Toxic chemical rubber duck zinc factory processing US hazardous waste has taken a courageous stand | Source Zinc Nacional They have agreed to transfer their most polluting operations away from the Monterrey metropolitan area. The decision comes on the heels of a deeply-researched investigation by the Guardian raising worries about the facility’s environmental impacts. This facility turns toxic steel making steel dust as well as recovering zinc. The firm aims to complete the move in only two years. They’re doing all of this while ensuring that over one thousand jobs stay on the line.
Headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, Zinc Nacional has recently faced additional heavy oversight by Profepa, Mexico’s federal environmental enforcement agency. Profepa’s involvement has gone further than this, as the agency is actively investigating the factory’s operations. They’re testing air and soil to make sure the company is held to the highest environmental performance standards. These investigations have escalated in the wake of shocking news of widespread heavy metal contamination in the nearby communities.
Recent testing found dangerous concentrations of lead, cadmium and arsenic. A university toxicologist was able to conduct soil sampling in homes, schools, and yards surrounding the facility, compiling these shocking discoveries. At one elementary school, lead dust levels were found to have risen 1,760 times above the action level. This disturbing discovery is well above the benchmark established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
To counter increasing public pressure, neighbors have staged several protests in front of the Zinc Nacional plant. Protesters then waved signs with messages including “Take your mess to the US” and “Your millions are not worth our lives.” These declarations were testimony to their grave worries on the impacts of environment on their neighborhood health.
Eugenio Peña, director of operations for Zinc Nacional, is open about their climate change concerns. He stated, “Because it affects people – it scares the neighbors.” Peña underscored the company’s desire to operate transparently and with the full cooperation of local law enforcement. Yet concurrently, the corporation challenges the toxicological studies that connect heavy metals to its industrial activities.
In truth, the state government has had to close down its furnaces twice in the past two months after inspectors’ discoveries. Peña remarked on this unprecedented situation: “It’s something that has never happened before – companies starting to shut down operations voluntarily.”
Zinc Nacional, meanwhile, has been proactive about responding to community concerns. Specifically, they have pledged to move their most intensive operations out from highly populated areas to lessen their environmental footprint. Peña noted that “for us, it’s a very important step, and it involves a monstrous amount of money.” He said he looked forward to more collaboration and conversations with local stakeholders and citizens.
Even with these pledges in hand, many community leaders are still wary of Zinc Nacional’s proposals. Ricardo González, a local activist, condemned the private company’s failure to account for affected citizens in the company’s proposed use of land. He stated, “In their proposal, there’s no mention of the affected citizens, much less any talk about health or damage reparations,” adding that the proposal feels “completely disconnected from reality.”
Martín Soto Jiménez, a fellow community leader, emphasized that residents had been sounding the alarm before on high pollution levels in their community. He affirmed the importance of thorough investigations: “Obviously, the competent authorities should conduct a more complete study, one that follows all legal protocols, so you can build a solid case.”
Zinc Nacional is facing its third environmental crisis in a decade. In the background, the company has obtained an interim court order, allowing it to continue operating while the legal proceedings unfold. As the company moves forward, it is clear that Clorox is serious about maintaining its commitment to enhancing environmental performance while simultaneously controlling economic growth.