mining in mexico

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This paper has been published by the International Council on Metals and theEnvironment ( I C M E ) a s part of a se ries of publications discussing issuesrelevant to environmental andior health-related policies and mining andmetals production. It is believed t hal the topics examined a re of concern, not

only to the non-ferrous metal mining and producing sector, but also to the restof Society, including policy makers, educators and th e public at large.

I t is I C M E ' s hope tha t these publications provide insight into what a re oftendifficult and complex issues. 'i'herefore, the views in these paper s ar e those ofthe authors. ICME welcomes questions and comments on their perspectivesand the information provided by them, in order to facilitate a sharing ofinformation and to provide for grea ter understanding of the topics addressed.Th e Council also apprecia tes suggestions regarding other issues of publicimportance for future publications.

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"Mining, Metallurgy and Environmont in Mexico during the nYentieth Century,"by Inés Herrera Canales and Eloy Gonzalez Marin. First Printing, May 1995.

ISBN 1-895720-04-4



O ur aim in this essa y is to summarize the

history of Mexican mining during the twentiethcentury, to describe the growth. modernization

and diversification of the mining and meta ls

industry, and ta report on environmental

conditions and progress made in protecting the

environment.

This essay is divided into six sections. The f irst

provides a brieî overview of the state of

research on mining histoiy. and mining and

environment in contemporary Mexico: the

second is a synthesis of t he historicaldevelopment of Mexican mining and metal lurgy

during the twentieth century. The next t hree

secti ons provide an overview of environmenta l

programs and policies related t o mining in

Mexico. We consider three main aspects of the

issue: the historical development of poiicies for

controlling pollution in the mining industry in

Mexico; the actions of mining firms n support

of environmental protection: and, some case

studies showing how pollution arising from

mining and metallurgical activities is being

addressed. The îinal section provides

conclusions.

The anaiysis of the relationship between mining

and the environment covers a major segment of

the Mexican mining industry (both private and

government-owned) accounting for 90 percent of

Mtal production in the early 1990s.

The impact of mining on the environment is an

old probiem which miners have had to face

throughout the centuries. It is well known that

mining and metallurgical activities can generate

pollution problems if they ar e conducted in an

irresponsible manner. This can be as a resuit of

accumulation of solid wastes and liquid

effluents in the areas surrounding mining

operations and as a result oî gaseous emissionsfrom metallurgical operations. These pollutants

can affect the natural environment: rivers, soi1

and vegetation. They have the potential to cause

dramatic changes in the landscape, and their

effects can have repercussions on hiiman

health.

In the history of Mexican mining before the

twentieth century, there a re refere nces to the

damaging impact of the exploitation an d

extraction of metals. mainly of gold and silver,

upon the population and the natural

environment. Even in colonial times, the vice-

regal government and private individuals voiced

their concern about the negative impacts on the

population and the landscape caused by gases

emitted from foundry chimneys and by toxic

wast es (specificaliy mercury) produced by the

mining and production of precious metals.

There are also accounts of the damage suffered

by miners as a result of unhealthy conditions

inside the shaf ts and galleries, and by those

who were in contact with mercury vapour

during the amalgamation process.

Those Who lived in.regions which produced

precious metals frequently complained that

mining caused deforestation of the surrounding

area s. particularly since trees wer e used as

fuel and as supports in mines. This practice,

which lasted more than four centuries, ended

when coal replaced wood as fuel early in the

twentieth century.

During the nineteenth century, techniques for

exploiting and processing precious metals

remained little changed. I t was only during the

last quarter of the century that dynamite,

I



electricity, cyanid e processing. railway

systerns inside the mines m i l compressed air

fo r ventilation were witlcly introduced in the

production processes. ‘ïhc introduction o f

cyanide a s a replacement for mercury i n gold

recovery resulted in a markcd improvement

in the health of workers a n d the natural

landscape of mining regions.

The growth an d diversification of mining in

Mexico during the twentieth ccntury. in

conjunccion with changes in the extraction

and refining processes, broadened the impact

of mining-related activities on the

environment. Kegulatioii by governmental

institutions to control the effects of mining o

the environmenl was lirnitetl. Although the

industry did implement practices such as

baghouses and clectrostatic precipitators to

capture dust from smelters an d refineries in

th e 1920s. it was n o t until the late 1970s

tha t pollution from mining became a

widespread concern. and only since the

1980s that the environmental impact of

mining has k e n systemat ica lly addressed i

Mexico.

[nés Herrera CanaleEloy Gonz hl e z Marin

Mexico. March 1995



TheÇtatuç of Weçearch on

Contemporary ining and

Environment in

Documentation of the twentieth-century

history of Mexican mining and the

environment of mining regions is scattered

and not very comprehensive. The autho rs

have uudertaken a n intensive search f or

material in government, public and

specialized libraries and information

centres. Th e available sources of

information ar e several general works on

the twentieth-century history of Mexican

mining. official statistics produced by the

Mexican government, periodicals, essay s.

conference papers. and documents from

Mexican mining firms.

This historical review draws on three gen eral

research works which cover the late

nineteenth centnry to 1988.' I t also includes

articles, essays and monographs. written

predominantly by economists, which addre ss

various periods and problems of mininghistory.' These latte r contain analyse s of

production, markets, capital and prices. Most

of the documents ar e f rom ministries of th e

Mexican government and examine th e

technical, economic, social and political

problems of mining and met als production in

Mexico and the r es t of t he world.

Information on mining and ecology in Mexico

is limited and is scattered widely in private

and official files. The basic sources are

reports produced by large mining firms,

environmental organizations and governmentinstitut ions which deai with environmental

protection. Newspapers and magazines.

conference papers and University research

also address the subject. The approach an d

themes of these works Vary widely and

depend on the objectives of the project and

the background of the aut hors . Some ar e

serious and scientifically rigorous papers;

other s a re sensationalist and iack foundation

We have limited Our research to thosesources of information produced by

responsible. private a nd officiai institutions.

and endorsed by qualified individuals.

~

' üernslein. MarVinD.. The Mexico" Mlning lndusiry, 1890-1950.A Çiudg 0J lhe llllerUclion ofPoiiiirs.Economics.and Technologg,New York. Slale University of NC W York. 1964: Hall. RobertBruceWallace. Lu

dindmica delsecior mirlero enMbuico. 1877-1870 con prnyeccionesa 1980).Mexico. Ei Coiegio de Mexico.1972. (Master in Economics lhesis): and SaricgoRodriguez. J uan Luis. Luis Reygadas. Miguel Angei GOmczandJ avierParrera. El eslado g Io mineria meXicona. Politica. lrabajo y sociedad duranieCI sklio XX . MCXiCo.Fondode Cultura Econ6mica. 1088.

2 p errera canaies. inés. etai.. Bibllogroflo minera iberoamericorio. I R ~x - IW ~.ol. IV of Scries: Minçrfaibcroamcricanri. cpertorio bibligr6ficoy biogr3fico. lnstilulo Tecnol6gico Geominerode Espalla. Madrid.Esparla. 1992.



Mexico has been a world miriingpower forcenturies, thanks Co the gi:oli)gical features of

its tel'ritory. Mining and mctiils production have

had a sisable impact on t h c Mcxican economy.

One cannot Fully desci'ibe tlw i:conomic life of

Mexico without making rcfcreiicc to mining.

However. il h a s evolved ncilher continuously

nor a t the same pace as I l i f , KSI,f the

economy. Although mining coiilribiited a n

est imated 1 0 percent of lhc gross tlomestic

product (GDP) in 1929 , ils sliarc diminishedto 5.7 percen t in 1940 and t,o 3 pcrcent in

1950 . As th e count ry coinploi,eil th e first

s tages of ils industrializaiion process, th e

services and manufactui'ing iiidustrics

developed m u c h m o r e rapicily l,han the

extractive indu slries. Evensi),

miningcontinues 10 p l a y a significant role in the

generation o f wealth. In 1992 , i t madc up 1.5

percent of Mexico's GDP. For cornparison, oil

and natural gas extraction contributed less

than 2 percent 10 th e Mexican GDP. "

As with othcr economic activities. mining

crea tes jobs, which i n turn generate income

an d taxes. I I contributes to th e demand for

producis manufactured by otlier industries,

provides prgducts fo r the domestic economyand incre ases exports . Because it depcnds o

the geographical location of mineral

resources. il lias had a significant role in

shaping th e pat terns of population settlemen

and economic dcvc lopment oî the country.

