With Its Red Hue, the Current Flowed Through the Entire Channel Crossing the Municipalities of Apetatitlán, the Tlaxcala Capital, and Totolac
A textile company was suspended by the Environmental Protection Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Tlaxcala (Propaet), which acted on orders from the state government after carrying out illegal discharges into the natural current of the Zahuapan River.
The company, whose trade name is being withheld for due process reasons, will face administrative proceedings after it was determined that it does not have the official environmental documentation required to carry out its activities.
According to an official report issued by the state government, since last Friday, residents, passersby, and internet users reported on social media and through citizen complaint channels that the water of the Zahuapan River, one of the most polluted rivers in the country, had turned red.
With this hue, the current flowed through the entire channel crossing the municipalities of Apetatitlán, the Tlaxcala capital, and Totolac.
As a result, Propaet deployed a team to conduct inspection, supervision, and tracing operations, in coordination with the State Water and Sanitation Commission (CEAS), the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC), and personnel from the Apetatitlán municipal government.
The objective was to locate the source of the discharge “containing dyes,” which turned the water of the tributary red.
Three-Million-Peso Fine Imposed
Specialized personnel reviewed records, collectors, and various points of the sewage network in the communities of Tlatempan, Atzitzimititlán, and Tizatlán, until they determined that the red-colored water came from a textile company.
Apparently, the company’s wastewater was discharged directly into the drainage network.
In addition, during an inspection at the property, authorities found that the establishment does not have the corresponding environmental documentation or a wastewater treatment plant.
“Given the irregularities detected and in order to prevent the continuation of possible impacts on the environment and the state’s water resources, Propaet imposed, as a security measure, the temporary suspension of the establishment’s activities,” the local government said in a press release.
Meanwhile, the agency stated that, as part of the corresponding administrative proceedings, the company could ultimately face a fine of at least three million pesos.
However, the company’s right to a hearing will be guaranteed, and the evidence and information collected will be evaluated to determine responsibilities, corrective measures, and, where applicable, the sanctions that correspond under the law.
Zahuapan River: This Would Not Be the First Time It Has Turned Red
This is not the first time the water of the Zahuapan River has flowed through the channel dyed red, as the same color was also visible in the tributary on August 20.
In addition, in November 2013, there was also a record of red-colored wastewater discharges into the same body of water.
Likewise, in May 2015, the Federal Attorney’s Office for Environmental Protection (Profepa) initiated administrative proceedings against the largest textile group in Tlaxcala, which has its plant in the municipality of Contla, “after three clandestine discharges directly into the Ahuehuetitla Stream, a tributary of the Zahuapan River, were detected during an inspection,” according to the case file.
At that time, Profepa also determined not to grant the textile company a renewal of its Clean Industry Certificate.
Finally, through her social media accounts, state Governor Lorena Cuéllar said that environmental-sector institutions will not allow damage to Tlaxcala’s environment.
Source: amp.milenio
