| Montreal, 3/10/2005 – On 30 September 2005, pursuant to Article 14(2) of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), the Secretariat of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America issued a determination requesting a response from Mexico to submission SEM-05-002 (Coronado Islands), filed with the Secretariat on 2 May 2005, by the Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace Mexico, Alfonso Aguirre and Shaye Wolf, American Bird Conservancy, Los Angeles Audubon Society, Pacific Environment and Resources Center, and Wildcoast (the Submitters). The Submitters allege that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law by allowing the construction of a liquefied natural gas regasification terminal adjacent to the Coronado Islands along the coast of Baja California and to a breeding colony of Xantus's Murrelet and other species considered at risk.
On 2 June 2005, the CEC Secretariat determined that the original submission did not satisfy all the requirements of NAAEC Article 14(1) and gave the Submitters 30 days to re-file a submission that met all such requirements. On 11 July 2005, Submitters refiled a revised submission that provides additional information and clarifies which environmental impact-related provisions of Mexican environmental law are allegedly not being effectively enforced. The Submitters provided a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the terminal project and of the authorization for the project issued by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SecretarÃa de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales-Semarnat). Also, the Submitters provided copies of correspondence with the relevant authorities and of documents regarding proceedings some of the Submitters initiated with respect to the terminal. The Submitters clarify that some of those proceedings were dismissed, while in the case of others, they could not afford the bond of nearly 66 million pesos required to continue the process.
In accordance with Article 14(3) of the NAAEC, Mexico has up to 60 days to provide its response. Thereafter, the Secretariat will review the submission in light of the Mexico's response to determine whether it warrants development of a factual record.
For more information, please visit the CEC's Citizen Submissions on Enforcement Matters page. |
