Nuevo León Congress wants polluting steel plants out of Monterrey

Citing wellness concerns and ongoing complaints from residents, Nuevo León authorities Congresswoman Brenda Velázquez has called for relocation of the Ternium alloy facilities distant from the densely populated greater Monterrey area, contempt the company’s caller concern of different US $4 cardinal to grow its section operations.

“The wellness and information of the colonisation indispensable beryllium a precedence for each stakeholders involved,” Velázquez said.  “It is imperative that the Nuevo León authorities authorities instrumentality the indispensable measures to guarantee a cleaner and safer aboriginal for the families surviving successful these areas, arsenic good arsenic for those who question done them daily.” 

The plant, located adjacent to the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, has been recovered to impact aerial prime successful the country and has been linked to cases of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. 

In January, findings were published from a associated investigation carried retired by The Guardian and investigative reporters from Quinto Elemento Lab that recovered dangerously precocious levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium successful homes and schools adjacent the plant, which processes hazardous discarded from the United States.

Samples taken from windowsills successful 2023 “found lead, which is neurotoxic, astatine levels 60 times higher than the level astatine which the U.S. says enactment should beryllium taken to hole the occupation to debar wellness consequences,” reads the report.

Last week, the Permanent Commission of the Nuevo León Congress, led by Deputy Brenda Velázquez, agreed to impulse the authorities authorities to see relocating the Ternium plants successful the municipalities of Monterrey and San Nicolás. (Congreso de NL)

More recently, successful April, Ternium announced that the plants had spilled hazardous substances into the section Talaverna stream. “Eleven kilometers of the watershed were affected by toxic waste, and immoderate of the fauna successful that ecosystem died,” stated Velázquez.  

Following the spill, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) demanded a elaborate survey connected the spill truthful that corrective measures could beryllium implemented. Soil and h2o samples were taken by the Monterrey Water and Drainage Department to measure the interaction of the spill, and clean-up operations were carried out. 

Ternium issued a effect to Congresswoman Velázquez connected its website, claiming that its committedness to the situation is “reflected successful the much than US $300 cardinal we person invested successful biology improvements astatine our San Nicolás [near Monterrey] works implicit the past 20 years, aimed astatine protecting the aerial and h2o of Nuevo León.”  

The relocation request comes aft Ternium’s CEO, Máximo Vedoya, discussed advancement connected its $4 cardinal concern successful its Pesquería facilities successful Nuevo León during a caller Steel Market Update successful Atlanta, Georgia. 

Steel institution Ternium to put further US $4B successful Nuevo León

Construction of different Ternium alloy mill successful the portion is expected to adhd a accumulation capableness of 2.6 cardinal tonnes of formed alloy annually. Completion of the development’s 3rd signifier is scheduled for 2026, by which clip much than 8,000 radical volition person been employed successful the construction. 

The firm’s expanded operations could assistance regenerate imports of alloy and derived products to the region, which magnitude to $175 billion, according to Vedoya. 

With reports from Milenio and El Economista