A report from a United Nations expert on human rights and toxic substances says the Rio Sonora in the Mexican state south of Arizona remains contaminated more than a decade after a historic mining spill.
Mexico calls the August 2014 copper sulfate spill from Grupo México’s Buenavista copper mine the most serious environmental mining disaster in the country’s history.
A new report from the United Nations Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights says the Rio Sonora remains contaminated.
The report calls for more public participation in the government’s ongoing response to the spill. It also calls for full reparations for the victims and a commitment by the government and company to follow through on promises to affected communities.
Since the United Nations visit to the Rio Sonora in March, the Mexican government announced an almost $40 million investment in a new phase of cleanup.
A citizen-led group for people affected by the spill, the Sonora River Basin Committees, thanked the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur for his visit in a statement.
“The report confirms something that we have said for years: the contamination persists and the communities continue to face the consequences,” the group said.
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Tropical Storm Polo left coastal areas in Sonora flooded Tuesday, but left other parts of the state with little rainfall as it began to dissipate.
