Bacalar, Q.R. — The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) says Sedena did not require an Environmental Impact Statement approval. Semarnat reported that they approved the request by the Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) for an “exemption from the submission of the Environmental Impact Statement.”
In the statement, Semarnat reported that on March 27, 2025, it notified the Secretariat of National Defense (Defense) of the resolution to the procedure called ‘Exemption from the presentation of the Environmental Impact Statement’ to carry out the maintenance and replacement of different components at the property in Bacalar in order to provide security and integrate more sustainable components appropriate to the space where it is located.
The building, built in 1983 on land ceded to the Ministry of Defense by the Quintana Roo state government, showed signs of wear and structural damage, leading the agency to request an Environmental Impact Statement exemption from the General Directorate of Environmental Impact and Risk (DGIRA) to carry out rehabilitation and maintenance work.
The reason for requesting this exemption, under Semarnat Procedure Number 04-006, is because the project involves an intervention that does not generate ecological imbalance or violate applicable environmental regulations, as provided for in the General Law on Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection and its Regulations on environmental impact assessment.
“The Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa) will be responsible for carrying out environmental inspections and monitoring to verify the correct application of the preventive and mitigation measures considered in the resolution authorizing the exemption granted to the project, and in the event of noncompliance, initiate the corresponding administrative procedure,” the Semarnat statement read.
After more than a week of public protesting by area residents, the Ministry justified its decision to allow construction without the need for an environmental study. Sedena personnel are constructing a 275 square meter rest house on the shore of the lagoon for military personnel.