400 L-20 l

1900 I 1'>1<, l 1920 I 1930 I 1940 I 1950

1905 191s 1925 1935 1945

Source:Eiul-~orcitedroni tlii' ind<:y<sofR. 13. Wallace - ld l , (1972j. iiurious tables.

-_'Salinas de Gortari. Carlos. S<'SI<>illonii<' l? <)ol>eriio. rlexo. 1094, MCxi î o . i>rccci6nGcncral dC

Comunicaci6riSocial. PIcSKI<'II~ii ic : 111 lteDfiblic3, IDLI4.

4



The first dec ades of the post-revolutionary

period in Mexico, from 1920 onwards. wer e

characterized by wide fluctuations in mining

and metals production, Iow investment in

infrastructure, a lack of prospe cting and Iit Ik

new mining activity. A determining

characteristic w as meeting the foreign

demand for minerals and metals with no

attempt to integ rate with domes tic industry.

Furthermore, changing government policies

aiternateiy thwarted and promoted the

mi ni ng industry which rendered the sector

increasingly lethargic. In 1950, the sector's

production was about the same as i t was in

1910 (see Figure 1).

During this early period. the most notable

development wa s the consolidation of mining

into those are as which couid best contribute toindustrial development, e.g. non-ferrous metais,

minerals for the iron and steel industry. and

non-metallic minerais (mainly sulfur). However,

the,mining industry remained largely export

oriented.

The political and legal outlook of t he post-

revolutionary period wa s completely difîere nt

from th e pre-revolutionary one. The

Constitution of 1917 and subsequent laws

reconsidered colonial reguiations on propertyownership an d control of mining resource s.

Government policies had to be modified to

meet capital. technoiogical and currency

needs. After a spectacuiar temporary

recovery iwthe late 1920s, the growth ra te of

Mexico's min in g sector dropped to a levei

lower than tha t of inter national demand and

of th e economy as a whole. Th e single most

important factor contributing to this was the

Mexican government's nationalist policies

which se t out to integrate mining into thedomestic economy.

The growth of the Mexican mining industry

from 1922 to 1929 wa s driven by a boom in

the US economy. The introduction of modern

technology such a s sel ective flotation made it

profitable to mine ore bodies and reduce iosses

to tailings. T h i s decade of mining expansion

was followed by the world-wide Great

Depression of 1930 to 1932 with its stagnating

effects.

The worid economic recovery in the late 1930s

brought with il an increased demand and

higher prices for mining products. These

influenced mining activity in Mexico from 1933

to 1938: however, profit margins wer e low and

foreign investment was restrained by

governmem policies, increased labour costs

and high taxes. It is Worth pointing out that

even if the nationalis t policies of the decade

were not in the long r u n beneficial to the

deveiopment oî the mining industry (becausethere w as iittle private investment), they

heiped îinance, by means of taxes, the building

of inirastructure for th e industriaiization o f th e

country. During the 1930s an d 1940s. taxes o n

m in in g were very important. constituting 28

perce nt of the f ederal budget between 1 9 3 5

an d 1944.

During the 1940s there was great international

demand for mining products. Production

increased during the fir st year s of the deca de,but Mexico's interna1 conditions constrained

the expansion of the industry. Domestic

policies did no t provide incentives or

guarantees to foreign capital, taxed the mining

industry heavily and kept tight controi over

certain mining are as (considered national

reserves), thus restricting their exploration

and subsequent exploitation. Th e poor state of

the railways m aae it even more difficult to

commercialize production. In summary, high

production costs outweighed the goodinternation al situation, and by the en d of the

decade mi ni ng production had been reduced to

levels lower than the average of the previous

twenty years.



Beginning in 1950, mining cn ioyed sustained

growth, slow and uncertain al. first (1 950-60), but

firm and continuous lacer (1980.70 and 1970-80).

only to diminish again during thc 1980s as a

result of domestic and intcrnaliiinal rccessions.

(See 'ibble 1 and Figure 2).

Interestingly. d u r i n g the stagc of rapid growth

of the country's economy. the mining and

metallurgical industry lost its relative

importance. Its proportional share of

Mexico's GDP dropped from 2.33 percent in

1960 to 1.72 percent in 1970, and to 1.39

percent in 1980. When the country's

economic growth decreased i n the 1980s. the

decline in the mining industry was l e s

drarnatic. I n 1990, its proportional share in

the GDP increased to 1. 57 percent. In 1990-

92. the Mexican mining G D P grew a l an

average a n n u a l ratc o f only 0.7 percent,

resulting in rnining's share of total GDP

falling to 1.5 percent.

The performance of ih e Mexican mining

industry shows Chat its growth. during S o m e

periods, was more dynamic than that of the

rest of the economy. even though in the long

run it has deciineii i n its share of the total

GD P (Figure 3).

Sources:Banc» de M&co (1969): NEGl, S C N M . N o te : t iDP O1 i900 (1950-1960).

and 1980 I Q ~ O - I C > . C > ~ Joiistc~iii ices.



F i g u r e 3 : Çhare of Mining GI>P in Total Gili', (%)

1950 - 19923 0

2 9

1.1

1.0:: 950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990

+ SARIEG011988) a EST~MATED~ANX~CO X INEGGI

SOurCeS: Banco de Mexico ( 1 969): NEGI, SCNM. Noie: GDP Of 1960 ( 1950-1960)

and 1980 (1960-1992) conçtanf prices.

Although during the 1950s the mining industry

continued to show slow growth of output and

iimited investments, international prices wer e

good. Prices of metallic and non-metallic

minerals increased 9 percent between 1950

and 1960. The mining industry in Mexicounderwent important structur al changes during

this decade. On the one hand. an expanding.

non-metallic mining sector emerged (sulfur.

limestone, coal. fluorite and barite). Its growing

production, together with i ncreasing

international prices, contributed t o the

increase in value of the decade's production.

On the othe r hand. mining gradually became

more integrated into the country's industry, and

an increasing part of its output was consumed

by the domestic economy instead of beingexported. This change is appar ent when the

industry's contribution to tax income in Mexico

is considered. As its contribution to GDP fell

and as the government widened its income

sources, mining's tax share fell rapidly to a

levei commensurate with its actual

participation i n the economy. in 193 9, mining

contributed 27.5 percent OC the government's

net income. This dropped to 17.4 percent in

1948, 7.6 percent in 1955 and 3.5 percent in

1960."

International dernand for mining products in

the 1960s was reinforced by an increase in

domestic demand towards the end of the

decade. This led. in turn. to a significant

recovery of the industryB production. In the

early 1960s. mining was largely

"mexicanized": that is. Mexican law

established that more than 50 percent of the

capital of every mining firm should be supplied

by Mexican citizens. By the early 1970s. theentire industry had comDlied with the

legislation.

The non-metallic rnining sector continued to

expand in the 1960s. with a positive ne t

Sariego Rodrigyuez. Juan Luis. et al.. o p . cil..p. 166.

7



investment, although tliis wa s offset by a loss

of investment in tlle metallic sBctor. lnvestment

inmining, as a whole, dit1 noi iricrease in the

196Os:During the second hall of the 1970s.

the output of non-metaliic mining comprised 4

percent of the mining sector's s har e of GDP: it

almost equalletl the value of the metallic

minerals GüI' (Sce Table 2 and Figure 4) .

