
conservative Roman Cath- nations in Latin America
olic nation. Gay couples in allow gay and lesbian
Colombia were already al- couples to marry, including
lowed to form civil unions. Argentina. Colombia’s pro-
But Thursday’s Constitu- gressive court had already
tional Court ruling by a 6-3 shown its willingness to ex-
vote would give gay cou- pand the rights of same-sex
ples marriage rights as well. couples when it ruled last
Activists with the support year that gay couples can
of President Juan Manuel adopt children