The Municipality of the city of Gualeguaychu, Argentina, on the border with Uruguay decided on Sunday to close for 48 hours a resort situated opposite the Botnia plant for an allergic reaction in the skin that have more than 90 people had. Undersecretary of Health and Environment of the city, Martin Piaggio, said about 90 people who were using the river on Saturday night at the resort presented rashes and skin eruptions.
The resort is located on the banks of the Uruguay River and 13 miles straight ahead from the Finnish paper plant of Botnia, located in the town of Fray Bentos. Although that the trash contaminates the river is not confirmed, an environmental association keeps, since 2006, the city blocked on General San Martín bridge linking Argentina and Uruguay as a protest of the installation of the plant, which sparked more than six years worst dispute in decades between the governments of both countries.
Argentina considers that the trash pollutes the Uruguay River, and the Uruguayan government authorized its installation unilaterally, ignoring a 1975 bilateral agreement on co-management of river resources.
Piaggio said it had temporarily banned the recreational use of river water, while awaiting the results of samples taken. "We all know that Botnia contributes large amounts of phosphorus and nitrogen daily, and this favors the formation of algae," he said in remarks to the media, and noted that the battery off the algae may be related to the condition presented.

(www.observa.com.uy, 22 February 2010)