The mayors of the metropolitan area of Monterrey would have powers to remove from circulation any vehicle that pollutes noticeably, revealed Adrián de la Garza, mayor of the capital of the State, during the installation of the Metropolitan Environmental Commission. De la Garza mentioned, "(It was established) Also the commitment of the municipalities to be able to remove from circulation the noticeably polluting vehicles. We can do this every day in the municipalities where we can verify these emissions."
The municipal president explained that those municipalities with video surveillance capacity will be able to use this resource. "Not only to remove these polluting vehicles but also with the powers that may be granted to us in the legislative reforms, to also detect fixed pollution sources and to be able, in some way, to address the core of the problems that are contaminating us," added De la Garza.
De la Garza emphasized the importance of municipal governments having legal powers and resources to effectively address pollution. He expressed the need for the necessary political will and pointed out that Nuevo León needs to take advantage of all the powers granted by the Government of the Republic to combat the pollution affecting the state.
During the meeting with the federal secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Alicia Bárcena, and the Governor of the State, Samuel García, De la Garza acknowledged that air pollution is not only an environmental problem but a public health crisis that impacts the quality of life of citizens. He highlighted that high levels of hazardous particles generate everything from allergies and respiratory illnesses to serious cardiovascular issues or cancer.
The mayor urged to take concrete actions to address pollution and protect the health of the population. He proposed reforming laws to grant greater powers to municipalities, establishing operations to remove polluting vehicles, using video surveillance to detect harmful emissions, acquiring equipment to verify compliance with environmental standards, reinforcing the inspection of pollution sources, among other measures.
Adrián de la Garza stressed the importance of working together to ensure a healthy environment and a better quality of life for the inhabitants of Nuevo León.