1955 19 . 3

1965 36.8

1 9 5 0 - 19911O0

1975

8

18.7

1985 42.1



Between 1950 and 1970, the mining sector

became a very significant contributor to Mexico's

industrialization process, since it increasingly

supplied important inputs to domestic industry.

Some mineral products which were previously

exported as raw materials wer e now produced in

a refined state within the country. However, the

relative contribution of the sector M Mexico'strade balance through exports decreased. This

transformation is evident in trade figures: in

1950. 85 percent of the mining production

(except for graphite) was for export; in 1960, it

dropped to 47 percent. By 1970 it had decreased

M28 percent.

In spite of its stagnation during the 1940s.

mining had been a n important source of foreign

currency. it accounted for 42 percent of total

exports from 1939M 1950. During the 1950sthe share decreased ta 26 percent, and dropped

M 19 percent from 1961 to 1970.5

The mexicanization program and efforts to

promote small and middle-sized mining firms

during the 1970s resulted in a consolidation

of the mining industry. Remarkable industrial

development took place, thanks to significant

public and private investment s and to the

infrastructure built ta promote small and

middle-sized enterprises.

Mining enterprises specialized in exploiting

specific rneials and minerals according to their

size and capabilities. With 39 percent of mining

GDP in 1983. the state-owned sector was the

country's largest copper producer. The large

private mining companies, which collectively

contributed 49 percent of the mining GDP in

1983.dominated the field, producing lead, zinc

and silver as well as arsenic, bismuth, selenium,

graphite, gypsum and silica. However. firms of al1kinds and sizes entered into exploitation of basic

metals. Small and middle-sized enterprises, with

12 percent of the mining GDP in the same yéar,

dominated mercury, tin and tungsten exploitation.

They also participaied in the production of other

meials. such as gold. whose national production

fluctuated between 23 and 52 percent of mining

GDP during the 1980s.

The 1980s were a significant deca de for

Mexico's development,. Mexico's a ver age

growth was the lowest since the Great

Depression of the 1930s. bu t it experienced

the beginnings of liberalization an dprivatization of the economy, which peaked

between 1988 and 1994. Given th e difficult

situation of the domestic economy and the

recession in the rest of t he world, mining has

managed a favourable evolution. The average

annual growth rate of mine production was 4

percent, an d the mining sector's sh are of GDP

of 2.9 percent at constant prices grew îaster

than the 1.6 percent for the total economy

(se e Table 1 .

Prices for most non-metallic minerals rose in

the 1980s (sulfur , by 1 percent; gypsum, by 32

percent: and, barite, by 52 percentj. Although

metal prices fluctuated. the overall trend was

for prices to deciine. Gold, silver, lead an d

mercury prices dropped significantly (1980-92:

44 percent, 81 percent. 15 percent and 50

percent, respectivelyj, copper improved slightly,

and zinc increased substantially (1980-92: 5

percent and 68 percent, respectivelyj.

These changes in production and prices modifïed

the sha re of the various commodities in the total

value of mineral production. The ten rninerals

which had the highest production value in 1980

accounted for almost 84 percent of M i a l mining

production value: whereas the ten most

important products in 1992 contributed only 79

percent. This diversification of iniiiing

production broadens the foundationson which

the sector can grow and îor linking it more

effectiveiy to the domestic economy.

Another shift during the 1980s as a

consequence of the incr easing integration of

mining into the domestic indus try was a

decrease in exports. In 1990 and 1991,

exports from m i n i n g dropped to 4.2 percent

Sariego Rodrigucz. Juan Luis. el al..op. cil.. p. 166.



LEAD 6 10 SALT 11 13

Source: Macedo Palmcici. i7r>h<:rtol 993).Note: According to ttieir production

value in each year,

l R O N ORE

an d 3.7 percent of Mexico's cxports

respectively.

The contribution of the miriing scctor to

government revenues decrcased as the industry

lost its relative importanco in thc cconomy and

a s the federal governmcnt thc rsifi ed its

sources of income. Mining licenses (tlerechos

de mineria) accounted for almost 2 percent of

non-tax federal income prior IQ 3991 when they

were drastically reduced. Govcriiment fiscal

measu res th at affect mining achvities are :

income and value-added taxes: forcign trade

duties: and. social seciirity lax which ai'eproportional to the imporuince of the sector in

the economy.

7 8 GYPSUM 20 7

Mexican mining is signiîicant no1 oriiy bec aus e

it plays an important role in thr domestic

economy of the country, but also because

Mexico is a major international source of

certain minerals. Silver. in whicli Mexico has

traditionally occupied a n important place, is th e

obvious example. Between 1980and 1992,

Mexico was among the top three producers in

the world of t,he following minerals : silver.

celestite, bismuth and antimony (tweive years )graphite (11 year s): fluorite (8years): barite

and cadmium (3ycars): and. arsenic an d sulfu

(one year).

Because the development of the mining industr

has been more dynamic than t hat of t he res t of

the domestic economy, rnining appe ar s to have

adapted well 10 Mexico's rnodel of economic

development. which was adopted in the 1980s

and is linked 10 the world economy. The

prospects of the mining industry largely dependu p o n providing a stable long-term environment

for national and international investment.

incorporating progressive technology and

adapting to the nceds of domeslic and world

markets. Several factors are a t play to cceate

favourable conditions-privatization of th e

large and important. government-owned mining

sector. the 1992 mining legislation and the

North America Free nade Agreement which

began in 1994.

1 0



As far back as the colonial period, some mining

regions in Mexico experienced serious publicprotests against mining activity an d metal-

producing operat ions a s a result of

environmental pollution and extensive

lumbering activity. Complaints were heard by

local authorities, Who either resolved the

conflictsor referred them to higher

jurisdictions. Colonial mining legislation

regulated effluents, mineral waste. and gases

vented to the a tmos pher e by foundry chimneys

in order M limit the effects on the population. It

addressed human health aspects rather thanenvironmental ones.'

There have been only a few studies on topics

related Menvironmental pollution in colonial

Mexico. O ne of them analysed a protest

demonstration in Chihuahua in 1732. T h e

protesters opposed the building of smelting

furnaces near their City because of the effects

on ai r and water? Another described cases of

mercury and lead poisoning in mining districts

of New Spain! Town councils were responsiblefo r maintaining the purity of the air, the soi1 an d

water, but since mining provided most of the

income locally and for the vice-royalty, conflicts

over environmenial problems often led Mlong,

drawn-out legal processes.

Colonial mining ordinances continued in force

into the nineteenth century. Together with

mining deputat ions and municipalities. they

regulated conflicts between miners and

surrounding populations over environmenial

preservation. The new mining law that took

effect late in the nineteenth century took thesesituations inM account, but t he problems of

environmental pollution caused by the mining

industry have not been well researched.

Edgar Omar Gutiérrez Ldpez. in his essay on

the case of the Compaiïia Rey del Oro Mining

(The Gold King Mining Co.). provides an account

of how the mining sector and a local community

deal t with conflicting interests." In 1901, the

company advised the municipal council of the

M wn of Mulatos that the people should not usewater from the local stream because il \vas

poisoned by the company's use of cyanide. The

local population took their concerns first to the

town hall, then M the district authorities, and

finally. to the governor of the Statx of Sonora

who decided in favour of the mining enterprise.

The M u l a M s town government was ordered to

"allow the Company ... to begin again the

exploitation of meials and Muse water f rom the

stream" fo r the development of the'state's

mining industry. The mining company \vasasked M take due precautions Mprevent any

harm to the population.

The impact of mining o n the environment during

the twentieth cen tury has not been rigorously

examined. As is the case for previous centuries,

there has been little research on the subject.

