Atotonilco and Apaxco Citizens Mark the 1st Anniversary of their Peaceful Sit-in against Ecoltec
Mexico: May 6th was the first anniversary of the peaceful sit-in held by the Environmental Movement Pro-Health Apaxco - Atotonilco (Movimiento Ambientalista Pro Salud Apaxco - Atotonilco), calling for the closure of the company Ecoltec - a Holcim subsidiary that mixes waste to produce fuel for cement kilns. With the subsidiary still open a year later, but unable to operate due to the sit-in, Environmental Movement Pro-Health Apaxco - Atotonilco used the anniversary to organize a forum to call on the federal and state governments to put an end to the operations of Ecoltec.
The sit-in started after eleven farmers that were cleaning up a drainage pool, located a few meters away from the Ecoltec plant, died after inhaling toxic fumes. As Refugio Choreño, a local doctor, explains, "Since Ecoltec arrived in Apaxco in 2003, people have perceived and complained about the awful odors coming from the company. Then, on March 21, 2009, eleven farmers died when they were cleaning a sump that emitted toxic fumes due to the pollution of the river Salado, where the company is suspected to throw hazardous liquids. Next, on May 5, 2009, acrylate leaked, which caused a very strong odor and intoxication in a community that has suffered from allergies, respiratory problems and cancer."
The local citizens held Ecoltec responsible for the toxic fumes as well as for the spill, which killed the farmers and caused further damage to the local community. Since both the company and state officials refused to address these problems, the community decided to try and close the plant by starting a peaceful sit-in at the entrance of the site.
At this year's forum, "Mothers Standing for the Health of their Children," the Center for Diagnosis and Alternatives for those Affected by Toxics (Centro de Diagnóstico y Alternativas para Afectados por Tóxicos, CEDAAT AC), Center for Analysis and Action on Toxics and Alternatives (CAATA), Greenpeace Mexico, and the actress Tiare Scanda, expressed their views about the serious environmental and health problems faced by the communities of Atotonilco (state of Hidalgo) and Apaxco (state of Mexico). According to the preliminary results of a study carried out on 35 local school age children and conducted by CEDAAT, all the children in the area have their memory affected and in 69% of the cases the impact is significant.
Maria Colin, legal advisor of Greenpeace Mexico said, "Today, having completed a year of this movement, we want to extend the complaint (made last September) on the basis that the company Ecoltec has a number of irregularities, including the failure of some permits, reports that do not adhere to the reality of the facts, violation of rules by mishandling and mixing incompatible types of hazardous waste, and an incorrect recycling process and hazardous waste management system. These issues are having a negative impact on both the environment and the health of the population, which should lead to the authorities imposing fines, shutting down the plant and not renewing pending permits."
The citizens of Apaxco live in constant contact with the industrial waste "recycled" by the company Ecoltec and other pollution coming from cement plants from Cemex, Holcim and Lafarge, that burn industrial waste in their kilns, as well as the 115 industries that are based in the surrounding area, including lime companies, a refinery and a PEMEX petrochemical in Tula, Hidalgo. It's time for the federal and state government to begin protecting these communities. As actress Tiare Scanda said, "I'm here because as a mother and as a citizen, I sympathize with the struggle of the women of Atotonilco and Apaxco who have lost their children and whose health is in danger. Not one more child with cancer or asthma, no more interrupted pregnancies. Not one more case like this caused by preventable factors."
