Warns of worsening air pollution, faults federal response on clean energy

 

LA PAZ  — A state lawmaker is raising alarm over worsening air pollution in La Paz, saying emissions tied largely to the Punta Prieta thermoelectric plant have become a growing public health and environmental threat in the Baja California Sur capital.

Guadalupe Saldaña Cisneros, a deputy with Mexico’s National Action Party, told the state Congress that residents have grown increasingly concerned about the city’s air quality as recent days have brought what she described as troubling levels of pollution.

She said the emissions are linked primarily to the Punta Prieta power plant, operated by the Federal Electricity Commission, or CFE, Mexico’s state-owned electric utility.

Saldaña argued that the issue goes far beyond an environmental nuisance, saying the pollution poses a direct risk to public health, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, older adults and people with respiratory conditions.

She pointed to the continued use of fuel oil and diesel, along with what she described as outdated power-generation infrastructure, as major factors behind rising emissions of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter, including PM2.5 and PM10.

In her remarks, Saldaña also criticized the federal government for what she said has been a failure to follow through on promises to deliver cleaner energy to Baja California Sur. She cited the cancellation of strategic projects and the lack of meaningful progress on sustainable alternatives.

Her comments underscored a long-standing complaint in La Paz, where concerns over air quality and the environmental cost of electricity generation have surfaced repeatedly as the isolated Baja California Sur grid continues to rely heavily on local production.

Saldaña called on the relevant authorities to respond urgently, urging them to put public health and environmental protection ahead of delays and inaction.

The latest criticism adds to growing pressure on federal agencies and the state utility to address emissions in La Paz, where residents and public officials alike have increasingly questioned how long the city can continue bearing the cost of a power system dependent on some of the dirtiest available fuels.