Mexico moves to combat pollution following Guardian investigations | America’s toxic trade

Following investigations by the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, a Mexican research unit, the Mexican government has announced it will pursue a wide range of tactics to combat industrial pollution, from a $4.8 million fine against a US facility that processes hazardous waste to the introduction of a new industrial air monitoring system.

These stories revealed high levels of heavy metal pollution in the neighborhood surrounding the Zinc Nacional plant in the Monterrey metropolitan area and demonstrated the broader extent of industrial pollution in the region linked to Monterrey’s role in producing and recycling goods for the U.S. market.

Studies have found that the plants release more toxic heavy metals into the city’s air than the totals reported in many US states and more carbon dioxide than nearly half the world’s countries.

One announcement Last week, the government announced it would build a new atmospheric monitoring network for the industry, “the first of its kind in Latin America.” It was stated that the system will measure emissions from industry, including heavy metals.

Mariana Boy Tamborrell, Mexico’s federal attorney for environmental protection, said the latest moves represent a new wave of enforcement against industrial pollution in Mexico. They appeared when the first stories were published in early 2025 and included Zinc Nacional agreeing to address environmental damage, according to its agency.

“Our work with Zinc Nacional last year is a turning point in how we monitor and audit industries for compliance,” he said in a statement.

Details of the new air monitoring system remain unclear, and the agency had not provided that information at the time of publication. It’s unclear whether this will happen for Monterrey or the entire country.

Additionally, the country’s main environmental regulator announced it would update air and soil pollution standards, some of which have not been revised in decades.

Martín Soto Jiménez, a leading toxicology researcher at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Unam) who conducted soil sampling around Zinc Nacional in collaboration with the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, said the new efforts to hold the company accountable for the cleanup set a precedent.

“This agreement is a historic step forward for environmental justice in Mexico,” he said in a written response to reporters’ questions.

“Creating the atmospheric monitoring network is one of the most valuable parts of the agreement. To be useful, it needs to make real-time data publicly available.” [and] allow citizens and scientists to access and analyze information.”

In addition to the fine, Mexican company Zinc Nacional, which imported the highly toxic dust left over after the U.S. steel industry recycles old cars and appliances, must take 24 corrective measures.

The company needs to move some of its operations to a new facility outside the densely populated residential neighborhoods of Monterrey and build new containment and water treatment facilities. It must remediate contaminated land, reforest 12 acres (5 ha), and monitor future emissions.

In a statement to the Guardian and Quinto Elemento Lab, Zinc Nacional acknowledged some contamination on its land and said it was associated with a company that previously operated in the area. “The fact that its emissions were found to be well below regulatory parameters confirms the effectiveness of our dust control and collection systems,” he said.

It was stated that no pollution was spread into the air or carried into nearby water bodies by rain.

“With all these actions, we will reduce the environmental footprint of our operations, continue to strengthen local employment, [and] “Expand green areas,” he said. Press release.

In the past, Zinc Nacional has disputed findings from soil sampling in the community around its factory, raising doubts about the way the study was conducted and saying it did not prove heavy metals originated in the company’s factory.

Some neighbors expressed disappointment with the government announcement, saying it focused on contamination within the factory boundaries but did not address concerns about health impacts and heavy metals in surrounding neighborhoods.

Soil samples taken from around the facility for the stories showed the presence of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic inside and outside schools and homes. One elementary school had 1,760 times the level of lead that would be considered a human health risk in the United States.

“According to me [the government] “The company has failed to properly assess the needs of vulnerable communities near it,” said Ricardo González, who spoke to reporters and was one of six neighbors involved in efforts to demand changes from Zinc Nacional last year.

Neighbor Cristóbal Palacios called on regulators to publicly share details of the remediation, including soil sample results and future air emissions information collected.

“All of us who live near the company should be able to see the numbers with our own eyes [the government] “They’re going to get how much lead, cadmium and arsenic is in the air, and they need to make it really transparent,” said Palacios, who said he and other locals said it’s crucial to have enforceable deadlines for measures.

The federal government’s actions are the latest measures aimed at addressing industrial pollution to be announced following journalistic series.

Environmental regulator, known by the acronym Semarnat in question It reported in December that Mexico was trying to update three of its industrial air pollution standards, some of which had not been revised in decades. This includes reducing the amount of particulate matter that plants are allowed to emit into the air. by 50%. The head of Semarnath said Mexico’s congressman said his department is working to update Mexico’s soil pollution standards.

Federal senator Waldo Fernández, who chairs the senate committee overseeing Mexico’s negotiations with the United States on North American free trade, said Mexico is drafting legislation to amend its environmental law to limit imports of toxic waste and require monitoring of heavy metal emissions from facilities that process materials containing heavy metals.

He said the measure, which he plans to introduce in February, aims to stop imports of certain types of toxic waste materials that are not “environmentally beneficial” for Mexico, including waste that creates heavy pollution with arsenic, lead, cadmium and other toxic elements.

When imports occur, “we’re calling for tighter regulation to make sure those imports don’t cause a lot of pollution,” the senator said in an interview.

Additionally, two citizen groups took steps following the latest article to demand improved air quality in Monterrey and better protection of public health.

A group is collecting signatures for a citizens’ referendum to make air standards similar to international guidelines. Another, a group of Monterrey activists known as the Group of 6, filed a lawsuit In December, he called for a federal investigation into air emissions from industry in the region.

“These are environmental crimes that threaten health and life,” said Liliana Flores, one of the founders of Group of 6.

Noting that it is estimated that thousands of people die from air pollution every year in Monterrey and that many others suffer from chronic diseases such as asthma, Flores said, “These are ultra-billion dollar companies with clean technology resources. And they did not do this.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor… 100% of all of us here in the metro area are affected.”