Mexican environmental regulators say they have discovered 30,000 tons of improperly stored material with “hazardous characteristics” in the yard of a Mexican plant that is recycling toxic waste shipped from the US.
The authorities ordered “urgent measures” to get the materials into proper storage as part of inspections they are conducting in response to an investigation from the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, which raised questions about contamination around the plant, located in the Monterrey metro area.
The stories, published on 14 and 15 January, included an analysis of Google Earth imagery that showed what appeared to be thousands of white sacks of the type often used to store bulk quantities of industrial powders piling up on many acres of vacant land inside the plant site.
After the articles were published, regulators from the Mexican federal agency in charge of environmental inspection and enforcement, known by its acronym, Profepa, began an investigation and spent seven days at the Zinc Nacional plant, which recycles hazardous waste from the steel industry to recover zinc. It ordered the shutdown of 15 pieces of equipment that did not have proper authorization.
Authorities said they found improperly stored material – in some cases in broken and leaking bags – in the company’s yard in the open air and in direct contact with the ground. The agency has given the company 15 days to get the material into proper storage.
“The first thing is that they have to prevent it from being in contact with natural soil and they must move it to a space that complies with the regulations,” said Profepa’s head, Mariana Boy, in an interview about the initial findings of the inspection carried out in January.
The Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, a Mexican investigative journalism unit, collaborated with toxicologist Martín Soto Jiménez, who conducted sampling in neighboring homes and schools and found high levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic in soil and dust samples taken within 2km from the plant – including inside some homes and schools.
Boy said her agency was trying to determine whether there is contamination from the plant affecting the community.
If necessary, the inspectors could return to the plant to carry out sampling, Boy said.
“We are going to 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, Zinc Nacional said it had been cooperating with officials from the federal agency and has also had visits from state health, labor and environmental agencies, as well as local officials from San Nicolás de los Garza, the municipality where it is located.
“We have collaborated with all of them and we reiterate that we are fully willing to address any observations identified as part of this process,” said the release. “Some of these inspections have resulted in requests for action that are being addressed. As agreed after these visits, the material will be removed from operating yards and covered to minimize the environmental footprint of our activities.”
According to Profepa, Zinc Nacional told its inspectors that the contents of the thousands of sacks in that yard are the company’s finished product: zinc oxide.
Zinc Nacional imports electric arc furnace dust, also known as steel dust, from the US. A byproduct of steel recycling, it is hazardous waste and contains high levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic. These are toxic metals that can cause health problems ranging from brain damage in children to cancer. At its Monterrey-area plant, the company recycles the steel dust to obtain zinc.
Bruce Lanphear, an international expert on the health effects of lead and a professor at Simon Fraser University, said that to understand any possible dangers posed by the plant, independent testing will be needed.
“Did officials test the 30,000 tons of improperly stored material? I hope so,” he said. “Did they conduct extensive sampling of soil and dust in nearby communities and measure it for heavy metals? Those steps are essential to assessing the risk to residents.”
