They investigate who bought coal from the El Pinabete mine

Emir Olivares and Alonso Urrutia

Newspaper La Jornada
Thursday, August 11, 2022, p. 4

After the events at the El Pinabete mine, in Sabinas, Coahuila, the federal government made two decisions: to investigate to whom the mining companies in the country sell the material they extract, and not to establish contracts with those that operate outside the law.

This was reported yesterday morning by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador after being questioned about whether there were government agencies that bought coal from the concessionaire of the damaged mine on August 3, an event for which 10 workers are still trapped underground.

An investigation is being carried out to see the responsibility of the owners of the mining concessions and everything that derives from it, because it is regulated. What happens (in El Pinabete) is that the procedures were not followed, what needs to be seen is to check how they are applying the concession, if it was allowed to make these wells for the extraction of coal, if they reported and to whom they sell the mineral , a whole investigation on this –said the president.

Will there be contracts with these companies? –She asked him.

“With illegal companies, no,” affirmed the Executive.

He recalled that one of his commitments is that during his administration no concessions would be granted to mining firms, and so far only one permit has been renewed to expand land and deposit waste from a mine in Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur. But for this, he limited, a consultation was made and there the people voted for the concession to be extended, but with other purposes. But the instruction is not to grant concessions.

Reporting the progress in the operations to rescue the miners, the national coordinator of Civil Protection, Laura Velázquez, announced that yesterday there would be conditions for the rescuers to enter the wells in search of the miners. What materialized hours later with the entry of a diver to carry out an initial inspection of the conditions inside the tunnels.

Exactly eight days after the accident, he reported, the level of water to be pumped until yesterday morning was as follows: six meters for well two, eight for well three and ten for well four.

Explosion hazard levels are very low, no problem for rescuers to enter. We are very close to being able to enter. Today (yesterday) in the morning we will have a meeting to make an assessment with the Secretary of National Defense to see if the divers can enter in a short time. Obviously, all the rescuers have the necessary equipment to be able to do it at any time, let’s hope for todayhe pointed.