Contact your congressperson and urge her/him to sign Rep. Michaud's letter to the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly (text below)

BACKGROUND

Communities in rural El Salvador are being threatened by mining exploration and extraction. These communities are gravely concerned that mining activities-large-scale open-pit and subterranean excavations using a cyanide extraction process-will exacerbate levels of deforestation, pollute water supplies, contaminate air and soil, and jeopardize locals' health.

Late in 2006, the U.S. government's Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) awarded $461 million to El Salvador. The MCC's stated goals include the reduction of poverty, promotion of democratic, responsive institutions, and environmental preservation. El Salvador's application for these funds emphasized assistance for small- and medium-sized producers to expand their markets, the expansion of agricultural production, and the creation of a "green zone" to attract tourism. All funding will be channeled to the northern region of the country (ie Chalatenango, Caba