Background and Relevance of the Issue
More than two dozen environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, Friends of Sian Ka’an, and the Mexican Civil Council for Sustainable Forestry, have requested that the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) deny Quintana Roo’s request for an expanded beach restoration project.
Quintana Roo’s government aims to expand the 2009 beach recovery project, which was based on a Manifestation of Environmental Impact (MIA) authorized in 2009. However, environmentalists argue that the conditions have changed significantly over the past 15 years.
The Proposed Project and Environmental Concerns
The new beach restoration project spans 33.5 kilometers across four Quintana Roo municipalities, including Puerto Morelos, which was not part of the 2009 recovery effort due to its high erosion rate.
The project plans to extract sand from designated banks for a 12-kilometer relleno (beach widening) in Cancún, 12 kilometers in Playa del Carmen, 7 kilometers in Puerto Morelos, and 2.5 kilometers in Cozumel.
Environmental groups assert that Cancún’s portion of the project requires a new executive project and MIA, as the current polygon (from Playa Las Perlas to Punta Nizuc) does not fall under the original authorization.
Additionally, they argue that Puerto Morelos’s inclusion confirms the 2009 authorization is insufficient to support the planned works.
Legal Requirements and Concerns
Environmentalists emphasize that Mexican legislation mandates modifications or updates to MIAs for projects with significant changes or those exceeding 5-10 years, according to the Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente (LGEEPA) and NOM-059-SEMARNAT.
Government Response
The Secretary of Ecology and the Environment, Óscar Rébora, acknowledged that necessary studies have been conducted to request the polygon’s expansion based on the authorization issued by SEMARNAT in 2008-2009.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main concern of environmental groups? Environmental groups argue that the proposed beach restoration project should not rely on a 2009 MIA, as environmental and regulatory conditions have changed significantly over the past 15 years.
- Which organizations support the denial of the project? More than two dozen environmental organizations, including Greenpeace, the Mexican Center for Environmental Law, Friends of Sian Ka’an, and the Mexican Civil Council for Sustainable Forestry.
- Why do environmentalists require a new MIA for Cancún’s portion? Environmental groups assert that the current polygon (from Playa Las Perlas to Punta Nizuc) does not fall under the original 2009 authorization, necessitating a new executive project and MIA for Cancún’s beach restoration.
- What legal requirements must be met for project expansions? Mexican legislation, specifically the LGEEPA and NOM-059-SEMARNAT, mandates modifications or updates to MIAs for projects with significant changes or those exceeding 5-10 years.
