Environmentalists are gearing up to fight recently unveiled plans for Mexico City’s new airport, claiming the $2.2 billion facility would worsen air pollution in the megalopolis and kill thousands of waterfowl. A partially dried lakebed at Texcoco about 40 miles (64 kms) northeast of the capital will be home to the international airport, Mexican Communications and Transportation Secretary Pedro Cerisola announced last month. That a new airport is needed is not in dispute. Mexico City’s existing one, Benito Juárez, is rapidly reaching the saturation point and sits encircled by urban sprawl. The new facility, due to open in 2005, would handle up to 90 million passengers a year—three times the volume of Benito Juárez. Texcoco’s selection followed a bitter political battle between the states... [Log in to read more]