The Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources of Mexico (SEMARNAT) requested, via the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Region 9, technical as well as outreach support in Nacozari de Garcia, Sonora, Mexico to: 1) prevent future contamination in the environment and 2) provide educational outreach to reduce risk associated with exposure to mine tailings.  An environmental impact assessment was provided by Tetra Tech Inc. to U.S. EPA where it outlined the following recommendations:

Attendees at the informational meeting on October 30, 2007 in Nacozari, Sonora

• Outreach to the local community about the potential exposure risks and actions to minimize these risks
• Field screenings and development of test plots to assess the potential for the implementation of the low-cost technology using plants to stabilize mine tailings (phytostabilization)

As a result of these recommendations, the University of Sonora (UNISON) and The University of Arizona’s U.S.-Mexico Binational Center team were contacted to provide their expertise to implement this project in the region.  The objectives of the project are threefold:

• To determine optimal conditions for the establishment of a native plant vegetative cap on the mine tailings (phytostabilization) to reduce/eliminate the wind dispersion of the tailings into the community
• To initiate an environmental education and outreach program for the local community to help reduce human exposure risks
• To identify sources of contamination in the area adjacent to the mine tailing site

This group is collaborating with Southern Copper - Minera Mexico located in Nacozari to prepare the field site and establish an irrigation

system.  In addition, an employee from this copper company is enrolled in the Master of Science degree program in geology at the Universidad de Sonora as well as actively implementing the project on the ground.  The Commission of Ecology and Sustainable Development for the State of Sonora (CEDES) and SEMARNAT are also teaming up with this binational collaborative project to further strengthen the links between state agencies, universities representatives and local stakeholders. 

The project’s education program will expand into the adjacent mining town of Cananea, Sonora, Mexico.  If successful this pilot project has the potential to expand throughout the Border region to other mining towns.

Students from UNISON's Environmental Education and Reuse of Materials Program preparing to present at the informational meeting

Project Contacts:

Dr. Raina Maier The University of Arizona Principal Investigator - U.S. rmaier@ag.arizona.edu	Dr. Diana Meza Figueroa University of Sonora Principal Investigator - Mexico     dmeza@ciencias.uson.edu.mx
Emily Pimentel, M.S. U.S. EPA Project Officer Pimentel.Emily@epamail.epa.gov	Margarita de la O, M.S. University of Sonora Field Manager delao@correom.uson.mx
Denise Moreno Ramirez, M.S. The University of Arizona Community Coordinator dmoreno@pharmacy.arizona.edu	Narciso Navarro Gomez, B.A. University of Sonora Community Coordinator cacius@extension.uson.mx

 

To learn more about the components of the project, please click on the icons below: 

Students participating in field work from UNISON's Department of Geology

Outreach                           Phytostabilization

Project Sponsors:

Border Environmental Cooperation Commission

Southern Copper - Minera Mexico

Universidad de Sonora

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Border 2012 Program

U.S.-Mexico Binational Center for Environmental Sciences and Toxicology