Background on the Circular Economy and its Importance
In response to environmental challenges, numerous countries worldwide—including Mexico—have embraced the circular economy model. This key approach to global sustainability promotes waste reduction and resource optimization, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.
President Sheinbaum’s Announcement and Project Details
On October 1, 2024, shortly after Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo assumed the presidency of Mexico, she announced in front of thousands gathered at the Zócalo in Mexico City that a circular economy industrial park would be built in Tula, Hidalgo. This project was part of her 100 Commitments for the second phase of Mexico’s Fourth Transformation.
The planned investment was 172 million pesos by the federal government, to be located on the grounds of the failed Bicentenario refinery—a 700-hectare polygon. The project included two plants: one for organic waste recycling to produce carbon pellets and another for construction materials. Additionally, an ecological park was planned with sports and green areas for the region’s residents.
Project Benefits and Community Involvement
The project promised environmental restoration, job creation, reduced pollution through closed landfills and decreased greenhouse gas emissions, new green spaces for family recreation, and river Tula cleanup. To ensure democratic participation, the federal government instructed a public consultation—the first of its kind—for residents of Tula, Atitalaquia, and Tlaxcoapan to decide freely on the construction of the first Polo de Desarrollo de Economía Circular para el Bienestar (Podecibi) in the Tula region.
Roles of Environmental and Hidalgo Government Agencies
The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), led by Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, along with the Hidalgo state government under Julio Menchaca Salazar, were responsible for publicizing and informing residents of the three municipalities about the benefits of the ecological park and recycling project, involving both public and private investments.
Project Opposition and Cancellation
Despite initial confidence from Governor Menchaca, the project’s secretary of Government, Guillermo Olivares Reyna, failed to convince environmental leaders and groups who opposed the project from the start. Opponents argued falsely that the park would attract waste from other federal entities, increasing pollution harming Tula’s residents due to high pollution from the Francisco Pérez Ríos thermoelectric plant, Miguel Hidalgo refinery, cement factories, and river Tula contamination.
Misinformation led to negative sentiment among residents, especially in Atitalaquia and Tlaxcoapan, governed by Teresa Olivares Reyna, the brother of Secretary of Government Guillermo Olivares Reyna. The governor’s deputy, unable or unwilling to control his sibling, contributed to the project’s downfall.
Public Consultation and Project Rejection
On December 14, after several informational meetings and a minimal late campaign for the project, a public consultation was held in Tula’s three municipalities. According to the Instituto Estatal Electoral de Hidalgo (IEEH), two municipalities (Atitalaquia and Tlaxcoapan) voted “no,” while Tula’s majority voted “yes.”
- Voter Turnout and Results: With an 8.77% voter turnout (12,259 total votes), 63.10% voted against the park’s establishment, while 35.35% supported it; the rest were blank votes.
- Project’s Fate: Following the consultation results, President Sheinbaum announced a search for an alternative location for the project.
Consequences of Project Cancellation
The Hidalgo government’s failure to implement the presidential project not only abandoned a more than 172 million pesos investment in its initial phase but also missed an opportunity to mitigate environmental impacts and gradually eliminate 450 open-air landfills in the state.
The lost investment is unforgivable, as there’s no precedent for such a significant investment during previous administrations. For instance, during Felipe Calderón’s government and Miguel Osorio Chong’s tenure, the announced but failed Bicentenario Refinery in Tula led to Osorio contracting a debt still paid by Hidalgo’s taxpayers today.
Hidalgo has lacked statesmen governors with long-term vision and benefit to Hidalguenses, as seen in the administrations of Miguel Osorio and Jesús Murillo Karam under Enrique Peña Nieto’s priista government, who did little for the state and its people, focusing instead on personal wealth accumulation. Losing such a substantial investment is regrettable, especially when such opportunities are rare.
