The National Water Commission (Conagua) imposed a monetary fine on Ternium for the impact on the La Talaverna River. Despite this sanction, another is still expected to be decreed since the company is considered polluting, which will require a complicated legal process, as the state can only impose a maximum fine of 3.5 million pesos by law.
Within the governor's circle, there is annoyance at the apparent lack of action by the Federation, which is attributed to the good relationship the company has developed with the current administration. Máximo Vedoya, Ternium's leader in Mexico, has had multiple meetings with the president in the past.
Although a sanction was recently imposed on Zinc Nacional, the company managed to obtain a protection order to continue operating and negotiated a relocation for two years, without a detailed technical plan and just at the end of the current administration. In the Cantera Palace, there are fears that a similar scenario will repeat with Ternium, as sanctions of this type must be applied by Profepa and Semarnat with greater rigor.
The relationship between the business community and the government of Nuevo León is facing tensions. The Secretary of Environment, Alfonso Martínez, reported that the information collected and the results of the samplings are being evaluated to substantiate an exemplary sanction against Ternium.
Although it was expected that the sanction would be announced last weekend, it is now mentioned that it is still in the analysis process due to possible discrepancies between the federal and state government. Sources from the Cantera Palace have indicated that the fine for Ternium could amount to about 50 million pesos.
It has been revealed that pressures against key companies, exporters, and transporters have intensified in Nuevo León, possibly related to the political inclination of certain chambers towards the PRI and PAN looking to the future.
