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Garbage from temporary site being removed from Holbox

Holbox, Q.R. — Tons of garbage that has accumulated for two years is being removed from the island of Holbox. The 32 million peso project is being financed by the state.

The temporary garbage transfer site on the island is undergoing a sanitation process to eliminate waste accumulated since 2021. Garbage began accumulating in 2021 after the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (PROFEPA) closed the site due to concerns about leachate spills.

During the pandemic, the previous administration claimed to have implemented a new waste management technique called thermovalorization, in collaboration with a local company to eliminate more than 70,000 tons of garbage from the landfill.

However, the former administration was accused of improperly disposing of the garbage, but in February 2022, after a year long investigation, PROFEPA determined that garbage from Holbox had not been buried at the transfer site.

Holbox garbage from the temporary site is being transferred to the mainland town of Kantunilkín. One of the ferry companies has dedicated a vessel to dump trucks making the runs.

Authorities have not said when they expect the site to be cleared, nor is there information on a regularization of the island’s garbage collection.