| Montreal, 29/05/2002 – The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) received Mexico's response to citizen submission SEM-02-002, asserting that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws with respect to noise from the Mexico City International Airport (Aeropuerto Internacional de la Ciudad de México-AICM).
In its response, received 23 May 2002, Mexico recognizes the problem of noise emissions as a major challenge. However, the Party clarifies that Mexican Official Standard NOM-081-ECOL-1994, cited in the submission, establishing the emission limits for noise from fixed sources, does not apply to the noise emissions generated by aircraft in their take-off and landing maneuvers. The response explains that aircraft are classified as mobile sources of noise emissions, indicating that the applicable standard for such noise emissions is NOM-036-SCT3-2000. Mexico's response states that 30% of the nation's air fleet has reduced noise emissions within the times provided in NOM-036-SCT3-2000, and therefore it has effectively enforced its environmental laws. Mexico's response also details the process that the corresponding authorities have followed for the citizen complaints filed by the Submitter in October and November 2001, regarding the matter raised in the submission.
The Secretariat is analyzing the submission in light of Mexico's response, to determine whether the development of a factual record is warranted.
Under Article 14 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), the Secretariat may consider a submission from any person or nongovernmental organization asserting that a Party to NAAEC is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law. Where the Secretariat determines that the NAAEC Article 14(1) criteria are met, it may then proceed with a process that can lead to the development of a factual record on the matter.
The CEC was established under 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. The CEC Council, the organization's governing body, is composed of the environment ministers (or equivalent) of Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Please visit the Citizen Submission on Enforcement Matters page for more information.
|
