What Is a Submission?
A submission is a written document filed by the public with the Secretariat asserting that Canada, Mexico or the United States is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law.
A submission is the first step in the Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM) process and can lead to the production of a Factual Record. A Factual Record is a type of investigative report that includes technical, scientific, and legal information as well as interviews with government officials and analysis from independent experts. It documents the environmental, legal, and/or public health aspects of the situation.
For more information, watch this short film about one community’s success using the SEM process.
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Avocado Production in Michoacán
Submission ID: SEM-23-002
The Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to protect forest ecosystems and water quality from the adverse environmental impacts of avocado production in Michoacán, Mexico.
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Factual Record
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Avocado Production in Michoacán
Submission ID: SEM-23-002
February 2, 2023
The Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to protect forest ecosystems and water quality from the adverse environmental impacts of avocado production in Michoacán, Mexico. In submission SEM-23-002 (Avocado Production in Michoacán), the Submitter...
Residential Development in San Cristóbal de las Casas
Submission ID: SEM-23-001
January 11, 2023
In submission SEM-23-001 (Residential Development in San Cristóbal de las Casas), the Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to protect forest resources and birds, including an endangered species, in relation to housing developments around...
Madín Dam Basin
Submission ID: SEM-22-003
October 26, 2022
The Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to uphold water quality standards and ensure pollutants in the Madín Dam Basin remain within legal limits. The Submitter maintains that the ineffective management of wastewater discharges is contributing to...
Tren Maya
Submission ID: SEM-22-002
July 21, 2022
The Submitters assert that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to assess the environmental impacts related to the Tren Maya project (Segment 5-South) located in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The Submitters assert that the project did not undergo an...
Pollution in Playa Hermosa
Submission ID: SEM-22-001
June 1, 2022
The Submitters assert that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws to protect the coastal ecosystem of Playa Hermosa, a local beach located in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. The Submitters assert that the state and municipal governments are undertaking a boardwalk and...
North Atlantic right whale
Submission ID: SEM-21-003
October 4, 2021
The Submitter asserts that the United States is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws designed to protect the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) from the “primary human threats of fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes, as well as stressors of climate change,...
Compliance Tracker
This tool has been established to provide the public with a resource to track compliance with the SEM process deadlines established under the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, the Guidelines for Submissions on Enforcement Matters and Articles 24.27 and 24.28 of the Environment Chapter of the free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States (CUSMA, T-MEC, USMCA).
Compliance TrackerContact SEM
If you have questions about the submission process, contact the SEM unit:
Paolo Solano Tovar
Director, Legal Affairs and Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM)
(514) 350-4321