Isla Mujeres, Q.R. — Residents of an Isla Mujeres neighborhood who were successful in getting a quarry closed down say they hope it stays shut. People who live in the area say the constant explosions caused a lot of dust and disrupted their daily lives.
Isla Mujeres Mayor Atenea Gómez Ricalde responded that the closure will continue as long as the conditions that prompted the intervention of the authorities persist.
“The seals will not be lifted because that is what the people have asked for,” she said Friday noting the irregularities found during last year’s inspection.
Residents living near the quarry on the mainland Continental Zone requested the site’s operations remain suspended. The request came after a recent City Council review of the quarry.
In November of 2025, the site was closed by municipal authroties after residental complaints of ongoing explosions, dust and noise associated with the extraction of stone material.
During a public hearing, Silvia Uscanga Batún, Remi Adriana Kanul Hau and Wendy Mejía López stated that for years they lived with the explosions and suspended particles that, according to their testimonies, affected their daily family life.
During various inspections, deficiencies in municipal permits, non-compliance with Civil Protection regulations, and activities incompatible with the land uses of some properties were noted, resulting in the closure.
Soledad Che Celis, the municipal head of Urban Development and Environment, explained that some companies can be regularized due to the location of their land, but others do not comply with the current zoning.
“They were operating irregularly,” she confirmed, stating that they remain closed.
Area residents asked that any subsequent decision to possibly reopen the site takes into account the proximity of the homes and the impact they attribute to the operation of the quarry.
The closure remains subject to the administrative and environmental procedures of Isla Mujeres authorities.
