| Montreal, 7/07/2003 – On 17 June 2003, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) received a submission from Mr. Angel Lara García (the Submitter) asserting that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws with respect to alleged environmental irregularities in the operation of a footwear materials factory located in the Santa Isabel Industrial neighborhood of Iztapalapa Delegation in Mexico, D.F., where the Submitter lives.
The Submitter asserts that his and his family's health has been affected by pollution generated by ALCA, S.A. de C.V. (ALCA). According to the Submitter, ALCA is failing to comply with Article 150 of the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (Ley General del Equilíbrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente-LGEEPA) in managing its hazardous waste. The submission asserts that notwithstanding a citizen complaint filed by the Submitter in 1995, environmental authorities are failing to effectively enforce, in regard to ALCA, Article 414, first paragraph, and Article 415 of the Federal Penal Code (Código Penal Federal), which establish penalties of imprisonment and fines for mismanagement of hazardous substances that results in harm to the environment.
The CEC Secretariat is analyzing the submission (SEM-03-004/Alca-Iztapalapa II) to determine whether it meets the requirements of Article 14 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).
The citizen submissions mechanism of the CEC enables the public to play a whistle-blower role on matters of environmental law enforcement. Under Article 14 of the NAAEC, any person or nongovernmental organization may submit a claim alleging that a NAFTA partner has failed to effectively enforce its environmental law. Following a review of the submission, the CEC may investigate the matter and pursue a factual record of its findings.
Please visit the Citizen Submission on Enforcement Matters page for more information. |
