President Sheinbaum Announces Major Environmental Initiative in Hidalgo
Mexico City — In a significant step towards reducing pollution, President Claudia Sheinbaum has announced plans to convert the combustóleo-powered Francisco Pérez Ríos thermoelectric plant in Tula, Hidalgo, to gas natural this year.
Sheinbaum made the announcement during the delivery of Bienestar Pension tarjetas, accompanied by Hidalgo Governor Julio Menchaca. She noted that Tula, long one of Mexico’s most contaminated cities, will benefit greatly from this transition. The project also includes cleaning up the Tula River, which has suffered from severe contamination, and building a circular economy factory on the site where the Bicentenario refinery was initially proposed under former President Felipe Calderón.
"Where Calderón wanted to build a refinery, we plan to create one of the most ambitious projects of the administration—a space for a circular economy, where waste will be turned into something useful," Sheinbaum explained.
The Tula refinery has been criticized for its polluting effects, and a transformer explosion last October 2024 resulted in one death and two injuries. Additionally, ejidatarios from various communities in the Hidalgo Altiplano protested during Sheinbaum’s visit to Tepeapulco, demanding timely payment of the agricultural catastrophe insurance. They accused local and state authorities, as well as Agriculture Secretary Napoleón González Pérez and the municipal director of agriculture, Rubén Reyes, of neglecting their duties.
Farmers voiced their concerns, carrying banners that read "Claudia, the Altiplano needs you." They stressed the urgent need for the president to resolve the issue affecting numerous families. The lack of resources has posed significant challenges for these farmers, who depend on these supports to recover lost crops.
As part of efforts to combat drug abuse, President Sheinbaum recently stated that there is not a high incidence of fentanyl use among youth and announced plans to launch a new awareness campaign against this drug.
Keywords: Claudia Sheinbaum, Hidalgo, Tula, environmental initiatives, gas natural, circular economy, contamination, Bienestar Pensions, agriculture, ejidatarios, fentanyl.
Image Caption: Sheinbaum delivers Bienestar Pension tarjetas in Hidalgo (Source: Especial)
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