Grupo Mexico lies

National

It does not attend to communities affected by pouring of toxic: town council civil servants

Grupo Mexico lies

By: Carlos Damian                                          August 22, 2014

The waters and rivers restriction in Cananea, Sonora is extended to 250 kilometers

Mexico. -  Twelve days after of the apportion of 40 thousand cubic meters of copper sulfate acidic in the Sonora (SR) and Bacanuchi (BR) rivers, were originating of the mine Buenavista del Cobre, the mayors of three of the seven affected municipality indicated  that the corporative  multinational Group Mexico (GM), "lies in connection with the supposed attention that offers to the communities", and report that were presented the first cases of affectations in persons (chemical burns in persons, after having contact with the water), and the death of many animal that drink water in the river, and the fish that died immediately and remained in the margins of the rivers. Nevertheless, the state and federal authorities of Civil Protection (CP), as well as the National Commission of the Water (Conagua, for their initials in Spanish), advanced that the next Monday the emergency of the region could rise, (08/25/14). They are 22 thousand inhabitants of the municipalities of: Banamichi, Ures, Baviocara, Aconchi, San Felipe, Arizpe and the rural zone from Hermosillo, Sonora they resulted prejudiced and the worst lack water, because the Sonora State is very dry. The mayor of Arizpe, Vidal Vazquez Chacon (VVC) assured that was produced a new coloration of the river between yellowish and reddish, therefore the villagers alerted to State Civil Protection, whose officials specified that were not tried to a new spilling, but by the rains was given a swelling of the river that dragged the pollutants that remained in the margins. The mayors of Aconchi, Pedro Lugo Lopez (PAL); of Arizpe, VVC; and Banamichi, Jesus Laurel Escalate (JLE), denounced separately that Grupo Mexico, it is not carrying the water promised to the damaged populations, something which can not use the contaminated water of the rivers and wells. After PAL said that the miner, "has said many lies", since it is untruthful that there are sufficient drinking plants in the region, neither it has supported in the wells qualification, as has assured in their communiqués.  The mayor VVC, at the same time, admitted that apportion it caused the animals and fish mortality. Added that they died three horses, therefore is accomplished the analysis of the animals to determine that them provoked the death. The three thanked the federal and state support, but emphasizing the lack of support of Grupo Mexico, and the mayor of Nanamichi, JLE, emphasized that in his municipality is hadn’t sufficient water yet for domestic use, Group Mexico lies because doesn’t fulfill what manifests to the means. This Tuesday (08/19/14), the group Ecological Disaster (ED) published in Facebook photographs of persons that resulted with chemical burns after having contact with the water, after that GM asserted that the liquid was in good conditions. Members of the group ED expressed that the federal government "is not acting with the force that deserves the ecological disaster", that threatens the future of the entire basin.  In so much, the national coordinator of PC, Luis Felipe Bridge (LFP), and the governing Guillermo Padres headed the night of the Monday a press conference in which they assured that they are decreasing the pollution levels in the Sonora river and wait that soon could be lifted the alert. The coordinator LFP advanced that the next Friday is make known the new results of the monitoring of the water of the river accomplished by a company with headquarters in the DF, other of Hermosillo and Conagua. In case that the heavy metal levels are under the permitted norm would be lifted the alert. "The river is not contaminated, it is sick, is required to give of high to a sick  that the laboratory analysis determine that the health is in good conditions", commented LFP. "The wells are not contaminated, it is contaminated the river; the wells were saved once the protocol of the Conagua determined that closed at once the extraction", supported the official.  The rain is not the guilty: Guerra The restriction of the use of water of the river SR, BR from Sonora, was decreed spillage it that originates of the mine of Cananea, will be maintained an extension of 250 kilometers until exist the collateral of the laboratories that accomplish the analysis of quality of the liquid, whose results will be known on Friday (08/22/14), indicated the director of the National Water Commission (Conagua, for their initials in Spanish), David Korenfeld (DK). as far as it is concerned the executive of the environment and natural resources Secretariat (Semarnat), Juan Jose Guerra Abud (JGA), said that the company Buenavista del Cobre, Grupo Mexico, operating of the mine "lied" on the spilling of the waters with heavy metals and acid sulphuricum by excess of rains, "something which is totally untruthful", and after "said us that was going to have a series of helps and supports to the population, something which either was given". He said that already requested the Profepa, that begin a review of all the permits that it must have the company for the operation of the mine, "to see if they have assignment other type of violations".                         The executives of the federal organizations DK and JGA attended to Sonora to attend the environmental emergency on 12th of August, five days after that this occurred. The executive JGA explained that " wasn’t indispensable that we were there (…), we arrive when must go". Noted that the delegations of the dependency were there, "does not must be physically neither the attorney, nor the executive of Conagua, neither the secretary (Semernat) so that our delegations would act".  He explained that there are several legal exercises that are continued. Among them are that to the operator of the mine of Cananea, in accordance with the Law of Residues Management, it can be imposed to them a fine that would be about 200 thousand dollars. The law of National Waters establishes a sanction of 133 thousand dollars "we would inaugurate the Law of Environmental Responsibility, with the one which you’ll can be sanctioned with 2 million 667 thousand dollars", noted.  In this way the General office of the prosecutor of the Republic (PGR, for their initials in Spanish) already must begin the relevant actions, after that the Profepa presented on Monday past the penal accusation against Mining Mexico, added JGA in press conference in the one which was spoken  of the "environmental benefit" of the energetic reform. Since to date they have not made anything and either they have inserted to the responsible to the jail by the assassination to the people of seven populations of Sonora, and by the ridiculous fine that they have "punished" to the multinational company.  Specified that the closure of the mine one can make it if the company committed sufficient violations for this event: “Can not be that we close nothing else thus, we check it point by point to guarantee that the decision that is taken will be attached to right". The tests of the prey El Molinito, the last station before Hermosillo, indicate that the pollution levels are within the norm. In so much authorities of Conagua informed that the pollution levels have reduced, but will be followed accomplishing analysis until could be lifted the contingency of the zone. As far as it is concerned, DK it explained in addition to the administrative sanctions for the first time in the history of Mexico and will be requested the company while, that during the next five years it present to the Conagua monitoring of the quality of the water of the rivers every two weeks, independently of the repair of the damage. In reality of the waters pollution, lands and of the air have been taken charge the State municipalities and federal government, and however the company only it has been maintained with their infantile and heavy lies, that the federation upon receiving them receive them in good faith without questioning them never. (La Jornada, politica, p.p. 2-3, August 20, 2014).