Hidalgo’s Recycling Park Project Faces Public Skepticism

Federal and state authorities held informational meetings about the Hidalgo Ecological and Recycling Park (PERH), explaining the scope and benefits of the project. In contrast, environmental activists questioned the lack of effective and legitimate citizen consultation processes surrounding this initiative.

José Luis Samaniego, Deputy Minister of Sustainable Development and Circular Economy, SEMARNAT, explained that the PERH is part of a comprehensive environmental remediation proposal, which for the first time simultaneously addresses the historic pollution problems in the Tula–Atitalaquia region.

Over the past four decades, the Atitalaquia–Tula–Apaxco region, located in the southwest of Hidalgo, has experienced intense and disorderly growth due to industrialization and the urban expansion of Mexico City. The main source of pollution has been the Tula River, which functions as a collector of sewage and industrial wastewater from Mexico City and the State of Mexico. The river then discharges into the Endhó Dam, turning it into a source of pollution for the aquifers that feed drinking water wells in nearby communities.

The area also hosts a refinery, a thermoelectric plant, five cement plants that incinerate waste, three lime factories, and multiple food, plastics, and agrochemical factories. In addition, the waters of the dam provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes, worsening living conditions for local communities. As a result, around 273 localities are affected daily, with more than 175,000 inhabitants in total.

Samaniego emphasized that the project is not limited to a park, but rather constitutes a program of environmental and social justice for Hidalgo. “We seek to remediate a negative environmental burden accumulated over more than 50 years and to recognize the social burdens the region has had to bear,” he stated.

The deputy minister explained that the federal plan in Hidalgo is organized around three pillars: cleaner water and a more dignified life; health and well-being for communities; and responsible waste management. He clarified that the PERH is not a landfill and will not receive garbage from other states. “We are going to focus on Hidalgo’s waste; it will not receive garbage from other states and it will not generate waste or bad odors,” he noted.

Guillermo Olivares, Minister of the Interior of Hidalgo, declared that this project is a great opportunity, as it is also framed within an Economic Development Hub. “This entails the cleanup of the Tula River, the cleanup of the Endhó Dam, and everything related to pollutant emissions, which will have to be counteracted. It is in everyone’s hands to become aware of this great project,” he emphasized.

According to SEMARNAT, the PERH is designed to directly benefit 600,000 people across 14 municipalities in Hidalgo. It will allow for the gradual closure of more than 450 open-air dumps, reduce around 240,000t of greenhouse gases per year, and improve air and water quality in the region. Additionally, it will boost the local economy through technical training, formal jobs, and value chains.

Samaniego Leyva announced that a public environmental consultation forum will be held on Dec. 14 to gather citizen opinions. Furthermore, dialogue tables will be maintained with communities, municipal authorities, legislators, civil society, and experts to finalize the project’s stages and socialize its benefits.

Despite the benefits highlighted by federal and state governments, local environmental organizations question their veracity. Angélica Arellano, Representative, Environmental Awareness Network Queremos vivir (We Want to Live), said that calling for consultation a year after the project was announced, following failed meetings in municipalities, not inviting activists, or not allowing them to attend meetings with SEMARNAT Secretary Alicia Bárcena, shows that the government lacks political will to ensure no further negative environmental impact will be generated, and also lacks the will to include citizens in the solutions.

Similarly, René Romero, Spokesperson, Collective of Communities in Defense of Life and Territory of the Toltec Region, stated that the consultation is a simulation, since a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in August formalized the creation of the Circular Economy Development Hub in Hidalgo. This, he argued, cancels the prior nature of the exercise.

The activist stressed that the mechanism does not meet the standards of international instruments or the Mexican Constitution. He explained that it is not prior because the project has already been negotiated with companies for a year; it is not informed because complete studies on environmental and social impacts have not been disseminated; and it would not be free if there is institutional pressure on public servants or beneficiaries of social programs.

Arellano denounced that it is still unknown how the park will actually operate and what its negative impact on the environment will be, since only positive data are presented in an attempt to win citizen sympathy. However, adversities are not discussed, such as those caused by the installation and operation of the PEMEX refinery, the CFE thermoelectric plant, the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) wastewater treatment plant, and the Endhó Dam itself.

“All these works have had costs for the population that were not foreseen, since at the time only their benefits were presented, and today citizens suffer from the pollution and diseases caused by their polluting emissions,” she stated.

She pointed out that to address the issue of waste before implementing a project like the one proposed, programs for separating waste at home should be applied, to streamline the process and avoid increasing the complexity of processing waste from municipalities in the area or from other entities.

Arellano called for the environmental problems of the Tula region to be addressed comprehensively, but with real and informed citizen participation. She insisted that all data must be disclosed and citizen proposals taken into account.