10 years without remedy for the damages caused by Grupo Mexico's toxic spill

• Affected communities installed an anti-monument and read a strong statement recollecting a decade of struggle for justice, reparations for environmental damage, urgent health care specialized in toxicology, and guaranteed access to clean and drinkable water.
• Contamination persists and the effects have worsened. The cost of the damages keeps increasing.

MEXICO CITY, Sept. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following is a statement by PODER: 

August 6, 2024 marked the 10^th anniversary of the spill of 40 million liters of toxic waste in the Sonora and Bacanuchi rivers by Grupo Mexico, affecting more than 22 thousand people. The company still does not abide by court rulings and has not repaired each one of the damages caused and accumulated over time.

The trust fund Fideicomiso Río Sonora was created in 2014 with a 2 billion USD contribution by the company, with the objective of remediating the damages caused by the spill, however, it didn’t accomplish its goals: no clinic was built and no water treatment plants were installed. This trust was negotiated without the affected communities, closed without notice in 2017 with expenses amounting only to 60% of the total funds, and the remaining resources were returned to the company. The Supreme Court ordered the reopening of the trust in a 2020 ruling which has been ignored by the company.

The National Water Commission and the Mexican Institute for Water Technology recognizes the presence of arsenic, mercury, copper, manganese and lead in drinking water still to these days.

The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources presented, in 2023, an Environmental Diagnostic Report recognizing Grupo Mexico’s responsibility of the spill and that contamination in biota and heavy metal levels above the norm persist.

The National Human Rights Commission issued in 2024 a Recommendation to federal authorities and the Government of Sonora for the persistence of environmental and health impacts derived from the spill in the Sonora River basin in 2014.

Grupo Mexico's sustainability statement affirms the company adheres to the law, but disregards concrete actions to protect the environment, and respecting the rights of affected communities, repairing the damages caused for 10 years , providing biased information to its investors during this period.

The installation of 36 water treatment plants and specialized toxicology health care are the most pressing demands, as children, young people, adults, and the elderly continue to drink water with no guarantee of being free of heavy metals, and still face serious health problems.

Several entities have recognized the company's responsibility. This is supported by official documents and independent studies. Today, the company is facing a criminal lawsuit led by a government body. Presently, the total cost of the spill amounts to MORE THAN ONE BILLION (USD), which represents approximately 3.66% of the company's market capitalization. This will have repercussions for its investors.

The affected communities have asked Grupo Mexico's investors to address the issue, be vigilant of greenwashing, and fulfill their responsibility to respect human rights.

PODER is a corporate accountability and human rights NGO accompanying the affected communities organized in the Sonora River Watershed Committees.

Source: Project on Organization, Development, Education and Research (PODER)
Contact Information: comunicacion@poderlatam.org