Cancun, Q.R. — The felling of palm trees on a property in the Cancun Hotel Zone is being investigated. The Benito Juárez Ecology Department says the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) and the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) of environmental violations have been notified.
The trees were felled on a property at kilometer 3 of the Cancun Hotel Zone that is owned by a real estate company. While they do have an environmental permit for the project, they have failed to abide by the MIA.
Tania Fernández Moreno, the Director of the Benito Juárez Ecology Department explained that “We as an authority have to report to the Prosecutor’s Office and to Profepa that we are already carrying out the closing procedure, and once we make the issue of closure, an administrative procedure is opened that normally results in a fine and mitigation for the damages.”
She said that while the company does have an Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) for the project, they have failed to abide by the agreement, which has lead to the project suspension.
Fernández says the MIA included the relocation and subsequent transplant of the trees, which was not done and is considered in violation of the Climate Action and Environmental Protection Regulations of the Municipality of Benito Juárez.
She also said that they exceeded the number of trees agreed upon for felling.
“They did not do it correctly. In addition to failing to transplant the cut trees, they also exceeded the number of trees that were allowed. What we have done is a closure to prevent them from continuing to carry out these activities,” she added.
Fernández said that to date, lawyers for the company have not contacted the Ecology Department regarding the project suspension, however, they are still within the deadline since they have 10 days to do so.