Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — Playa del Carmen City Council has the final word on where the new submarine line will run to the island of Cozumel. María Lourdes Várguez Ocampo, Municipal Secretary of the Environment and Climate Change, says the final decision is up to the municipal government.
Lourdes Várguez says that although the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) has a favorable resolution from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat), their document is not a construction permit since those are issued by the Solidaridad City Council.
A permit would be required since the installation of the submarine cable would be from Playa 88 and would include area modifications to accommodate the station. She said the city would have to analyze the amount of damage it would cause and that it would be within municipal regulations.
“The municipality has the last word in construction. The CFE will have to present their resolution to carry out its procedures before the Secretary of Urban Development,” she said.
She also said that the various ministries involved should validate whether the project is viable or not, especially given that it will impact Playa 88 which is Blue Flag certified and recently remodeled.
Earlier this year, the CFE began the paperwork for the 30 kilometer submarine cable they intend to extend to the island of Cozumel from the PDC mainland. The line will be divided into three sections and cost around 750 million pesos. It was scheduled to start in September of 2023.
