The people may have spoken in favor of relocating the new Mexico City airport to a military air base, but some environmentalists are not so keen and are urging last week’s airport consultation be repeated.

Representatives of two non-governmental organizations have expressed concern that locating two new runways at the air force base in Santa Lucía, México state, might lead to water supply problems.

The coordinator of the Zeferino Ladrillero Center for Human Rights warns that if the project is not carried out in a sustainable manner, water shortages will threaten the northern area of México state and Mexico City and potentially leave thousands of people without water.

José Antonio Lara Duque also said the original location for the new airport, in Texcoco, poses the same challenges.

Ricardo Obando of Water for All, Water for Life drew from official reports by the National Water Commission to point out that the four most important aquifers in the Valley of Mexico watershed — Texcoco, Mexico City, Chalco-Amecameca and Cuautitlán-Pachuca — are over-exploited.

“. . . over-exploitation is over 800% in Texcoco, while in Pachuca it is 500%.”

He also declared that his organization will demand that the new federal government re-do the public consultation on the new airport because the process “should be informed and free. If it is not done that way, we are going to oppose [the Santa Lucía runways].”

Source: El Financiero (sp)