Mexico fines Zinc Nacional for contaminating homes and schools in Monterrey

In 1 of Mexico’s astir assertive moves yet against concern pollution, the authorities has fined hazardous discarded processor Zinc Nacional astir 83.2 cardinal pesos (US $4.8 million) and ordered sweeping cleanup measures astatine its works adjacent Monterrey, Nuevo León.

The enactment followed a associated probe by The Guardian paper and the Mexican investigative portion Quinto Elemento Lab that recovered dangerously precocious levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium successful homes and schools astir the works successful the Monterrey metropolitan area.

⚠️| La @PROFEPA_Mx multó con 83.2 millones de pesos a la firma Zinc Nacional, luego de que the Guardian y Quinto Elemento Lab revelaran la presencia de metales pesados en las casas, calles y escuelas aledañas a esta recicladora de residuos peligrosos en el área metropolitana de… pic.twitter.com/7W80LEjBdy

— Quinto Elemento Lab (@quintoelab) January 27, 2026

The reporting showed facilities successful the portion were emitting much toxic dense metals than those reported successful galore U.S. states, and much c dioxide than astir fractional the world’s nations.

Mexico’s Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) disclosed successful precocious January that the good was imposed Dec. 17, 2025, aft inspections were launched earlier successful the twelvemonth successful effect to media reports.

In a property release, the bureau besides said it signed an Environmental Liability Agreement connected Dec. 10 obligating Zinc Nacional to transportation retired remediation, restoration and compensation for biology harm and to instrumentality 24 corrective measures.

Those measures see relocating cardinal processes to a caller works extracurricular residential areas, gathering covered warehouses to extremity open-air retention of earthy materials, paving interior roads, constructing caller h2o and containment systems, remediating contaminated onshore and reforesting much than 5 hectares of institution property.

Another result is an concern Atmospheric Monitoring Network described by Profepa arsenic “the archetypal of its benignant successful Latin America” — designed to way dense metals and different pollutants astir large plants.

Profepa main Mariana Boy Tamborrell said, “The enactment we person done implicit the past twelvemonth with Zinc Nacional is simply a watershed infinitesimal successful however we show and inspect regulatory compliance by industries.”

Investigation finds unsafe levels of dense metals astir Monterrey hazardous discarded plant

Zinc Nacional, a privately owned Mexican institution founded successful 1952, has acknowledged immoderate contamination connected its onshore but said its emissions stay beneath regulatory limits but vowed to “reduce the biology footprint of our operations.”

Residents and activists accidental authorities actions inactive autumn abbreviated of addressing wellness risks successful surrounding neighborhoods.

​Zinc Nacional recovers zinc from discarded — including worldly shipped from U.S. alloy mills — and supplies zinc oxide, zinc sulfate and different compounds to customers successful North America and beyond.

Its works successful the municipality of San Nicolás de los Garza — the portion of Monterrey metro country that includes the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL) — sits astir 200 km from the U.S. borderline crossing astatine Laredo, Texas, and 430 km from San Antonio, Texas.

With reports from The Guardian, La Jornada and Reporte Indigo