Mexico Inaugurates Environmental Prevention Center in Hidalgo

Alicia Bárcena, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), visited Hidalgo on Oct. 9 to inaugurate the first Regional Center for Environmental Prevention and Quality Tula-Tepeji and to hold briefings on local environmental projects.

During the inauguration, Bárcena signed a collaboration agreement between the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) and the Universidad Tecnológica de Tula. The agreement aims to foster a culture of legal compliance, strengthen regulatory adherence, and promote corporate self-regulation. Bárcena emphasized that the center advances the National Environmental Protection Strategy and Mexico’s Humanist Ecological and Environmental Policy, calling on companies to take responsibility for their environmental impacts without relying on enforcement.

Mariana Boy Tamborrell, Chief, PROFEPA, highlighted the role of regional centers in promoting voluntary compliance with environmental regulations and sustainable practices. “These centers are a pillar of our prevention and environmental quality policy,” she said, noting that government, academia, and industry will work together to minimize industrial impacts.

Bárcena also visited Tlaxcoapan and Atitalaquia to discuss the proposed Ecology and Circular Economy Park (PEECH), river Tula cleanup, and restoration of the Endhó Dam and its surrounding areas. Accompanied by federal and state representatives, she reinforced the federal commitment to both environmental remediation and local development. “We come to decontaminate, create local jobs, restore the environment, listen to communities, and build solutions with them. Our goal is development with environmental justice,” she said.

Bárcena explained that PEECH, part of the Circular Economy Development Poles for Well-Being (PODECIBIS), will transform waste into economic opportunities. The park, starting with 28ha, will include recycling plants, biorefineries, ecological spaces, green areas, and recreational zones. “Environmental justice is the foundation for building a country with social equality,” she said.

The visit included multiple state and federal officials, including legislators, municipal leaders, and representatives of IMSS-Bienestar, reflecting SEMARNAT’s emphasis on collaborative approaches to sustainable development. The ministry reaffirmed that sustainable development in Hidalgo remains a priority for the Mexican government.