However, some evidence of the relationship

between mining and environment before the

1970s can be found in the demands of Mexico's

National Mining and Metallurgical Workers

an the exican ining Induçtry

ordenonzosdel ivuet~o uodemo Expedidospor FelipeIIel22 de Agoslo de I5H4. opalia. 1629:Conscjod e

R ~ C U ~ S O Salulales no Renovables. Ordenanws d e MinerfaOlorgadas por el Rey Carios IIId e Espaiia".Ordenonzas de Mineriu, Corncnloriosg Legislaci6n ,Miner0husm 1874.Vol. 1 Mexico. Conscjode ReCUrSoSNaturaies no Renovables. 1961

7 Hausberger,Bcrnd. 'una inicialivaecol6gica contra la industriaminerae n Chihuahua (1732l"Eslsudiosde HisioriaNouohispanicu. Vol. 13. Mexico. instililtode invcstigacionesHisr6ricas. UNAM. 1993,p. t 15-134.

* LAUD. Uoris M.. heMakingoJ o Slrike WorkersÇlruggle inRe d dei iMon1e. 17661775. (Lincoln-ILondon.1988).pp.21-27.

"Gutierrez.Edgar Omar. "Ei Noroesre y la mineria de metaleç indust~iales". II Çimpoçio de HlslOriug Aillropo1o~liude son or(^ Hermosillo. Inslitulo de invesligacionesHis16ricasde laUniversidadde sonora. 1087.p. 2m216.

I I



Union (Sindicato de Pabajadores Mineros y

Metaldrgicosde la RepUblica Mexicana).

Founded in 19 34 , the union lias increasingly

demanded hetter, safer and healthier working

conditions for the miner.

From the 197 0s onwards, thwc has heen a

greater concern for the environment on the part

of the government, as evidencrd by new laws.

regulations and decr ees. ResponsihilIty is

shar ed hy government ministrics such as th e

Ministry of Health (Seci,etarfa dc Salubridad y

Asistencla), Ministry of Lahoiir (Secretariadel

Pabajo y PrevisiOn Social). and SAHOP, the

Ministry of Human Settleincnls and Public

Works (Secretaria de Asentainlcnlos llumanos y

Obras Publicas).

During the 198Os, ther e was a radical shift in

th e environmental policies of Ihe Mexican

government and in the attiliitlcs of Mexican

Society. Environmental resporisibilities were

now centred in SEDUE. the lilinislry o f Urhan

Development and Ecology (S(:crelaria de

Desarrollo Urbanoy Ecologiai. Newinstitutions,

commissions, laws, standards and deçrees

provide a stricter approach to the conservation

of the environment and thi: crcation of specific

programs. Some mining entcrprises ha d already

begun to carr y out ecological prugrams a s early

a s the late 1960s. a trend which is generallymore evident during the 1980s.

The Federal Law fo r the Care of the

Environment \vas decreetl in 1982."' In the

same year, the Office of the Prcsident

(Coordinacih de Proyectos de Desarrollo de la

Presidencia de la RepUbiica)organized the first

meeting on solid wastes and effluents with

presidents of municipalities.

SEDUE wa s placed in charg e of formu iating andcarrying o u t federal policics for the use an d

disposal of natural resourccs and fo r the

preservation of the environment. It was to

cooperate with state and municipal

governments. Coinciding with this important

change, the Ministry of National Patcimony and

Industrial Promobion (Secretariade Patrimonlo

y Fomento Induslrial)would hecome SEMIP, th

Ministry of Encrgy, Mines and Public lndustry

(Secretariade Energia, Minas e Industria

ParaestaCal).

'lb carry o u t its projects. S E D U E implemented

series of studies on t he environment an d minin

in Mexico. These included guidelines for

regional regulations controlling mining residue

(1983) and on mining and the environment

(1984). A hrief monograph wrilten hy engineer

lgnacio Antonio Jarquin Nieto outlines

proposals for the control of tailings." Because

of the rapid growth of the miniiig industry in

Mexico, the author emphasizes the need to

quickly establish app ropri ate tachnical and

administrative measures for controlling

pollution from mines. The study contains data

on the country's mining indust ry including

specific information on th e kinds of wa st es th e

industry generates. the performance of tailings

ponds, and diagrammatic descriptions of

activities for controlling w ast es generated by

the mining industry. Another study of th e

management, t reat ment and disposal of soiid

industrial wastes proposes the creation of a

national inventory of residues and their so urce

on which ta hase a disposal plan.'*

The first phas e of the National Environment

Plan (198 4 to 1988) was finished in 1984. It

considered environmental manageme nt as a

responsihility to be shared hy al1 of Society and

the th ree levels of government federal,state

and municipal. For the first time, mining was

included i n the national development plan. The

1984-1988 National Mining Program, created

hy th e Ministry of Energy, Mines and Public

lndustry (SEMIP), required rational exploitatio

of natural resourccs and environmentalplanning for the future.

In order Massess the impact of mining,

metallurgy and civil engineering-related

activities. S E D U E commissioned three

Io Leg'Fcdcfalde i~r«iecci<liiI d M<!dioAmhi<:nie.Mexico. 1982

"Jarqui" Nielo. ignacloAntonio. ILiricumirniosparu el conllol de residuos mineros. Mexico. SEDUE. 1983.

curso sobre rnancjo. ifaiarriiniio $1rlisrx~sicldnlnai de ~ s I d u o 5dlidos indusifiales. Mexico. SEDUE. 1984

12



monographs M identify and characterize the

impact of metallic and non-metallic mining and

processing. and the smelting of non-ferrous

minerals (specificaily a copper smeiter ). The

purpose of these investigations was to identify

concrete environmental impact projects reiated

to mining activity.

Since 1986, there has been an increasing effort

at al1 ievels to collect information on the

environment and the problems caused by

pollution. SEDUE pubiished a series of surveys

of the natu ral resources of the country, and of

the management and quaiity of environmental

care. These publications include outiines of

government policies (federai and state, as well

as by economic sec tor). environmentai forecasts

and the legal and institutional framework.

In 1986, SEDUE issued a publication which

reported, for the first time. on the sta tus of the

environment in Me~ico . '~n 198 8, the National

Commission of Ecology (ComisiOnNacional de

Ecologi"), a branch of the same ministry,

pubiished a second report entitled General

Report on the Ecology (Informe general de

ecologh), and one in 1989-90 entitled Report on

the Generai Stalus of Ecoiogical Balance and

Environmental Protection (Informede la situcih

general en materia de equilihrio ecoidgio y

proteccih al amhiente), The fourth bienniaiDeport, 1991-92. was presented by the National

lnstitute of Ecology (lnstitutoNacional de

Ecologfa) which is par t of the recently created

SEDESO, Ministry of Social Development

(Secretarh de Desarmiio Social).

The legal and institutional regulations which

currently control the preservation of the

environment in Mexico are included in the

General Law fo r Ecological Balance and

Environmental Protection (LGEEPA). LGEEPAsupersedes the 1982 Federal Law for the

Protection of the Environment." In the

meantime, several more regulations have been

issued, including the Regulation of Dangerous

Waste Materials (Regamentode residuos

peligrosos)of November 25 , 1988 , which

contains rules specifically related to mining

activities. Between 19 89 and 1992 , other laws

on ecological balance and environmental

protection were enacted in each of the States of

Mexico.

Federal governrnent environmentai policies

increasingly have been made clearer and more

dynamic. The Federal Law on Metrology and

Standardization (Ley Federal sobre Metrologi'a y

Normalizacih - LFMN) of July 1992 established

a uniform procedure for the development of

Officiai Mexican Standards (NOM) (Normas

O.ficiales Mexicanas). Its objective, in addition M

its activities of standardization, certification,

verification and iaboratory testing. is to promote

the involvement of Mexican society-

government, private sector, the scientific

community and consumers-in the deveiopment

and enforcement of such iaws. With this law. the

compulsoiy NO M replaces ail previous technical

standards issued by the Ministry of Health and

SEDUE.

According M L F M N , the NOM should estabiish

the characteristics of any product, process or

service that may involve risk to health and

safety in the workpiace or in public. to animais

and plants or t o the environment, or which mayhave a negative impact on natural resources.

