The official added that, according to the current administration’s conclusions, the spill was not the result of an accident and said that the Government had asked the company for a new remediation plan for the site.
What does Grupo México say?
The company headed by Germán Larrea assured on October 4 it’s a statement that the remediation efforts had been “successful and fully in accordance with the law.”
The company detailed that, for five years after the event, water monitoring was carried out at 35 sampling stations and 33 wells, including the El Molinito Dam. Furthermore, for three years, to assess the ecological risk, bio-monitoring was carried out that included analyzes of exposure to metals, plant toxicity, genetics in invertebrates and flora.
The mining giant also defended its position by pointing out that the government fails to mention other current sources of pollution in the region, such as illegal mining, the discharge of untreated sewage and the prolonged accumulation of residues from agricultural fertilizers and insecticides. He argues that these sources of pollution also contribute to environmental degradation in the area and must be addressed comprehensively.
At the time, the company was fined for the damages and was forced to create a trust that according to the environmental authority did not offer adequate compensation.
After the criminal complaint filed by the Mexican Government, the shares of the firm, one of the largest copper producers in the world and also with operations in the infrastructure and transportation sectors, fell a little more than 2% to 76.77 pesos.