Sonora River toxic spill remediation

Twelve years after a toxic waste spill by Buenavista del Cobre, a subsidiary of Grupo México, the Mexican federal government launched an environmental remediation program for the Sonora and Bacanuchi river basins. The initiative aims to remove approximately 100,000 tons of contaminated soil and involves characterizing 288 kilometers of the basin. Primary operations are scheduled to conclude within 87 days, with supervision expected to continue until January 2027.

Local basin committees have responded to the plan by demanding greater transparency and budgetary guarantees. Community representatives expressed concern that current budget allocations must be used within the year without certainty of extensions if contamination remains. They also criticized the exclusion of the Abelardo L. Rodríguez dam from active remediation, noting it is currently only slated for monitoring. Furthermore, committees rejected claims by SEMARNAT that the community supports the plan, citing a lack of coordination between health, water, and environmental institutions.