Sheinbaum insists Vulcan Materials must remediate environmental damage in Quintana Roo despite ICSID ruling
The president said the U.S. company must carry out remediation on the sites where its subsidiary Calica operated; the government keeps dialogue open and is weighing an appeal.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said U.S. company Vulcan Materials and its Mexican subsidiary Calizas Industriales del Carmen (Calica) are obligated to repair the environmental damage caused by limestone extraction on the southern coast of Quintana Roo, even after the ruling issued by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).
'They have to repair the environmental damage because that's how it is; they have to carry out their remediation process, even though the mine is closed they still have material there,' the president said at her morning press briefing.
The international tribunal dismissed most of the claims Vulcan Legacy LLC had brought against Mexico under the investment chapter of the trade agreement in force when the dispute began. The company had estimated its claim at around 1.7 billion dollars, and the ruling ultimately recognized a much smaller compensation tied to the closure of one of its facilities in January 2018. The federal government said it is analyzing whether to challenge the adverse portion of the award.
What happens with the land and the port
The sites where Calica operated in the Solidaridad municipality are part of a Protected Natural Area decree issued by the current administration. The company still owns the sites and the Punta Venado port, which continues to operate under its concession. The president explained that the government keeps a channel of dialogue open with the company to agree on the future use of that land and the remediation process.
Both parties are subject to a confidentiality period of roughly 30 days regarding the details of the ruling, so the Legal Counsel Office and the Ministry of Economy anticipated a broader statement once that reserve is lifted.
Why it matters to Quintana Roo
The open-pit extraction operation at Punta Venado, south of Playa del Carmen, has been flagged for years by environmental groups for its impact on the low jungle, underground water bodies, and the region's cenote system. A formal remediation process would involve soil rehabilitation, aquifer monitoring, and reforestation plans with native species, tasks typically overseen by Semarnat under specific programs.
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