The law prescribes the creation of a National

Standards Commission (Comisidn Nacional de

Normalizacidn) M manage policies and to

coordinat? regulatoiy activities ofgovernment

institutions. Advisory committees (Comités

ConsultivosNacionales de Normalizacidn),

formed of representatives of the public Sector.

induslry, the academic community, take part in

setting standards and managing the National

Standards System (Sistema Nacional deNormalizaci6n).

In 1989, the privale organization of mining

companies known as CAMIMEX ( C h a r a

"Inlorme sobre el esludo del medl0 umbienre en MéXlc0. Mexico,SEDUE. 1986.

"'Ley generai dei equilibrio ecoi6gicoy proiecci6n ai ambiente".Diori0 Oflaai de la Federuci6n Mexico. Janualy28,1988.

13



Minera de México -the Chaniber of Mines of

Mexico) and SEDESO established an ecological

commission linking represeniativcs of various

mining enterpri ses with the National lnstitute of

Ecology. The current C A M I M E X Ecological

Commission (ComisiOn de Ecoioga de

CAM/MEX) is made u p of representatives of the

major rnining cornpan ies of Mexico: Industrial

Minera México. Frisco, industrias Penoles,Minera Mexicana Sombreretc, Mexicana de

Cobre, Cobre de México, Minas de San Luis

(Durango). Compafiia Real del Monte y

Pachuca, Minera las Cuevas (San L u i s Potosf),

Minera Carbonifera Rio Escontlido (Piedras

Negras. Coahuila), Mate rias l’rimas Monterrey,

Minera del Norte (Nuevo Leon).Altos Hornos de

México (Monclova, Coahiiila). üivision Aceros

Planos de HYLSA (Montcrrey). Minera Cuicuilco

(Jalisco),and Exploracion y Mincria

Independencia.

In 1991 SEMIPs Directoi’ale Gencral of Mines

(Direccidn Ceneral dc Minas). Sb:I>UE an d

CAMlMEX collectively devclopcd criteria for a

project entitled Technical Standards fo r

Preserving and Restoring liie I~ciilogical

Balance. A technical working toani was trained

in Denver, Colorado, for t h i s ~iiirpose.

SEDUE’s ecological responsibilitics were

transferred in May 1992 tu thc riewly crcated

Ministry of Social Developincnl (SLDESO).where al1 the activities rclated tu the

preservation of the environmmt and natural

resources were concentrat,cd. SEDESOS

National lnstitute of Ecology ( INIS - lnstituto

Nacional de Ecologh) a n d the F’cderal

Environmental Protection Office (Procuraduria

Federal de ProtecciOfl a/ Amhiente, PROFEPA)

were also created i n 199 2. The purpose of IN E

is i c pu t inic effect environmcnlal stan dards ,

while the Environmental Protection Office’s ole

is to oversee the enforcement of stand ards inaccordance with legal criteria and public

demands. There now exists tlirough these

institutions a combination of prccautionary,

enforcement an d corrective measures.

Other important structural changes were made

in 1992: offices for the management of the

environment were decentralized to th e various

States and municipalities. State delegations

(Delegaciones estatale s) of the Federal

Environmental Protection Office were ,created,

and environmental protection boards

(Regidorlas de Pro tec clh Ambientan an d

citizen ecological councils (Consejos EcolOgicosde ParticipaciUn Ciudadana) were established.

In 1994 , the first stage of the General

Environmental Priorities Program of the

Mexican Territory (Programa General de

Ordenamiento Ecoldgico de l Terriwrio Nacionai

was completed. It diagnosed Mexico‘s

environmental situation and defined régional

policies a n d standardized criteria fordevelopment in the regions of the country which

require more attention. Mining is one of twenty

four environmenial priorities.

SEM IPs Directorate General for Mining and

Metallurgical Operations (DirecciOfl Cenera l de

OperaciOnMinerornetalfirgica) has been

working sincc 199 2 with CAMIMEX on researc

carrietl ou t by thc Directorate General for

Environmenial Standardization (DirecciOn

Ceneral de NorrnatividadAmbien:ntalJof IN E to

cstablish Official Mexican Standards ( NOM) or

environmental issues in mining. A N O M project

for the design and building of tailings ponds isbeing considercd.

In addit ion, SEMII’ is collaborating with INE’s

Directorate General for Ecological Planning

(DirecciOn General de PlaneaciOn EcolOgica)

and with CAMIMEX 10 ha rm on k rnining

development with the ecological surroundings.

Several environmental studies are being carrie

out in the regions of Guadalupe, Zacatecas;

Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua; and, Nacozari,

Sonora.

Th e three institutions have also agreed ta work

together to assure success of the following

environmental goals relakd M mining:

14



prevention and control of water pollution in

effluents from mineral extraction and

processing and from metal and ferroalloys

processing;

reduction oî emissions to the atmosphere of

various particles and of sul fur dioxide from

the smelting and refining of non-ferrous

metallic minerais (copp er and zinc);

design, construction and operation of tailings

ponds;

COntMl of atmospheric emissions of sulfur

dioxide from the mining and pmcessing of non-

metallic minerals;

guidelines for environmental impact

assessmenb for open pit and underground

mines: and,

development of environmentai criteria for mining

activities and the treatment of waste rock from

mining operations.

Four environmental NOMS for mining. two

guidelinebooklets and the development of criteria

forwaste materiais disposai were planned for

1993. However. to date oniy the projects on the

design, construction and operation of tailings ponds

are under way.

The 1990-1994 Mining Modernization Program

(Pmgrama de ModernlzaciOn de la Mlnerfa 1000-

1904) ncludes a specific program for the

prevention and control of pollution. It gives priority

to reducing pollution generated by the mining and

metallurgical industry to permissible levels within

technical and economic limits. This prcgram also

recommended a new mining law. which was issued

in June 1992.

The 1992 Mining Law allows for several significant

modifications to increase the sector's development.

These are: the participation of long-krm risk

capital and foreign caphi in exploitation activities;

the development of technology essential for an

efficienta n d cornpetitive industry: and. the creation

of a legal framework.



During the past two decade s the large miniiig

companies, both government-owncd a n dprivate. have carried o u t scveral programs for

the protection of the environment and for the

recovery of already affectcd m a s . The various

associations of entrepr eneurs and mining

professionals have also assirmcd their

responsibilities with an opcri coinmitment M

establish a harmonious reiationship between

mining and the environment.

Activities to protect the environment by the

major Mexican mining enterprises lake two

directions: the installation of ncw plants and

pollution prevention equipmcnt; and. the

creation of environmental programs for the

rehabilitation and control of oldcr facilities.

Figures on the total amocint iiivested by each

firm and the total yearly cxpentiiture on .environmental protection a r e no1 available:

nevertheless. we include hcrr some of the

available data, a n d descriùc somc of the work

related to the environmenl contliicted by these

companies.

The 1991-1992 R ep o r t on llie Gencral Status of

Ecological Balance and Environmental

Preservation observes:

"...the State's sulfur mines have spent

5,635,000 new pesos'; i n simplifying

th e systems of storage . transporîation

and treatment of effluents. in

constructing dams and waterways and

inbuilding drainag e channels and

ditches M protect the environment.lG

"During the same two-year period

(1991-1992), Minera Carbonifera RioEscondido S.A. de C.V. (MICARE)

undertook a program M reforest 17.5

hectares, investing 35,00 0 new pesos.

'The program included the

reconditioning of 328 hectares used for

discarded waste material,

transportation of 545.298 in3 of soil,

and the planting of about400 hectares

with various types of fodder, shrub s and

trees for the rehabilitation of affected

areas.""

in 1992. SEMiP's Commission lor the

Promotion of Mining (Comisibn de Fomenta

Miflero)concluded the first stage of a project M

rehabilitate the tailings ponds of its Parral unit.

I t carried o u t 31 tests on wate r quality to

monitor and record the impact on the

environment of this long-term proiect.

