San Francisco, CA -- Twenty-six environmental and animal welfare organizations,
representing collectively more than 5 million members, today released a
letter being sent to President Ernest Zedillo of Mexico urging him to halt
the proposed massive salt plant proposed for El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve,
the largest wildlife refuge in Latin America and a designated United
Nations World Heritage site.
The proposed salt plant would usurp 119 square miles of wildlife
habitat near San Ignacio Lagoon for construction, including roads, conveyer
belts, pipelines, docks, diesel pumps, diked evaporation ponds, holding
ponds for toxic bitterns, and effluent outfalls.
The 26 groups signing the letter include U.S., Mexican, and
international organizations working to protect parks, protected areas,
wildlife, and whales.
Copies of the letter were also sent to the giant Mitsubishi
Corporation, which is a partner in the proposed salt plant with ESSA, a
corporation owned by the Mexican government. A similar salt operation in
Baja, also owned and operated by ESSA and Mitsubishi, has been implicated
in numerous pollution incidents, including one last winter than killed more
than 90 endangered black sea turtles due to a spill of toxic brine.
View full text of letter >>
For more information contact:
Mark J. Palmer
(415) 788-3666 x139
Nathan LaBudde
(415) 788-3666 x147
Earth Island Institute is a nonprofit organization working to protect the
biological and cultural diversity of the Earth.
The International Marine Mammal Project protects whales, dolphins and other
marine mammals around the world.
