Severe leachate spills and other contaminants continue to plague the area surrounding the Chac Mu Chuc lagoon, located in the continental zone of Isla Mujeres. This pollution originates from a former landfill in Cancun, which was abandoned without any proper treatment or supervision to prevent such incidents.
Jesús Cahum Mex, a member of the Community Guardians of the Chac Mu Chuc lagoon system, has expressed concern over the severity of the situation. Despite the continuous leachate spills that have been occurring for over a decade, no authority has stepped in to prevent further environmental damage. The landfill was neglected by several municipal administrations and the issue has been reported to PROFEPA and the Attorney General's Office for Environmental Protection, but remains unresolved.
In light of the ongoing negligence, activists are considering filing a new complaint this year. Leachate runoff continues to be a problem on various properties near the former landfill site, leading to severe contamination of nearby aquifers that feed into the Chac Mu Chuc lagoon.
Cahum recalls that the landfill was officially closed in 2005, but since then, the site has been left unmonitored. As a result, the accumulated waste continues to decompose, causing leaks in the geomembranes due to blocked channels.
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