| Montreal, 3/05/2001 – The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NACEC) has requested a response from Mexico regarding allegations that the government of Mexico is failing to enforce its environmental law effectively concerning the establishment and operation of the Cytrar facility near the city of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico.
The Submitters, Academia Sonorense de Derechos Humanos, A.C. and Domingo Gutiérrez Mendívil, assert that the Cytrar facility: a) operated without an environmental impact authorization; b) failed to comply with the design and construction requirements for its facilities; and c) deposited hazardous waste originating from the company Alco Pacífico, Inc., of the United States of America. The Submitters further allege that the improper disposal of hazardous waste has caused damage to human health and the environment.
After dismissing an earlier submission on the matter, NACEC received a second submission, revisions to which have now satisfied the requirements of Article 14. NACEC considers that allegations contained in the revised submission (SEM-01-001) warrant a response from Mexico. Mexico has up to 60 days to provide its response. NACEC will then review the submission in light of the response to determine whether a factual record is warranted.
Under Article 14, NACEC may consider a submission from any person or nongovernmental organization asserting that a Party to the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law. Where the NACEC Secretariat determines that Article 14 criteria are met, it may then proceed with a process that, with agreement from the NACEC Council, can lead to the development of a factual record on the matter. The NACEC Council, the organization's governing body, is composed of the environment ministers of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
NACEC was established under the NAAEC to address environmental issues in North America from a continental perspective, with a particular focus on those arising in the context of liberalized trade.
|
