UN expert warns US waste exports are fueling 'toxic crisis' in Mexico

A UN expert has warned that Mexico is facing a growing “toxic crisis” as hazardous waste and pollution linked to US economic activity increasingly affect local communities.

In an interview with the The Guardian and investigative outlet Quinto Elemento Lab, Marcos Orellana, UN special rapporteur on toxics and human rights, said pollutants ranging from imported waste to dangerous pesticides are undermining people's right to live healthy lives.

Orellana conducted an 11-day investigative mission in Mexico last month to assess toxic threats facing the population. He found that weak environmental standards and insufficient oversight have allowed pollution to accumulate over time.

“Where standards are weak, what you get is legalized pollution,” he said, adding that imports of hazardous and plastic waste from the US are worsening the situation.

“US overconsumption and economic activity are using Mexico as a garbage sink.”

According to Orellana, more than 1,000 contaminated sites are officially recorded in Mexico’s National Inventory of Contaminated Sites.

Many of these areas have become what he described as “sacrifice zones,” where diseases such as cancer and medical events including miscarriages have become increasingly common.

In his preliminary report, Orellana cited factories releasing hazardous waste into the Atoyac River in Puebla, industrial pig farms contaminating drinking water in the Yucatán Peninsula, and a decade-old mining chemical spill continuing to affect communities along the Sonora River.

He said residents in these areas are facing severe health consequences.

“As I heard during one meeting: living in a sacrifice zone means losing the right to die of old age,” he wrote.

Government records show the US ships hundreds of thousands of tons of hazardous waste to Mexico each year, including lead-acid car batteries, along with recyclable materials such as plastic, paper and metal.

Environmental groups have raised concerns about whether Mexico has sufficient capacity to manage these imports without worsening pollution and public health risks.