Citing health concerns and ongoing complaints from residents, Nuevo León state Congresswoman Brenda Velázquez has called for relocation of the Ternium steel facilities away from the densely populated greater Monterrey area, despite the company’s recent investment of another US $4 billion to expand its local operations.
“The health and safety of the population must be a priority for all stakeholders involved,” Velázquez said. “It is imperative that the Nuevo León state government take the necessary measures to ensure a cleaner and safer future for the families living in these areas, as well as for those who travel through them daily.”
The plant, located close to the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, has been found to affect air quality in the area and has been linked to cases of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.
In January, findings were published from a joint investigation carried out by The Guardian and investigative reporters from Quinto Elemento Lab that found dangerously high levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium in homes and schools near the plant, which processes hazardous waste from the United States.
Samples taken from windowsills in 2023 “found lead, which is neurotoxic, at levels 60 times higher than the level at which the U.S. says action should be taken to fix the problem to avoid health consequences,” reads the report.
More recently, in April, Ternium announced that the plants had spilled hazardous substances into the local Talaverna stream. “Eleven kilometers of the watershed were affected by toxic waste, and some of the fauna in that ecosystem died,” stated Velázquez.
Following the spill, the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) demanded a detailed study on the spill so that corrective measures could be implemented. Soil and water samples were taken by the Monterrey Water and Drainage Department to assess the impact of the spill, and clean-up operations were carried out.
Ternium issued a response to Congresswoman Velázquez on its website, claiming that its commitment to the environment is “reflected in the more than US $300 million we have invested in environmental improvements at our San Nicolás [near Monterrey] plant over the last 20 years, aimed at protecting the air and water of Nuevo León.”
The relocation demand comes after Ternium’s CEO, Máximo Vedoya, discussed progress on its $4 billion investment in its Pesquería facilities in Nuevo León during a recent Steel Market Update in Atlanta, Georgia.
Steel company Ternium to invest additional US $4B in Nuevo León
Construction of another Ternium steel mill in the region is expected to add a production capacity of 2.6 million tonnes of cast steel annually. Completion of the development’s third phase is scheduled for 2026, by which time more than 8,000 people will have been employed in the construction.
The firm’s expanded operations could help replace imports of steel and derived products to the region, which amount to $175 billion, according to Vedoya.
With reports from Milenio and El Economista
