Hydraulic Fracturing in Nuevo Leon
Submission ID: SEM-18-003
Party concerned: Mexico
Date filed: October 3, 2018
Submission Status: Closed
Latest Update: July 3, 2025
The final factual record was publicly released.
Summary of the matter addressed in the submission:
The Submitter asserts that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law applicable to hydraulic fracturing in the municipality of Los Ramones in the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Summary of the response provided by the Party:
In its response, Mexico states that the Submitters do not include information on the location, source, collection procedure, and chain of custody of the water-quality analysis sample raised in the submission, nor how the water sample is associated with the drilling activities of the Tangram I and Nerita I wells located in La China and Los Ramones, Nuevo León. Mexico maintains that there is no evidence of a causal link between the activities that were conducted and any activities or omissions by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex). Mexico indicates that when the response was issued there was a citizen complaint (denuncia popular) pending to be resolved before the Environmental Safety Agency of the Hydrocarbons Sector (ASEA). Mexico considers that the submission does not meet NAAEC Articles 14 (1), (c), (e), and 14 (2) (a) and 5.3 of the Guidelines. Mexico states that the remedies available to the Submitter have not been exhausted, particularly with respect to the Federal Environmental Liability Law. Mexico also bears in mind that the wells have not been assigned for operation and that the submission does not provide information on any violation by Pemex with respect to their operations, nor is there any assignment of any concession for the use of national waters. Likewise, Mexico emphasizes that wastewater discharges do not exist since the wells are not in operation, and that the guidelines that regulate the prevention of soil and subsoil contamination were not disregarded, as they came into effect after the closure of the wells.
Names and citations of the environmental laws in question:
Environmmental Federal Act (Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protection al Ambiente)
Federal Environmental Liability Act (Ley Federal de Responsabilidad Ambiental)
Rio Declaration
World Earth Summit (Johannesburgo, África)
Sustainable Development Goals
Submitter(s):
Name confidential pursuant to NAAEC Article 11(8)(a)
Submission Timeline
The Secretariat received a submission and began a preliminary analysis of it under the guidelines.
Submission - Submission authored by Submitter(s) on 03/10/2018
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 03/10/2018
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 03/10/2018
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 03/10/2018
Acknowledgement - Communication to Submitter(s) authored by Secretariat on 03/10/2018
The Secretariat notified the submitter(s) that the submission did not meet all of the Article 14(1) criteria and the submitter(s) had 30 days to provide the Secretariat with a revised submission that conforms with Article 14(1).
Determination - Secretariat Determination under Article 14 (1) authored by Secretariat on 15/11/2018
The Secretariat received a revised submission and began to analyze it.
Submission - Submission authored by Submitter(s) on 21/02/2019
Acknowledgement - Communication to Submitter(s) authored by Secretariat on 22/02/2019
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 21/02/2019
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 21/02/2019
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 21/02/2019
Annex - Other document authored by Submitter(s) on 21/02/2019
The Secretariat determined that the submission met the criteria of Article 14(1) and requested a response from the concerned government Party in accordance with Article 14(2).
Determination - Secretariat Determination under Article 14 (1) and 14 (2) authored by Secretariat on 08/05/2019
The Council, the Party or the Secretariat provided a written explanation that it is unable to meet an applicable deadline.
Other Documents - Other document authored by Secretariat on 02/04/2020
Other Documents - Other document authored by Mexico on 03/04/2020
The Secretariat received a response from the concerned government Party and began considering whether to recommend a factual record.
Party Response - Response from the Party under Article 14 (3) authored by Mexico on 08/04/2020
Acknowledgement - Other document authored by Secretariat on 08/04/2020
The Secretariat informed Council that the Secretariat considers that the submission warrants development of a factual record.
Recommendation - Secretariat Notification to Council under Article 15(1) authored by Secretariat on 30/09/2020
The Council voted to instruct the Secretariat to develop a Factual Record.
Resolution - Council decision concerning the development of a Factual Record authored by Council on 05/10/2023
Other Documents - Council decision concerning the development of a Factual Record authored by Council on 05/10/2023
The Secretariat posted a request for information relevant to the factual record on its web site.
Secretariat Information Request - Secretariat request for information for Factual Record authored by Secretariat on 25/10/2023
The Secretariat placed a work plan on its web site or otherwise made it available to the public and stakeholders.
Workplan - Overall workplan for Factual Record authored by Secretariat on 07/06/2024
Workplan - Overall workplan for Factual Record authored by Secretariat on 18/10/2023
The Secretariat submitted a draft factual record to Council, for a 45-day comment period on the accuracy of the draft.
The Secretariat received comments from Mexico.
The Secretariat received comments from the United States.
The Secretariat submitted a final factual record to Council for Council's vote on whether to make the final factual record publicly available.
Council voted to instruct the Secretariat to make the final factual record publicly available.
Resolution - Council decision on whether the factual record will be made publicly available authored by Council on 01/07/2025
The final factual record was publicly released.
Final Factual Record - Final Factual Record authored by Secretariat on 01/07/2025