The enterprises that stand out for their

leadership role in the areas of environment and

the community ar e Industrias Petïoles an d itssubsidiaries, Industrial Minera México a n d

Grupo Prisco.

I n 1991. lndustrias Pefioles invested 3,000,000

new pesos in equipment for energy cecovery

and dus t collection. Its refracmry division

invested 500,000 new pesos in anti-pollution

systems. That S am e year, th e tailings ponds of

Fresnillo and Guanajuatoan d th e areas

surrounding th e metallurgical plant in T o r r e h

'j n J anuary 1993. the n ïw pi:so ixrcanic ihe officiaiMcxicancurrency: ils value is equivalentto 1.m old)Pesos.The excharigc raie of iiir ri<= pcso al The end 01 each ycar was US$ 2.943 in 1990, us$ 3.066 in i99

US$ 3 . 1 1 9n 1992 and U S $ 3 20 4 a i Ille ~ n d Fcbruary 1994.

"'"..iaS azufreras del eslado crog:iirun 5.635milioncs de PCÇOS en la ampliaci6ridc ios Sistemasdealmacenamienio. conducci61iy iri~iiilniciilo e aguas residuales.AS( conio CI> la rculizaci6n de obras derehahiliiaci6n de bordos y rainirios y cri la consirucci6n de drcnajes y canaicspara proiecci6n ambicniar.SElE.SO. InJorrne de ici siiriocrjii !!<vl<'rul <)II mureriu de equilibrio ëcoI6gicI) !i i>rorc(:c:ii>nui aint>enie. W I .

1992,Mexico.sccrciaria dï nc s a r do Sociai (SEUrSO). insiii~to acionaideEcoiogia. I993, p.135.136.

""Enei misrnopcriodo Mincri)carbonifera Rio Fzcondido s . A dc C.V. (MICARID llcv6 a cabo unprograrnade

reioresiaci6n de i 7.5 ha . con i i r i i i iiwersi6n de 35milionesdc pesos. que iricliiyc: el acondicionamicntode 3

hade liradero.el acarreo de 545.208 rn 3 de sudo Y la siembra de alrededorde 400 ha condiferenles ripos dzacaies. arhuslos y arbolcs. [>ara ctiabiliiar las zonas de influencia".ibidem. p.136.

16



City were reforested. and dust emissions and

effluents from the mines decreased

significantly. In the municipality of Torreon,

Met-Mex Peiioles built a plant to trap sewage

water from the town system and M recycle it,

thus reducing the use of underground water.

Equipment to reduce atmospheric emiSSiOnS

was installed a t its sulfuric acid plant and the

metallurgical complex in Torre6n: and'the plant

for producing liquid sulfur dioxide in Mexico

City was closed and its production was

transferred to the modernized plant in T o r r e h

where a computerized air quality monitoring

system had been installed.'8

Industrias Pefioles has se t up a corporate

environmental committee to promote

environmental aw areness among its operations

staff and to increase the participation of

employees in environmental activities.'g The1991 annual report of the Peiioles Group

(Grupo Pefioles) also points out that the Group

introduced environmental controls in its plant

facilities ta provide a working place free of dust

and smoke. During 1992, the Peiioles Group

conducted several environmental risk studies,

made the necessary investments and adopted

the recommended precautionary masures to

guarantee the sa fety of their working

communities. In addition, three new mines

were opened following environmenral impact

asses sments. These were Tizapan (Mexico), La

Ciénaga (Durango) and Bismark (Chihuahua).

Reforestation continues in the surrounding

areas. The Pefioles mining division planted

17.640 tr ees and moved 152, 000 tons of soi1 tO

cover tailings ponds in order to reforest and

promote the regeneration of vegetation and to

prevent the dispersion of dust. Atmospheric

emissions have been reduced. Liquid. solid and

gas emissions continue to be monitored in

Torreon's plants and al1 the other enterprises ofthe Industrial Chemicals Division of the Group.

Trapping o f sulfur dioxide has increased at the

Peiioles Met-Mex Sulfuric Acid Plant by

installing double-absorption equipment. Al 1 of

the equipment for the transportation and

movement of materials was converted to use

liquefied gas instead of gasoline or diesel, thu s

reducing atmospheric emissions. In 1993.

Industrias Peiioles and PROFEPA signed a n

agreement M conduct environmental audits in

the Company's mines and plants.

The Grupo Industrial Minera México has

promoted an environmental policy for some

years now, and bas a special department in

charge of environmentai issues (t he Security

and Sanitation Office). In 198 7, it increased

activities to protect the environment and

created the Ecological and Industrial Sanitation

Department, which deals with everything

related M industriai sanitation, occupational

medicine, ecology, environmental impact and

environmental engineering. T h i s department

has established severai practices to control

pollutants. These include improved ventilation,

noise control. installation of dust collectors.

control of dangerous wastes. environmentalmonitoring systems, nurse ries and

reforestation. At its copper plant in San Luis

Potosi, more efficient furnace ventilation has

replaced the original installation at a cost of

14,000,000new pesos. Six hundred metres

away. a 33-hectare ecological park provides

trees for reforestation. Its yearly maintenance

cost is 200,0 00 new pesos.

A priority for Industrial Minera has been Minstsll sampling stations around it,splant,s t,n

monitor ai r quaiity and the efficiency of

emissions control systems, as well as to

implement the necessary measures in case the

air quaiity drops below national guidelines. In

1986. five monitoring stations and two

meteorological stations were installed a t its

copper plant, The old sulfur dioxide measuring

equipment was replaced by a centralized

computer system which also controls stack

emissions and measures ambient conditions.

T he automated system is comprised of five

fixed stations which will shortly be expanded toseven fixed statio ns, and a number of mobile

stations. The data a re reported monthly Mthe

environment and health authorities of the

federal and siate governments.

Industrial Minera has also installed

environmental monitoring equipment a t its

,- indusiriasPeiloles S A de C V I informe unuul. 1991 p 22-23

'"Ibidem 0 2 3

17



Unidad Cananea a n d Unidat l La Caridad plants,

bath in Sonora State, and a t iis plant in

Chihuahua. Plants at the zinc refincry a t San

Luis Potosi an d Mexicana de Ct11)rctransform

sulfur dioxide emissions into sulîuric acid.

Grupo Frisco, another largc rriining Company i n

Mexico, carried out several envirorimenliil

initiatives in 1993. Tliree sigriificaiit projects ar eunder way at Minera San Yrancisco S.A. de C.V.,

locakd in San Francisco dcl Orii in liie northern

state of Chihuahua:

to optimize the systom fo r controiling

to maximize water rccovci'y in its

to rehabilitate a tailings Uond no

dust from its grinding cii,c.uit,

processing: and.

longer in use.

Systems to control atrnosplicric missions from

mining and Lo reforest ar cs s :idjacent to itstailings pond are being set,up in th r mi ne of

Real de Angeles S.A. de C.V. in Zacakcas. A

program is underway a t Minera Maria S.A. de

C.V., in Cananea, Sonora. tc rnïorest Lhe area

affected by the mine. Like its iargc mining

counterparts. Grupo Frisco lias an assistant

director in charge of enviroriniont. sanitalion

and security.

The positive attit ude of miiiing professionals i n

Mexico and their endeavours 10 bring harmony

between mining a n d the ecology iiced to Lieempbasiaed. The Chamber oî Mines of Mcxico,

as we have already seen. activciy wo rks with

the government in creatiny cnviioninental

preservation plans.

