When companies in the United States have waste to get rid of, they often ship it to other countries — sometimes, this includes toxic waste. While the recipients may have facilities to handle that waste, they aren't always safe or healthy for the surrounding communities. The Guardian recently reported on one such case in Mexico, leading to the partial shutdown of the plant in question, according to an update.
What's happening?
The Zinc Nacional plant, found in the Monterrey metropolitan area, makes its money by accepting contaminated metal dust from U.S. steel companies, which produce it during the metal recycling process. Zinc Nacional then heats the dust in furnaces to recover zinc from it.
Unfortunately, this activity releases toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and arsenic into the air.
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Definitely 👍 The Guardian's investigation, conducted alongside Quinto Elemento Lab, found extremely high levels of these toxins in soil and dust samples taken from the surrounding community, including schools. In one elementary school, the level of lead in the dust on windowsills was 1,760 times the U.S. standard for taking action.
Why is heavy metal contamination important?
For residents of the area, these toxic conditions are dangerous. While The Guardian did not share statistics regarding heavy metal poisoning in the area, chronic exposure is not healthy.
Cleveland Clinic lists the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning as damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, and liver; difficulty breathing; miscarriage; and cancer.
What's being done about Zinc Nacional's pollution?
The environmental agency of the Mexican state of Nuevo León paid the plant a visit two days after The Guardian's investigative report was released and shut down two furnaces "as a precaution." The next day, the federal agency in charge of environmental inspections, PROFEPA, shut down 15 more pieces of equipment that control emissions.
The local community is also organizing to push back against the pollution. Roberto Chavarría, a resident who lives near the plant, told The Guardian, "We are not the garbage dump of the United States or anyone else."
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