Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters

Canada, Mexico and the United States cooperating to protect North America's shared environment.

Gasoline spill in Tehuantepec

Submmission ID: SEM-04-003
Party concerned: Mexico
Date filed: 7/09/2004
Status: Closed

Latest update: 22/11/2004
The thirty-day term expired without the Secretariat receiving a submission that conformed to Article 14(1). Under guideline 6.2, the process was therefore terminated.

Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:
The submission asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws by not duly processing or responding to a citizen complaint filed with the Office of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente—Profepa) on 16 February 2004. The complaint deals with the death of fish in the Laguna Superior of the Gulf of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico, due to the alleged spillage of 68,000 liters of gasoline into the lagoon following a tanker truck accident. The submitters identify the truck as being owned by the company Servicio Especializado Huerta, SA. They argue that the alleged spilled caused harm to the environment, killed fish, and endangered the health of the indigenous Zapotec community in the area.

Submitter(s)
Centro de Derechos Humanos Tepeyac del Istmo de Tehuantepec, A.C., Atarrayeros de la Laguna Santa Cruz, S.C. de R.L. de C.V.; Sociedad Cooperativa de Pescaderos Rey de las Olas, S.C. de R.L. de C.V.; Sociedad Cooperativa Producción Pesquera Acuícola Pescadores del Milenio, S.C. de R.L. de C.V.; y Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Che Cata S.C. de R.L. de C.V.

More about the process
Bringing the Facts to Light
A Guide to Articles 14 and 15 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation
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Name and citation of the environmental law inquestion
Article 4 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States (Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos); Articles 5 paragraphs I, II, III, V, XVIII and XIX, 7, 8, 10, 15, 111, 111 Bis, 112, 117, 145, 146, 147, 147 bis, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 152 bis, and all other relevant provisions of the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente—LGEEPA); and Articles 1, 4, 7.3 and 15 of International Labor Organization Convention 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries.

Submission timeline

7/09/2004

The Secretariat acknowledged receipt of a submission and began a preliminary analysis of it under the guidelines.
	Submission — Submission authored by Mexico on 23/08/2004
	Acknowledgement — Communication to Submitter(s) authored by Secretariat on 9/09/2004

7/10/2004

The Secretariat notified the submitter(s) that the submission did not meet all of the Article 14(1) criteria and the submitter(s) had 30 days to provide the Secretariat with a revised submission that conforms with Article 14(1).
	Determination — Secretariat Determination under Article 14 (1) authored by Secretariat on 7/10/2004

22/11/2004

The thirty-day term expired without the Secretariat receiving a submission that conformed to Article 14(1). Under guideline 6.2, the process was therefore terminated.