A factory processing US hazardous waste in Mexico has promised to relocate what authorities call its “most polluting” operations following a Guardian investigation.
The plant in the Monterrey metropolitan area recycles toxic steel dust sent by the US steel industry and recovers zinc, according to that reporting, which was produced in partnership with Quinto Elemento Lab, a Mexico investigative journalism unit. It revealed evidence of heavy-metals pollution in the surrounding neighborhoods.
The factory, Zinc Nacional, has since been contending with inspections and threats of closures by environmental regulators, court actions and media scrutiny.
Neighbors have held repeated demonstrations outside the plant, carrying signs with slogans such as “Take your mess to the US” and “Your millions are not worth our lives.”
The company has said that it operates “in compliance with every applicable regulation”, and that by recovering zinc from the by-products of the steel industry it saves valuable materials from going to landfills.
In a letter to authorities of the state of Nuevo León, the company has now vowed to move its most “intensive” operations away from its current location in the middle of the Monterrey metropolitan area within two years. It did not specify where to, except that it would be “outside the Monterrey metropolitan area” and that the company would maintain “more than one thousand jobs”. It also promised to build a huge enclosure to contain its materials on its existing site, some of which currently sit uncovered, and to plant more trees around its land.
Zinc Nacional did not provide answers to questions from reporters about details of the plan.
“It’s something that has never happened before – companies starting to shut down operations voluntarily,” said Eugenio Peña, Zinc Nacional’s director of operations, according to recordings of a meeting with neighbors and the secretary of the environment for the Mexican state of Nuevo León last week. He said the move is a small step in solving the Monterrey region’s “complex environmental problem”.
“For us, it’s a very important step, and it involves a monstrous amount of money. We want to continue collaborating, to be an open company.”
Some neighbors expressed scepticism that the company would actually follow through with its promises. Many of them say they have been contending with dust and smoke from the plant for years and they fear pollution is causing illness, especially for children and elderly people in the neighborhood.
“In their proposal, there’s no mention of the affected citizens, much less any talk about health or damage reparations,” said Ricardo González, a neighborhood activist, who wonders if contamination from the plant may have contributed to years of illness his mother has faced. He said the company continues to maintain “that they comply and do everything properly”.
“So, for me, that proposal is completely disconnected from reality,” he said.
Soil sampling conducted by a university toxicologist in collaboration with the investigation showed high levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic in homes, schools and yards in the neighborhood – including one elementary school that had 1,760 times the US action level for lead dust in its window sills. The company’s emission reports to the government show that it releases lead, cadmium and arsenic into the air.
But Peña told neighbors that despite Zinc Nacional’s relocation plans, it disputes the toxicology research that found heavy metals near its plant. He said more samples should have been taken and that the university lab that analysed the soil did not have certification from federal environmental agencies for such industrial samples.
“We haven’t gone public to discredit it yet, but at some point the truth will come out,” he said. “Because it affects people – it scares the neighbors.”
“Obviously, the competent authorities should conduct a more complete study, one that follows all legal protocols, so you can build a solid case,” he said.
The researcher, Martín Soto Jiménez, a professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, said that he has always been willing to explain his methodology, certifications and conclusions to the company.
“We raised the alarm about the pollution that was occurring,” he said. “But all the decisions regarding closure, whether temporary or permanent, were based and supported on site by the inspectors’ observations.”
Mexico’s federal environmental investigation agency, known as Profepa, is conducting investigations into Zinc Nacional on several fronts, including air and soil testing. It declined to renew the company’s “clean industry” certificate, which it has held for years, and announced an audit of the environmental consultants whom the company hired to obtain it. “Profepa seeks to ensure that all companies with a Profepa certification actually have good environmental performance,” the agency said in a statement.
Twice in the past two months, the state government has said it closed furnaces at the plant.
The company said it had cooperated with inspectors and had presented a plan to accelerate pollution control investments and lower its environmental footprint. On 11 April, it won an interim court order that will allow it to remain operating while the matter moves through the courts.
Glen Zambrano, the director of parks and wildlife for the state, lives near the plant and has been vocal against the pollution.
“It was predictable they would fight – it’s a massive company. And we anticipated it,” he said in an interview.
He said that soil and wildlife in the area are also being tested for heavy metal contamination.
“We’re analyzing soil samples and blood from mammals we captured in the area.”
Families with schoolchildren in the area have also been seeking blood testing and information about pollutants and their effects on health.
Cristóbal Palacios, a neighborhood leader, said some residents hope to form a committee to ensure progress is made on issues surrounding Zinc Nacional, in conjunction with professional researchers who can assess the pollution in the area and its effects.
“There is currently no consensus,” said Palacios. “Some people believe that what Zinc is proposing today is merely a plan to further grow as a company. The deal seems convenient for them, but completely ignores the population that has already been affected.”
