Mexican Government Temporarily Suspends Mining Concessions

After the safety of several mining operations was questioned following the recent collapse of a coal mine in Coahuila, the government decided to temporarily suspend 10 mining concessions. In addition, the authorities are now investigating the General Directorate of Mines for irregularities such as failing to guarantee the safety of mining operations.

In a press release, the Ministry of Economy announced that the General Directorate of Mines suspended the mining works until the owners can prove that all the measures dictated during the inspections of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (STPS) have been complied with. The ministry stressed that despite the controversy caused by the collapsed mine in Coahuila, this  is not one of the suspended concessions.

The Ministry explained that it was recently informed by the STPS that since Dec. 9, 2021, the General Directorate had been requested to proceed with the suspension of the 10 mining works. However, the suspensions were postponed on the grounds that the information provided by the STPS did not coincide with the data from the General Directorate of Mines.

The Ministry of Economy explained that due to this and previous irregularities, it decided to investigate the General Directorate of Mines and remove its Director General, as well as its Director of Obligations Review. The Ministry stressed that its current objective is to guarantee safety during mining operations and investigate to hold those responsible for accidents and lacking safety accountable.

Are Mining Accidents Common in Mexico?

In the last decade, Mexico has experienced more than 270 mining accidents, i which 270 mining workers have died and 108 others sustained injuries. In recent years, the number of accidents has decreased significantly from an average of 36 per year in 2015 to only two in 2022 due to the efforts of the sector to guarantee safe working processes.

Experts assured that although the mining sector has improved in regard to safety, as losses of human life dropped to an all-time low, there are still areas of opportunity because mining remains one of the industries with the highest fatality rates. “We have a big gap to narrow in Mexico. There are certain limitations that put Mexico behind other countries. However, we are in the right path toward technology, automation and data science, which is crucial. Technology must be applied to increase production while protecting employees’ safety,” said Adrián Márquez, Director, VMX Mine Pro Mexico, at Mexico Mining Forum 2022.