CEC receives a submission on hydraulic fracturing in Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Montreal, 9 October 2018—On 3 October 2018, a resident from the municipality of Los Ramones in the State of Nuevo Leon, Mexico (the “Submitter”) filed a submission with the CEC Secretariat, asserting that Mexico is failing to effectively enforce environmental laws with respect to hydraulic fracturing operations which are now causing harm to the health and the environment of the local residents.
In submission SEM-18-003 (Hydraulic fracturing in Nuevo Leon) the Submitter asserts that hydraulic fracturing operations by Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) started on or about July 2013 and that later in October of that year seismic activity increased. Subsequently, the Submitter asserts there was a decrease in water quality from domestic groundwater wells.
The Secretariat has 30 days to review the submission and determine whether it meets the admissibility requirements in Article 14(1) of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.
For more information, please visit the CEC’s Submissions on Enforcement Matters webpage and the registry of Submission SEM-18-003 (Hydraulic Fracturing in Nuevo Leon).
The CEC SEM Process
The CEC Submissions on Enforcement Matters process supports public participation, information-sharing between governments and the public, and transparency and openness in the effective enforcement of environmental law in North America. If you have reason to believe that an environmental law is not being effectively enforced by Canada, Mexico or the United States, the SEM process may address your concerns.
As of 1 July 2020, the CEC’s SEM process is governed by USMCA Articles 24.27 and 24.28 of the Environment Chapter of the free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico and the United States (CUSMA, T-MEC, USMCA).
Want to learn more about the SEM process? Please watch this two-minute video for an introduction: