Huasteca Potosina groups oppose fracking and Pánuco water project

The Contraloría Autónoma del Agua de la Huasteca Potosina (CAAHP) has announced its 7th Regional Forum, scheduled for September 19 in Ciudad Valles. The forum aims to establish legal protections against hydraulic and energy projects that may threaten local ecosystems and indigenous rights, specifically targeting fracking and the proposed Pánuco-Cerro Prieto aqueduct.

While the CAAHP highlights the publication of an environmental impact statement for the 390-kilometer Pánuco-Cerro Prieto aqueduct, the National Water Commission (Conagua) has clarified that the project is not formally reactivated. Darío González, Conagua's delegate in San Luis Potosí, stated that although Monterrey's water services submitted a new environmental impact manifestation to Semarnat, this does not constitute authorization to build or extract water from the Pánuco River.

Conagua officials noted that the project, previously known as Monterrey VI, was dismissed years ago due to high costs and is not currently in the agency's project portfolio. The current environmental filing is viewed as an attempt to update documentation after a previous plan involving the Tampaón River was not authorized.