Government to Designate Calica Mine as a Protected Natural Area

President López Obrador announced that by early September, the 2,400ha of land held by Calica, a subsidiary of Vulcan Materials, in Quintana Roo will be designated as a Protected Natural Area. López Obrador confirmed that the process for this designation is already underway. The aim is to ensure that, before the end of his administration, the company will no longer be able to exploit the material deposit. 

“The process to officially declare this area as protected has begun. We are following all legal procedures and taking the necessary steps to complete this designation before the end of the current administration. All required consultations are underway, and I expect this to be finalized by early September,” he said.

López Obrador also noted that the government made every effort to reach an agreement with Vulcan's owners but was unsuccessful. “They are poorly advised and mistakenly believe that once we are no longer in office, they can reclaim their privileges. While a temporary closure is already in place, I want this to be permanent due to the significant environmental damage,” López Obrador added. He reiterated that there will be no expropriation. “We will simply enforce the law to prevent further destruction of the land.”

Vulcan Materials Case

Vulcan Materials is a leading producer of gravel, sand and crushed stone that has mined limestone in Quintana Roo since 1986. However, in 2018, the company initiated a legal arbitration case against Mexico under USMCA, due to the revocation of its port concessions. 

In May 2022, Vulcan Materials' activities were shut down by the Mexican government due to environmental concerns regarding its underwater limestone extraction. Vulcan stated that it has all the necessary permits to operate and is resorting to all legal means to defend its rights and restart its activities as soon as possible. López Obrador had warned that if Vulcan does not accept the alternatives for the project, he would declare the land as a protected natural area.

In May, US Congress members wrote a letter to Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena, urging her to resolve the dispute. They accused the Mexican government of mistreating private companies and López Obrador's actions of being illegitimate under both Mexican and international law. Republican Senator Katie Britt of Alabama expressed concern that key infrastructure projects in Alabama and southeastern United States are in jeopardy due to the Mexican government's intention to close the country’s largest producer of construction aggregates.