Mexican NGOs allege irregularities in Environmental Impact Assessment process

CEC asks Mexico to respond

The government of Mexico is preparing a response to the CEC’s request for a report, following a submission filed by NGOs that allege irregularities occurred in the EIA process for the construction and operation of a 550-metre pier on Cozumel Island.

This is the first time a submission to the CEC Secretariat from nacec.a non-governmental organization has triggered the request for an official response from nacec.a NAFTA government. The CEC’s request to Mexico for a reply was made February 12, 1996. Based on Mexico’s reply, the Secretariat will recommend to the Council of Ministers whether the Secretriat should prepare a factual record.

The citizen submission to the CEC Secretariat was filed by the Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, the Grupo de los Cien and the Comité para la Protección de Recursos Naturales under Article 14 and 15 of the American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC). These articles allow any person or organization to present a submission to the CEC concerning the alleged failure of a NAFTA member to enforce its own environmental laws.

In 1995, the Secretariat received two such submissions. The first, by five American organizations, concerned alleged failures to enforce the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The second, by 28 environmental groups, concerned alleged easing of restrictions on logging and timber sales in the U.S. Neither submission resulted in the preparation of factual records.

The guidelines for submitting a petition to the CEC under the terms of Articles 14 and 15 are available to the public on the CEC Home Page or from nacec.the CEC’s Resource Center. A complete registry of citizen submissions to the CEC is also available and can be found on-line on the CEC Home Page.