The Federal Government and the Government of the State of Nuevo León have announced the creation of the Metropolitan Environmental Commission aimed at combating pollution in the area. Citizen associations and 18 mayors also participated in this initiative. The federal Secretary of the Environment, Alicia Bárcena, indicated that a diagnosis will be made to identify the main sources of pollution and regulations will be worked on to control emissions.
"We will make a diagnosis to know where the main pollutants come from. We do not want to wait for the study to be ready; we want to create a model of how the winds behave in this city," Bárcena explained. It was also mentioned that regulations will be established, including regulations for motorcycles, and efforts will be made to improve the quality of gasoline distributed in the region.
In this regard, the commitment is to reduce emissions from the large industry, improve fuel quality, and reduce emissions from the Cadereyta Refinery. At the state level, efforts will be made to reduce vehicular emissions, prevent garbage burning, decrease emissions from local businesses such as restaurants and crematories, and prevent dust generation in construction sites and roadways.
Governor Samuel García highlighted that they will focus on coordinated actions among the three levels of government, business chambers, NGOs, and citizens to address the pollution problem. Additionally, it was proposed to increase the powers and resources for municipalities to implement operations to remove highly polluting vehicles and monitor fixed and mobile sources.
For its part, the Commission will work on inspections to protect parks, rivers, and streams. This is in addition to the proposed legal reforms sent to the local Congress to strengthen emission control measures in the State. The Metropolitan Environmental Commission marks a new approach in the fight against pollution in the region.
