The Mexican environmental authorities have that they have discovered 30,000 tons not properly saved with “dangerous properties” in the courtyard of a Mexican plant that recycled toxic waste from the USA.
The authorities ordered “urgent measures” to have the materials as part of the inspections they carry out in response to an investigation of the Guardian and Quinto elemento laborator were included in the correct storage.
The stories published on January 14th and 15th contained an analysis by Google Earth pictures, which showed the website.
After the articles were published zinc. It ordered the switching off of 15 devices that had no proper approval.
The authorities said they had found material that had not been properly stored on the company's farm and in direct contact with the ground – in some cases in broken and leaking pockets. The agency gave the company for 15 days to bring the material into the right storage.
“The first is that you have to prevent it from being in contact with natural soil, and you have to move it to a room that corresponds to the regulations,” said Profepa's head Mariana Boy in an interview about the first findings of inspection in January carried out.
The laboratory for Guardian and Quinto Elemento, a Mexican investigative journalism unit, worked with the toxicologist Martín Soto Jiménez, which carried out sampling in neighboring houses and schools and found a high degree of lead, cadmium and arsenic in the ground and dust samples 2 km from the factory. including in some houses and schools.
Boy said her agency tried to determine whether the facility gives the community out of contamination.
If necessary, the inspectors could return to the facility to carry out sampling, said Boy.
“We will be very thorough in our inspections to have sufficient information and guarantee access to environmental justice in our country,” said Boy in a press release.
Also in a press release, Zink Nacional said that it worked with officials from the Federal Authority and also visited visits to state health, labor and environmental authorities as well as local officials from San Nicolás de Los Garza, the community in which it is.
“We worked with everyone and repeat that we are fully willing to tackle all observations identified as part of this process,” the publication said. “Some of these inspections have led to measures that are treated. As agreed after these visits, the material is removed from the operating works and covered in order to minimize the ecological footprint of our activities. “
According to Profa, Zink Nacional informed his inspectors that the content of the thousands of bags in this courtyard was the finished product of the company: zinc oxide.
Zink Nacional imports Electric Bogenofenstub, also known as a steel dust, from the USA. A by -product of steel recycling is dangerous waste and contains high lead, cadmium and arsenic. These are toxic metals that can cause health problems, from brain damage in children to cancer. In its facility in the Monterrey region, the company recycles the steel dust to get zinc.
Bruce Lanphear, an international expert on the health effects of lead and professor at Simon Fraser University, said that independent tests are necessary to understand possible dangers.
“Have officials tested the 30,000 tons not properly saved? I hope it, ”he said. “Have you carried out a comprehensive sampling of soil and dust in nearby communities and measured for heavy metals? These steps are important to assess the risk of the residents. “
On Friday, two federal legislators asked the Mexico Congress to urge the country's environmental authorities to deeper the Zink Nacional examination, in which the recent measures, which included the switching off of the 15 equipment in the system, are sufficient.
“You have already checked and set seals [on the plant]But the company is still in operation ”.
In the same place, her colleague, the legislator Laura Ballesteros asked whether companies have a motive in the United States to send their waste to Mexico in order to avoid the US regulation.
“This company [Zinc Nacional] Publements toxic substances such as lead, cadmium and arsenic and seriously endanger Nuevo León, ”she said. “How long will you continue to work without consequences?”