Nuevo Leon Gives PEMEX Deadline to Curb Emissions

The Nuevo Leon government has put pressure on PEMEX to reduce its environmental impact on the area as air pollution was reported to exceed the accepted levels. The company has been given 15 days to present a plan addressing specific measures and strategies to reduce air pollution caused by its operations. 

On March 19, 2023, Nuevo Leon Governor Samuel Garcia emphasized that strong sanctions would be implemented and the possible closure of the Cadereyta refinery, following a visibly thick cloud of smog that created concerns among the state citizens. 

PEMEX has been criticized in the past for its environmental practices. The company has been accused of polluting the air and water in the areas surrounding its facilities, which has led to protests and legal action. In the case of Nuevo Leon, PEMEX said the incident did not pose any risk to the population as the smog lasted for seven minutes and mainly consisted of  water vapor and 1% hydrocarbon remnants, which gave the smog a yellow tint.  

Félix Arratia, Minister of Environment, and Alfonso Martinez, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection of Nuevo Leon, have proposed a calendar of activities, which are to be implemented between next August and 2023. Besides asking the company to rehabilitate sulfur recovery plants to reach 95% recovery in the refinery process and improve its vapor recovery process, the NOC has been instructed to reduce its emissions of PM10, PM2.5 and sulfur dioxide particles. The company has also been advised to distribute higher-quality gasoline from March to October in Monterrey metropolitan areas, just like in Mexico City and Guadalajara.

The committee set up by the Ministry of Environment will meet again in 15 days’ time to review the changes. “We are going to incorporate short, medium and long-term actions through an Integral Plan for Strategic Management of Air Quality. We have been working on this plan for a few months. One of the good news is the opening of the work desk at Pigeca as we are doing with other companies in the state,” said Arratia.