Mining plans threaten habitat of Monarch butterflies in Mexico

Mining plans threaten habitat of Monarch butterflies in Mexico

By Kesavan Unnikrishnan 1 hour ago

Endangered Monarch butterflies face their greatest threat as the largest mining company in Mexico plans to reopen a copper mine inside the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, home to tens of millions of monarchs during winter.

Mexico’s largest mining conglomerate, Grupo México, has been permitted to reopen an old copper mine that was closed 25 years ago in Angangueo, a town in the heart of the monarch biosphere reserve.

Environmentalists fear that the amount of water used by the mine will dry out nearby springs and possibly kill the fir trees in which the monarchs congregate. Residues of arsenic, bromine, lead, barium, cadmium, chrome and mercury left behind by mining are expected to cause significant environmental damage.

Silvestre Chávez Sánchez, the elected leader of a community near the monarch reserve said:

We know that no mining project in Mexico has ever brought lasting development for local people, but has always had problems associated with natural resource destruction.