The Senate’s Joint Committees on Mining and Regional Development and Legislative Studies rejected the bill proposed by the Baja California State Congress to modify the mining law. The bill, which was presented by the Social Encounter Party and congresswoman Lorenia Lineth Montaño Ruiz, was passed by the Baja California legislature on October 25th, 2018 and turned to the Senate on November 27th, 2018.
The bill established that States’ Interests in environmental protection, subterranean or above water aquifers, or other natural resources must prevail over mining activities. And added that the Secretary of Economy must seek input from state legislatures and governments prior to granting any mining concession. The bill made international headlines when it was initially introduced since it called for retroactive application of the law to over five thousand current concessions with the possibility of canceling any project deemed non-viable by state governments and legislatures.
The Senate’s Joint Committees recognized, like Baja California’s legislature, the need to preserve and protect natural resources, however, dismissed the bill because the power to grant mining concessions is reserved to the Federal Executive by current law. The original text of the agreement, which was reached on February 7th, 2019 and published on April 4th, 2019, may be found here.