Set in a peaceful, semi-arid canyon, the first hazardous industrial waste site built under the administration of Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo sits ready. Complete with a concrete receiving dock, plastic-lined pits, evaporation tanks and stucco buildings, the facility 275 miles (440 kms) northwest of Mexico City is evidence of Mexico’s efforts to provide legal, in-country industrial waste confinement sites. More precisely, it’s evidence of how those efforts so far have fallen short. That’s because this facility, though it was completed in 1995, won’t be receiving its first shipment anytime soon—if ever. To date, public opposition has foiled this and all similar projects since the Zedillo administration in 1994 launched a campaign to interest private investors in building toxic waste deposits in... [Log in to read more]