The 1993 mentieth National Convention of the

Mexican Association of Mining lingineers,

Metailurgists and Geologists ( A I M M G M -

Asociacidn de Ingenieros de iblinas,

Meleialuryiswsy Gedlogos de h/(!xico], hich took

place in Acapulco, !vas entitletl Miiiing an d the

Environment. The conference papers ail

reflected the mincrs' concerns t o make mining

a n d the environment compatible. Fernel Arvizu

Lara, Presidcnt of the Board of the AIMMGM,

said in his inaugural speech:

"We ... ommit ourselves not only to

carrying o u t studies of various mining

regions of thc country. but also ta do this

wit,h grc at responsibility regarding theenvironment. because we understand

that mining and the environment can

a n d rnust be ccimpatible."20

Eduardo Luna Arcllano, president O C th e

organizing commiltee of the convention poinkd

out that:

"...(the topic) was chosen in order to

emphasiae the great responsibility that

mining has for the environment. We

k n o w that we must operate o u r plants

and mines within a normative

framcwork which will finally achieve a

respectful attitude towards the

environment. wliile at the same time

reaching a high levcl of efficiency in th e

production of minerals and metals

indispensable for the welfare and

developmcnt nf society."z'

O f the ninety published papers of the ïk nt ie th

AIMMGM convention, only îive deait directly

with the issue of the reiationship between

mining and the cnvironment. and these were

from a legal a n d tcchnical point of view.22This

Tact does not devalue the important step taken

by mining specialists in speaking publicly abou

this issue. Dr. Guillernio J. Romin Moguel, of

Mexico's National Polytechnic States in his

paper: "The discussion among professionals

about the environmental impact of the mining

industry has been kept at a n almost se cret leve

because i t reccives such a n exaggerated or

biased t reatment in th e media."23

""El tema ...u(: escogido Dala suixlyar la grari rcçpOnsabiiidadquc la mincria ~i mcara ei ~ n t o r n o . abemque debemos opcrar nucçlr is piiiniiis y minas denlro de un marco normaiivo que logre el rcçpeioal mediomientras se iogra. tombieri. irl >iO<iiiCti i>rl eficienic de mlncraiçsy rnctaics indiçpcnsubies para el biencslurdcsarrollo de la çocicclud".ibi&:iii. i'.45

21 hsociaci6n de ingcnieros ci<: niirms. mçlaiurgisias ge6logos dc Mexico. A.C. . .Mcmoriu5.Vobqios iécnicoymiogio. mirimio. rneroliirgio. i<:rnos)<?icroles.XX conuenci&>AiM,MGM.ACB~UICO. 03. 90pp.

*' "L a discusi6n j>roicsioiia d r çlccios ambientalcs de ia industriasc ha mantcnidoa un nivei de cierro secrdado ei IratamienIo gcneraimciit<: :s;igciacloO parcialque se leconficrc e n ibs mcdios decomunicaci6n~~o11SidcracioiicsinbimGics de iil ndustria mincro-mctal(irhrica". l>dcm,p.498.

1s



some ca§e Stea ies o Pollution

Cauçed by etallurgical

Among the bibliography we examined. one

resea rch study stands out. It was carried out by

chemistry and geography experts of Mexico's

National University (UNAM)Z' and examined

ca se s of probable pollution caused by mining

and metallurgical activities in thr ee regions of

Mexico. Their results, showing how these

studies were performed and how mining

enter prises have contributed ta solving these

problems, are summarized below.

In 1984, S E D U E s General Office for th e

Prevention and Control of Environmental

Pollution asked UNAM's Faculty of Chemistiy

and In sti tue of Geography to carr y out

resea rch on problems related to tailings ponds.

The aim s of the study were the following to

obtain an overview of the problem; ta describe

the features of the site; and , ta identify the

mining processes and environmental risks of

this activity by means of physical and chemical

tests on samples of residual solids and water.The piirpose was to obtain a general overview

of the potential risks of the pol lutants on the

population and the environment.

The first phase of the UNAM project centred on

the study of four large mining companies in the

northern region of Mexico that were I inked to

solid waste pollution problems. The firms were

the mining companies San Francisco del Oro,

Compania Minera Cananea. Fluorita de México

and Minera Muzquiz .

Th e students of a secondary school close to the

San Francisco del O ro mine showed poor

health, presumably caused by pollution from the

mine. A pilot notation plant to concentrate

oxides had begun operations in July 1985.

Shortly there afkr. the population began to

experience headaches. irritation of the throat,

eyes. arms and legs, and dyspnea. In

September. 56 stude nts fainted during a school

meeting. Although the health problems

eventually decrea sed, the plant was closed

down, its reopening conditional on the

introduction of certain environmental measures.

The Company did not reopen the pilot plantsince i t proved to be uneconomicai.

The studies carried out by the U N A M

researchers did not establish a cause-effect

relationship between mining activities and the

health of the s tudents . Poisoning caused by

heavy metals or toxic sub stanc es in the water

could not be proven and the students' failing

health was attributed ta sunstroke. alimentary

problems. "psychological-hormonal" disorders

and other possibilities. It was suggested that if

the re was pollution, it was îrom the active

tailings ponds, or a fluorite plant, possibly in

combination with domestic sewage in the San

Francisco Stream. Water coming from the

Stream, close ta the school, carried sewage

water with zinc and sulfur compounds which

could affect the population. i t was also

confirmed tha t, although the cyan ide

concentration in recycled water was higher

than that reported by government bodies and by

the firm, it was not in a bioavailable form. Thewind swept in the direction of the school from

the tajlings ponds, carrying fine partic les rich in

metals and cyanides. These materials. however,

could damage health only in the long term.

The research COOrdinalorS were Maria EugeniaGul ié r rez aiid José Luis Palacio-PrieIo.hclpedby Juan G6mczFerez, Raiil MarrOqUk and Callos ROmO.

1 9



Oth e r sources of atmosph eric pollution were

no1 apparent. Experts îrom U N A M

recommended relocating tht: school. building a

sewage tre atm ent system. cessation of dumping

of domestic and induswiai waste in M the San

Francisco Stream an d covixirig the tailings

ponds with soi1 an d vegetatii~ii o prevent

fur the r pollution.

In the case of the Compafiia Minera Cananea.

increased copper production a n d the growth of

its facilities raised levels o î a i r an d solitl waste

pollution. Because it is so ciost: to lhe United

States. the first complaints came froin

American environmental grciups wlio were

worried about sulfur d iox idc emissions. 'me

expansion of Compaiïia Minrra Cananea and

the start-up of Mexicana dc C n h i t in Nacoaari

increased the pressure frimthc environmental

groups. especially on the üoiiglas smclter(American) which had to closc tlown because it

could not comply with US linviroiinicntal

Protection Agency (Ei'A) rcgiiltitioiis on

atmospheric emissions of lnxic gasases.The same

American ecological advocatm successfully put

pressure on the Mexican ininiiig Company of

Nacozari to install a plant 1,ort:covc,r sulfur

dioxide (SO2) as sulfuric acid.

The dikes o f an old conccnt,ral,ing lant

(Concentradora Vieja) were ils oidest storageponds fo r soiid waste. From 1982 on , the dikes

were used only as an emergency Caçility to

control water ievels in the coinliany's other

tailings p onds n ear the Soncira River.

Occasionally. th e old ponds pciliuted

neighbouring rivers when tori.t:ntial rains

caused the water to overfiow. 'I'he water. which

ha s a very acid pH, an d a conductivity beyond

permissible limits, ended u p iil the San Pedro

River an d ultimately, i n the N a Kivcr. indirectly

affectingUS farmers and caltle breetlcrs.

UNAM resear chers pointed o u t the possibility of

the Company polluting the phrea1,ic layer a nd

rivers of the region. Also. lhf: growth of mining

increased the water needs of Ihe Company. and

new wells had to be drilled in the basin of th

Sa n Pedro River. 'The state Ministry of

Agriculture and l~lydraulicResources had

warned th e f i rm that the overuse of the rive

could pollute the pliitatic layer with water

spilled f rom the dikes of th e old concentrati

plant.

