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Mexico to illegally destroy protected mangrove trees to build $8bn oil refinery

Pemex carries out deforestation in defiance of order by industry regulator to conserve wetlands

Friday 06 March 2020 17:45 GMT

(REUTERS)

Mexico’s state-owned oil company Pemex has reportedly begun cutting down protected mangrove trees to construct a controversial $8 billion (£6.1 billion) oil refinery.

In doing so, Pemex, the world’s most indebted oil company, would be defying a government order by industry regulator ASEA which safeguards the mangrove forests.

Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered the construction of the refinery in July 2018 and the company hired a third party to begin clearing designated site of mangroves shortly after.

But it wasn’t until the following year the permit to begin work was issued. ASEA fined the third party $700,000 for the destruction already caused to the area and gave Pemex a conditional building permit in August 2019 that barred the comp destroying the remaining mangrove trees.

According to Quartz, satellite images of the site show Pemex ignored the order and has been clearing more mangroves and vegetation in the area.

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The order issued by ASEA stated: “Considering the project will be built in areas where there are wetlands, it is prohibited to interrupt or divert any runway or flow of runoff (temporary or permanent), drains, strams, canals or any other type of water bodies.

“Likewise, the integrity of the hydrological flow of the remaining area of the mangrove area that is located on the banks of the Seco River must be kept safe. The project cannot carry out any landfill, leave boards or infrastructure construction that can alter or disturb the free water flow or cause the drying of the wetland.

“ASEA also orders the realisation of specific actions for the protection of the mangrove remnants that remain in the dry riverbed, the regulated company must carry out the monitoring of mangrove exchange rates through the Monitoring System of the Mangroves of Mexico, identifying the state and trends of hange (loss, deterioration or recover), of mangrove coverage in the SAR and in the project area.

“In case of presenting losses or deterioration of the vegetal cover, the regulated company will have to identify the actions that are causing these affectations and apply the mitigation measures and/or compensations necessary so that said coverage follows its tendency of recovery.”

If found responsible for the deforestation, individuals at Pemex could face imprisonment for up to nine years.

Gustav Alanis Ortega, president of the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, told Quartz ASEA could also impose more fines on the company and revoke its construction permit.

But there are concerns Pemex will not face any repercussions. ASEA’s former executive director Luis Vera Morales reportedly resigned after issuing the order and was replaced by Angel Carrizales Lopez, a former aide to Mr Obrador.

Under Mr Lopez’s leadership, the fine imposed against the third-party hired by Pemex to destroy the mangrove area was reportedly cancelled.

The destruction of mangroves in Mexico makes the site more vulnerable to big storms and flooding, as mangrove trees protect the coast against such natural disasters.

The trees are also home to endangered species including the jaguarondi wild cat and other protected species of reptiles and birds.

Mr Obrador, who took office in December, dashed hopes that his government would be more environmentally active after he announced the construction of the oil refinery, cancelled a clean energy auction and slashed funding for the environment ministry by a third.

Apart from the oil refinery, he also ordered the construction of a 900-mile railway to connect tourist destinations across the Yucatan Peninsula, which environmentalists say will ruin some of the country’s precious rainforests.

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