Response indicators

Remediation of sites contaminated with hazardous waste

Site remediation refers to the treatments applied to contaminated soil and sites to eliminate or reduce the amount of contaminants. This process can be difficult and expensive (Semarnat-GTZ, 2002). For example, in Love Canal, New York, USD $500 million were allocated for cleaning up an area contaminated with organic compounds, which took fifteen years to complete (EPA, 2004). The technology used depends on waste type and volume. In Mexico, the approximate costs for cleaning up 15 sites in 2002 ranged from $30,000 to 312,411 million pesos (Semarnat-Profepa, 2000). In view of this issue, Semarnat is taking actions aimed to identifying and registering the sites contaminated with hazardous waste in the country, assessing environmental damages and setting priorities for attention. This facilitates gaining an in-depth insight of the problems in each site and issuing proposals for remediation (Semarnat-SGPA, 2003). Thus, the indicator Sites contaminated with hazardous waste that have been remediated or are under remediation describes the response by the public and private sectors to address these issues.

Inspection and monitoring of hazardous waste

Through inspection and surveillance programs, Profepa verifies and promotes compliance with regulations on generation, transport, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste (Semarnat-Profepa, 2008). Inspection visits allow identifying violations, proposing corrective actions and issuing closure orders in case of serious violations that pose an imminent risk of ecological imbalance, severe damage to natural resources and contamination with serious consequences for ecosystems or public health. The indicator Compliance with regulations on hazardous waste shows the result of inspection visits, and denotes the response given by hazardous waste generators through their compliance with the relevant regulations.

Environmental audits

Environmental audits involve the voluntary agreement of businesses to allow the authority to inspect non-regulated issues, in order for the companies to achieve an integrated management (Semarnat-Profepa, 2008). Audits include the revision of water, air and soil pollution, non-hazardous and hazardous waste, and aspects of risk, health and safety. Currently, this instrument is routinely used in several countries including Canada, the US, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom. With regard to hazardous waste, the implementation of environmental audits has produced two major results: a reduction in generation and the identification of contaminated sites (Semarnat and GTZ, 2002; NEC, 2004). In Mexico, Profepa launched the National Program of Environmental Audits in 1992, in which high-risk private and state companies have registered as candidates for receiving Clean Industry Certificates. The indicator Environmental audits shows the government’s and businesses’ interest in properly managing hazardous waste and addressing other environmental issues.