I n addition, the act ive tailings ponds of th e

Compaiïia Minera Cananea are located clos

to the City of Cananea and take in water fro

natural rivers wliere the population's

domestic wasle water is dumped. During th

rainy season. water f r o m the tailings ponds

gets into thc ncarby Sono ra Kiver. affecting

quality. A comp arative stu dy of th e conditio

of th e water o f the Sonora River in 1984 an

1986 showed a (ledine in its quality a t

various Sites along it s course. I t exceeded t

permissible limits of copper. z i n c , lead andmangancse for any possible use of the wate

Dust frorn the tailings ponds has not been a

concern becaiise th e wind direction is away

from populatcd areas and therefore does no

bother the City of Cananea.

During the lalc 1980s. Compafifa Minera

Cananea introtliiced a plan for the improveme

of its Milings ponds and for enlarging the

retention systcm of solid and liquid discharge

in order to diminish the possibiiity ofanaccidental spill caiised by rain. Compafiia

Minera Cananea plans to handle its water in

closed circiiils and t« stop discharging it

directly into bhc rivers.

There is, however. another probiem: the illici

activity of mining workers, called chatarreros

(" junkers") or co6reros (copper dealers ), who

e,xtract residual copper from tailings by

draining watcr from the ponds ID tanks an d

then to the San Pedro River. it lias been difficfor the mining Company 10 prevent this piracy

A number of solutions to these problems have

been identified: building channels to divert ra

wateP: modifying the pH of dammed water 10

reduce acid values and copper solubility:

20



preventing the work of the c hata rrero s: and.

waterproofing the soi1 of the tailings ponds to

prevent minerals from permeating the phreatic

layer.

Recently, the Company adopted m eas ures to

control the discharge of solid waste and

effluents. As a first st ep, the Company intends

to improve the conditions of ils tailings ponds

so that they will meet security standa rds, and

in the long term to solve their storage problem.

Several of these mea sures have been carried

o u t with satisfactory results,and there ar e

plans to continue them. Compafiia Minera

Cananea has made an attempt to solve its

environmental problems. However. when the

UNAM resea rch was being carried out there

wa s still pollution in the San Pedro and Sonora

Rivers near the firm's tailings ponds.

A third c ase studied by UNAM dealt with the

region of Melchor Muzquiz in the st at e of

Coahuila, nor.tliern Mexico, where two fluorite

concentrating plants are operated by Fluorita

de México and Compafiia Minera Mfizquiz. The

aim of the research was to assess the

environmental impact of the operations of these

two firms on the area.

Fluorita de México S.A. is located within the

City of Mh quiz. It has three tailings pondswhere effluents and solids ar e discharged

before being sent in open channels through

agricultural fields to a tank located seven

kilometres away. The main problem identified

by the researchers wa s leakage of waste water

from a ditch into adjoining Wells. The firm had

constructed watertight ditches and provided the

affected population with drinking water. The

resea rche rs pointed out that the open channels

which connect the tailings ponds with the tank

are damaged from time to time and affe ct he

cultivated areas. They stressed the desirability

of replacing ditches with pipes.

It is important to point out t hat the.sediments of

the tailings ponds are not harmful to al1

vegetation. Several types of shrubs and trees

grow on their surface and actually help stabilize

the solid waste.

The geoiogical and geographical featu res of the

site of one of the tailings ponds owned by

Compafiia Minera Muzquiz poses a hazard to a

nearby well called Socav6n. The researchers

recommended continuous monitoring of water

quality and moving the pond to another

location. The operation does not pose any air

pollution problems.

The UNAM researchers concluded that a clear

understanding of the dynamics of tailings ponds

should be seen only a s a long-term objective

because there is very little information about

th e solid waste dumps, and because natural

environments and chemical processes are very

diverse and heterogeneous. However. the

studies provided an overview of the problems

related to the tailings ponds and established the

basis for future resea rch on th e subject with

full consideration of the particularities of eachregion.

The U N A M study emphasizes the need for

research on the biogeochemical cycles of

metals an d polluting compounds frequenlly iised

in Mexico so that their impact on the

environment can be fully understood. This

would help to solve and prevent serious

environmental excursions.



Mining is fundame ntal to the economic life of

Mexico. The geological charactcristics ofMexico and the mining tradii.ion of th e

country have placed it for centuries among

the mining powers of the world. i n the course

of the country’s industrialiïation proces s, the

mining industry ha s grown. tliversiîied and

becom e gradually integratetl irito thc industry

and economy of t he country.

During the twentieth ccntury. th e

development of the country’s mining

production, as well as cliangcs in processingand exploitation techniqiics. h a v c increased

the variety of effects that thr activity may

have on th e environment. Although th e

federal government has had a direct interest

in working conditions (safeel,y. ealth and

ventilation) in mines smcltcrs and refineries

Since th e 1930s. environrncnlai control had

rested largely in the hands of the mining and

metallurgical producers. In th c 1970s. the

federa l government began introducing

poiicies to better protecl thc cnvironmentand to preserve natural rcsources.

During the 1980s. th e Mexican government

paid increasing attention to thc environment:

first by issuing laws. regulations and decrees

to protect the population. the environment

and the natural resources of Ihc country, an d

then by creating new ministries. institutes

and other federal. state and municipal

institutions and bodies to standardize and

oversee environmental matters.

In the mining sector. the problems addressed

by environmcntal legislation and th e

institutions in charge of protection of th e

environment-SEüUE, INE, SEDESO- av

involved mainly solid residues. Tailings pond

connected with processing plants , residues

from hydromctallurgical plants an d slags and

f i n e dust from smelte rs, which const itute 90

percent o f totai industrial solid waste, have

received th c grea tcst legislative and researc

atte ntio n. CAMIMEX, IN E and SEMlP workedtogether to ge t th e first Official Mexican

Standard (NOM) spccific for mining

operations. which dea ls with the design and

construction of tailings ponds.

h i s s i o n s produced by the mining and

metallurgical intlustry have already been

identified. and th e mcans ta control them ar

well known, but expensive. The major mining

ente rpris es in Mexico are gradually solving

these problems hy containing pollutants.rehabilitating affected areas and minimizing

emissions. Widening the discussion of the

problems related to the environmental impa

of mining and mctallurgy froni a private

sphere ta one which i n c lu d e s people from th

academ ic world is a signiïicarit st ep toward

solving the problems. Ideally, these actions

also contribute to the productivity of the

industry and to a positive image Cor mining.

22



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A l M M G M - Mexican Association of Mining

Engineers. Metallu.rgists and Geologists

CAMIMEX - Chamber of Mines of Mexico

INE - National lnstitute of Ecology

LFMN - Pederal Law on Metrology and

Standardization

EPA - US. Environmental Protection Agency

LGEEPA - General Law fo r Ecological Balance

and Environmental Protection

MICARE - Minera Carbonifera Rio Escondido

S.A. de C.V.

NOM - Official Mexican Standards

PROFEPA - Federal Environmental Protection

Office

SAHOP - Ministry of Human Settlements and

Public Works

SEDESO - Ministry of Social Development

SEDUE - Ministry of Urban Development and

Ecology

SEMlP - Ministry of Energy. Mines and Public

lndustry

U N A M - Mexican National University

27



Inés Herrera Canales is an historian and researcher at Mexico’sNational lnstitute of Anthropology and History (lnstituto Nacionai deAntropologi’a e Historia - INAH) . She obtained a teaching degree in his-

tory and geography from the University of Chile (tiniversidad de ChiIe)and a Ph.D. in history from the College of Mexico (EI Colegio deMéxico). She has researched the history of commerce and mining inMexico and other topics for more than twenty years and has writtenseveral books and articles.

Eloy Gonzilez Marin is an economist and professor a t the Azcapotzalco

campus of the Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City(Universidad Authorna Metropolitana) . He completed his undergradu-ate training at the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (tiniversidadAutdnoma de Nuevo Ledn) and did his master’s degree at the College ofMexico. He later studied a t Stanford University where he obtained hisdoctorate in education and economics. He has been conducting resea rchand teaching economics since 1978. He has been a consultant to sever-al government agencies.

Nair Maria Anaya Fer rei ra collaborated in the translation from the

Spanish.

mining in mexico

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