Plans to reopen Angangueo mine are moving ahead, says mayor
Plans to reopen a copper mine located within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve are moving forward, according to the mayor of Angangueo, who says the Michoacán state government is directly involved.
eonel Martínez Maya also denies that the reactivation of mining activities in the municipality would have a detrimental effect on the monarch butterflies or their habitat. The mine, owned by Grupo México, the largest mining conglomerate in the country, has been performing exploration and maintenance activities, he said.
Martínez Maya said the state government is committed to the mine’s reactivation: “A few days ago we had a meeting in [the state capital] Morelia with the Secretary of Economic Development and Government Secretariat staff, along with representatives of the Urban and Environment and Finance Secretariats, and of course, executives from the mining company.”
The outlook is positive, said Martínez Maya, after a group was created to follow up on the project. “Under the new legal framework, mining companies are bound to share 7% [of their earnings] with the municipalities, which would undoubtedly benefit the people of Angangueo, even before taking into consideration job creation and social programs.”
Martínez Maya said that preservation of the monarch butterflies and their winter habitat has never been at risk due to mining activities, and that such claims are part of misinformation campaigns by organizations and people concerned about the environment, but who “don’t have the whole picture.”
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