Grupo’s 2014 Spill Still Impacting Rio Sonora Communities, USMCA Panel Begins Review of Rapid Response Case
Last week, Mexico’s Environment Department issued a bombshell report that outlines how residents are still living with elevated soil, air and water pollution in Sonora, nine years after a spill at Grupo Mexico’s Buenavista del Cobre mine caused the worst environmental disaster in the country’s history.
The report indicates that heavy rainfall was not the only cause and blames the company’s poorly designed dam for the August 2014 spill, while Grupo Mexico has failed to provide the funds necessary for cleanup.
Members of the community are hopeful that the report indicates management at Grupo Mexico will be held accountable for the terrible impact the spill has had on their health, crops and livestock.
Separately, the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Panel has started its review of allegations that workers at Grupo Mexico’s San Martin mine have been denied their freedom of association and collective bargaining rights.
The panel will hold an in-person hearing in Mexico City, which will allow two days for oral arguments, though no date is set yet.
As a reminder, our unions are scheduled to resume meeting with ASARCO management for negotiations on October 17 and 18, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona, and we will provide updates on our progress.
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