Sunday, July 6, 2025

Mayor hopes for ‘sensible’ decision in Greenpeace pollution case

Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum hopes an injunction suspending the city’s environmental contingency program will be reversed soon, and on Friday called on the judge in the case to be “sensible.”

On Thursday, the judge issued a temporary injunction in response to legal action by Greenpeace requiring that the Environmental Commission of the Megalopolis (CAMe) declare an environmental contingency when the Imeca air quality index, which measures the concentration of pollutants, rises to 101 points.

Under the guidelines set by the CAMe last May, environmental contingencies are declared when the Imeca index rises above 150.

“We can’t have a political-environmental organization defining air pollution policy in the city,” said Sheinbaum. “We have institutions for that, working with experts.”

Sheinbaum attributed the ruling to a “confusion,” and said she expects it will be reversed.

“We worked on the contingency program with the participation of experts and academics, and I think the judge is going to be sensible,” she said. “There’s also confusion, because there’s a difference between an environmental norm and a contingency; the latter is for exceptional situations. I think this will be resolved soon.”

Greenpeace released a statement clarifying that the organization does not seek to end the environmental contingency program but rather to change the criteria for declaring contingencies so it is based on protecting the health of people in the metropolitan area.

“It’s well documented that the index that is currently being used is very permissive,” the statement said. “. . . We’re not asking for the contingencies to be ended, but that the criteria for declaring them be based on protecting the public.”

Once the judge makes a final ruling, the CAMe may need to adjust its criteria for declaring contingencies accordingly.

Source: Milenio (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
News quiz

The MND Quiz of the Week: July 5th

4
Floods, football and fiscal responsibility: Have you been following the news in Mexico this week?
Jake Paul points at boxer Julio César Chávez Jr

Boxer Julio César Chávez Jr., facing organized crime charges in Mexico, is detained by ICE

2
The former world boxing champion faces accusations of arms trafficking in connection to the Sinaloa Cartel.
people walk through mexico city with umbrellas, with the latin america tower in the backgound

An unusually rainy June brings drought relief and flooding to Mexico

7
Mid-way into the rainy season, Mexico's reservoirs are 45% full on average — a big improvement over last month, but still less than historical norms.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity