Environmental Technologies Industries

Environmental Technologies Industries

Market Plans

Mexico Environmental Export Market Plan

7. Hazardous Waste

The Mexican government estimates that the country produced 8 million metric tons of hazardous materials in 1997. Other private sources estimate that the country generates between 6 million and 10 million metric tons of hazardous waste per year. In general, reliable and detailed information on hazardous waste generation in Mexico is still difficult to obtain.

To better define the scope and nature of hazardous waste generation, INE is undertaking a major effort to identify and register all generators of hazardous waste. By May 2000, INE had registered over 27,280 companies as hazardous waste generators, and those companies reportedly generated 3.7 million metric tons per year. The current register is estimated to represent only 40 percent of the total market because Mexico has more than 100,000 manufacturing firms that generate some type of hazardous waste. Of those firms, 98 percent are small and mid-sized companies, and 2 percent are large corporations.

The register is considered an important driver to boosting the levels of adequate handling and disposal of hazardous waste. Once registered, firms must continue to report their production of hazardous waste to the government and must demonstrate that they are following proper storage, treatment, or recycling practices.

According to a U.S. Foreign Commercial Service report, of the estimated 8 million metric tons of hazardous waste produced per year, at present only 26 percent receives adequate handling, treatment, disposal, or confinement. The remainder is improperly stored, is illegally dumped in municipal landfills or vacant locations, or is discharged into sewer systems. This situation creates a severe public health and environmental problem for which authorities are attempting to find solutions. At the heart of the problem is a lack of adequate confinement, treatment, or disposal facilities to handle the volumes and types of wastes generated. For example, only one company in Mexico operates a hazardous waste confinement facility. That company is located in the northern state of Nuevo León. Meanwhile, most hazardous waste is generated in the central portion of the country.

Solutions to Mexico’s hazardous waste problem have been difficult to design and implement because of reasons such as the following:

Industrial activity is growing at rates upward of 7 percent; hence, the level of waste generated continues to increase.
A lack of coordination exists between the three levels of government, particularly regarding the siting of new confinement or treatment facilities.
The government has limited capacity to enforce hazardous waste regulations, particularly within mid-sized and small companies.
The regulatory framework is weak and has significant gaps, and the permit approval process for confinement or treatment facilities lacks transparency.
The costs of market entry and associated market risks are high because of opposition by community and environmental groups to new confinement or treatment facilities.
Government policies are constantly evolving.
Reliable information on the market is scarce, making it difficult to estimate returns on possible investments in the sector.

Still, Mexico has made some important progress, particularly in the area of the treatment of bio-hazardous waste. Since the coming into effect five years ago of a regulation for the management of bio-hazardous waste, Mexico has developed significant treatment capacity. Recycling of hazardous waste in Mexico is also showing promise. Currently, 140 companies provide recycling services, with a total installed capacity of 2.5 million metric tons per year. Treatment capacity was only 500,000 metric tons per year just five years ago.

The Fox administration plans to launch a major restructuring of the hazardous waste sector. The primary change will be to move all hazardous waste policy-making and regulatory responsibilities from INE to SEMARNAT.

Table 7.1 Companies Authorized to Provide Hazardous Waste Services

Type
Number

Collection and transportation
320

Temporary warehouse
105

Reuse
16

Recycling
140

Treatment
64

Incineration
11

Confinement
4

Total
660

Source: INE.

Although no formal announcements have been made, it is expected that SEMARNAT will undertake an extensive review of the existing regulatory framework and will seek to better coordinate efforts with related ministries, as well as with state and municipal authorities. Increased coordination is expected to reduce uncertainty for potential investors in new facilities as well as to improve information exchange and enforcement activities.

SEMARNAT is expected to continue strong efforts to identify and register hazardous waste generators. In addition to the federal government’s efforts, the local level is expected to increase enforcement. The sewer monitoring system being installed in Mexico City will play a particularly important role in detecting the discharge of hazardous materials into the sewer. Such hazardous materials could damage Mexico City’s soon-to-be-built wastewater treatment system.

Institutional and Regulatory Framework

The federal government is responsible for regulating the hazardous waste sector in Mexico. At present, INE regulates the sector through its Dirección General de Materiales, Residuos y Actividades Riesgosas (General Directorate of Hazardous Materials, Wastes, and Activities). The directorate is responsible for coordinating the government’s hazardous waste policy-making and implementing strategies. Its most important responsibilities include:

Providing official classifications to identify highly hazardous activities and hazardous waste
Granting permits to develop and operate facilities to collect, recycle, store, transport, treat, dispose, and confine hazardous waste
Promoting private-sector involvement in developing infrastructure for the proper handling of hazardous waste and materials

The most important program undertaken by INE is the Programa para la Minización y Manejo Integral de Residuos Industriales Peligrosos en Mexico 1996–2000 (Program for the Minimization and Integrated Management of Industrial Hazardous Wastes 1996–2000). Although the government officially completed the program in 2000, it will continue as the main directive for hazardous waste policy until a new program is announced. The 1996–2000 program has three main directives:
To register and develop information on all hazardous waste generators
To reduce the volumes and hazard levels of wastesgenerated by encouraging industry to adopt better cleaning technologies and improved feedstock selection
To develop the infrastructure for incineration of biohazardous wastes as well as to promote the development of integrated industrial waste treatment and disposal centers

Achievements of the program include the register of hazardous waste generators in Mexico and the creation of a national network among the federal government, waste generators, research centers, and local authorities. The network is called REXEMAR and is part of an international network of the Pan American Health Organization. The goal is to promote interaction among generators, enforcement entities, and institutions to exchange information and develop adequate management systems for hazardous waste.

REXEMAR has a technical group that reviews, evaluates, and promotes the use of minimization and recycling technologies. REXEMAR was instrumental in improving the management of bio-hazardous waste and in promoting private investment in the sector. U.S. companies entering the Mexican hazardous waste market can participate in the technical meetings of REXEMAR as a vehicle to promote the use of their technology in Mexico.

On the hazardous waste transportation side, the Mexican Secretariat for Communications and Transportation (Secretaria de Communicaciones y Transportes, or SCT) is responsible for publishing and maintaining the regulations related to the transportation of hazardous materials. The SCT’s regulations are fairly consistent with recommendations of the United Nations (UN). Official Mexican standards are based on the eighth revised edition of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and are fairly consistent, although with a few differences, with U.S regulations.

NAFTA includes a provision requiring Canada, Mexico, and the United States to harmonize hazardous materials standards on the basis of the UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Jan. 1, 2000. Mexico is still reviewing and modifying some regulations to incorporate a multi-modal approach. The current status of Mexican regulations relating to the transport of hazardous materials in English can be found at http://hazmat.dot.gov.

Regulations

The General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection sets forth the regulatory framework regarding hazardous wastes. Specifically, article 4 in Chapter VI is dedicated exclusively to hazardous waste regulation. This law establishes the general rules for the handling of hazardous wastes and materials and SEMARNAT’s role in permitting and developing programs. Article 8 delineates the reporting and handling obligations of hazardous waste generators.

In addition to complying with the General Law and its regulations, generators, equipment manufacturers, and authorized hazardous waste confinement companies must comply with the regulations outlined in Table 7.2.

Table 7.2 Regulations for Hazardous Waste

NOM	Regulation	Effective Date
NOM-052-ECOL-1993	Lists hazardous wastes by their toxicity to the environment	October 22, 1993
NOM-053-ECOL-1993	Determines wastes that are hazardous by their toxicity to the environment	October 22, 1993
NOM-054-ECOL-1993	Concerns incompatibility among two or more hazardous wastes, excluding radioactive materials	October 22, 1993
NOM-055-ECOL-1993	Regulates controlled confinement of hazardous wastes, excluding radioactive materials	October 22, 1993
NOM-056-ECOL-1993	Regulates complementary works of a controlled confinement of hazardous wastes	October 22, 1993
NOM-057-ECOL-1993	Concerns design, construction, and operation of controlled confinement cells for hazardous wastes	October 22, 1993
NOM-058-ECOL-1993	Regulates operation of controlled confinement of hazardous wastes	October 22, 1993
NOM-087-ECOL-1993	Covers separation, packaging, storage, collection, transportation, treatment, and final disposal of hazardous biological Infectious wastes generated by medical establishments	November 7, 1995

Source: INE.

A regulation proposed in January 2000 for PCBs could positively affect the market for treatment technologies. Proposed NOM-133-ECOL-1999 would regulate all phases of PCB processing and disposal and is largely based on the U.S. standard set forth in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 40, Part 761, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Manufacturing, Processing, Distribution in Commerce and Use Prohibition, 1995. It is estimated that Mexico generates 10,000 metric tons of PCBs. The largest generators are the national electricity companies (CFE and Luz y Fuerza del Centro) and PEMEX.

The proposed regulation states that all companies that have equipment, whether in operation or out of service, that uses solid or liquid PCBs; that have contaminated equipment; or that have residues of PCBs will have to present a generation manifest, including an inventory of PCBs no later than three months after the regulation comes into effect. Companies using machinery or equipment that contains PCBs will have to take the equipment out of service or reclassify it no later than six months after the enactment of the regulation. After enactment, only equipment containing a concentration of less than 50 parts per million PCBs will be allowed, and certified laboratories will have to inspect the equipment every three months to ensure compliance.

The regulation sets the maximum permissible emissions for the treatment of PCBs. Maximum limits are 0.5 parts per billion for air emissions, five parts per billion per liter of water discharged, and less than 50 milligrams per kilogram of solid waste. In addition, generators of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have to declare the amounts generated and the treatment provided in the INE’s register of hazardous waste generators.

Biological Waste and Infectious Materials

Mexico produces approximately 54,750 metric tons per year of biological infectious wastes. Currently, treatment capacity exceeds demand. This capacity was spurred by the coming into effect of NOM-087-ECOL-1993 in 1995. That regulation laid out procedures for the proper disposal of bio-hazardous wastes by hospitals, laboratories, and other generators.

Existing disposal infrastructure in Mexico’s central zone (especially in Mexico City) is working below its capacity, and some companies have closed or moved their facilities in response. One factor that contributed to the building of this excess capacity was market estimates that exaggerated the quantity of waste generated.

While overcapacity exists in certain regions in Mexico, a deficit exists in other regions, creating an opportunity for U.S companies. Out of 31 states and one Federal District, only 13 have authorized facilities for the treatment and final disposal of biological infectious waste (see Figure 7.1). Hospitals and other generators located in the states where no infrastructure exists must transport their waste to other states. In some instances, transportation costs exceed the cost of treatment. The opportunity in these regions in deficit is primarily for small incinerators or sterilization facilities.

Figure 7.1 Distribution of Companies Authorized for Treatment of Hazardous Waste

Source:

Hanhaiusen & Doménech Consultares, S.C.

According to Mexican regulations, several technologies are acceptable for the treatment or destruction of biohazardous waste. Authorized capacity is 24,870 kilograms per hour using chemical, incineration, sterilization, and radiowave technologies (see Figure 7.2).

U.S. suppliers entering this market should be aware of several market constraints. First, waste generation per hospital bed in Mexico is less than half of the waste generated per hospital bed in the United States. Mexican hospitals commonly sterilize latex gloves and other materials that in other more-developed countries are disposed of after a single use. Another factor is that budgetary constraints, especially in public-sector hospitals, lead to the selection of the least-expensive disposal option. At the end of 1998, Mexico had 938 hospitals and 16,684 consultation centers. An estimated 80 percent of those facilities comply with disposal regulations.

Hazardous Waste Storage, Treatment, and Disposal

Hazardous waste confinement and treatment infrastructure is urgently needed in Mexico. At present, only four companies have federal authorization to confine hazardous waste, and only one facility is operating. That facility is located in the northern state of Nuevo León, whereas over 55 percent of the hazardous waste is generated in the central zone.

Two U.S. firms have tried but failed to build and operate hazardous waste disposal facilities in Mexico. Chemical Waste Management abandoned plans for projects in Mexico City and Guadalajara when local opposition grew. Later, the company built a $32 million incineration facility in Tijuana, but the federal government shut down the facility after deciding that Tijuana would be off limits for hazardous waste incineration.

The U.S. company Metalclad also made an unsuccessful foray into the market for hazardous waste treatment. Metalclad made a multimillion-dollar investment in a disposal facility after receiving all federal permits. The local government shut the project down by withholding the requisite building permits.

The company filed a claim under the dispute resolution provisions of NAFTA, arguing that it was treated differently from local companies and contrary to international laws. After three years, the NAFTA panel determined that the acts performed by the San Luis Potosí government, and especially the Guadalcázar municipality, violated Mexico’s NAFTA obligations. The panel imposed an indemnization payment of $16.68 million in favor of Metalclad. Mexico has appealed the decision, and a review of this appeal is under way.

Other international companies have also faced problems in the hazardous waste sector. The company Centro de Confinamiento y Tratamiento de Residuos Peligrosos (CYTRAR), which operates 10 controlled hazardous waste facilities in Europe, has a facility in the northern state of Sonora, near the city of Hermosillo. The facility operated without major problems since 1987, but it came under scrutiny after a minor contamination incident. Local protests grew until the facility was forced to close in 1997, and it has remained closed.

Figure 7.2 Treatment Technologies for Bio-hazardous

Source: INE.

The cases of Metalclad and CYTRAR made international investors wary of involvement in Mexico’s hazardous waste confinement and treatment market. The Fox administration is aware of the uncertainty that these negative experiences have created. The problem will take considerable time to resolve and will require better federal and local cooperation, along with better public understanding of the risks and benefits of new facilities. One risk not adequately perceived by the public is the risk of continued illegal dumping or improper on-site confinement.

At present only two companies are seeking to develop new landfills; one project is in Sonora, and the second is in Puebla.

Minimization and Recycling Technologies

In an attempt to slow the growth of the volume of hazardous wastes generated, INE has prioritized efforts to promote hazardous waste minimization technologies and the recycling of hazardous materials. Such efforts attracted 140 companies into the market, which now have a combined recycling capacity of 2.5 million metric tons per year. (Approximately 1.3 million metric tons correspond to energetic recycling in cement kilns; see Figure 7.3.) Six companies have been authorized to recycle used lubricants, 22 to recycle used metals, and 34 to recycle used containers. Thirteen others are authorized to generate alternative fuels. Two are authorized to recycle photographic liquids, and two others, car batteries. In addition, INE has also promoted using hazardous materials as combustibles for cement kilns. The market for minimization and recycling technologies is expected to continue to grow at rates in excess of 15 percent per year. Investors should be aware, however, that if, over the long term, new confinement or treatment capacity is built, this new capacity could cut into the future market for recycling.

Figure 7.3 Hazardous Waste Recycling Capacity (millions of metric tons)

Source: INE.

Two important local initiatives could serve as pilot projects for all of Mexico. In the first case, the state of Guanajuato, in conjunction with both SEMARNAP and PROFEPA and along with several universities and research centers, developed an agreement with 600 tanneries located in the state. Under the agreement, the authorities and the research centers analyzed the discharges and materials generated by the tanneries and developed a manual for the adequate management and disposal of the tanneries’ residues. The program also designed methods for consolidating wastes among the tanneries to improve the economics of either disposing or recycling of the wastes, making such practices viable for even small tanneries. The program demonstrated some inexpensive recycling techniques that saved the tanneries on their material costs.

The second case involves a concerted effort by PROFEPA, INE, Mexico City, and the state of Mexico to promote the recycling of used oils. A government review of hazardous waste generators showed used oils to be a major part of the waste stream in Mexico City. First, the program promoted the development of storage and recycling facilities. Second, it involved an education campaign informing generators that they needed to register and report all hazardous waste generated and to dispose of such waste properly. That campaign also provided generators with alternatives for recycling used oils.

The program is still active and the number of companies that are registered and that report generation of hazardous wastes continues to increase. The program has demonstrated not only that recycling oils protects the environment, but also that it is economically viable because companies offering the service do not charge (or charge very little) for picking up used oils. The program is still at an early stage, and the number of vehicle repair shops and oil-change service stations coming into the program continues to grow. Local authorities believe that growing demand could support the entry of at least five new recycling companies within the next two years. INE has recommended promoting this program at the national level; however, SEMARNAT has not yet made an official announcement.

Soil Remediation

A study performed by the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service estimates that the market for soil testing technologies is growing at a rate of 27 percent per year, with a total market value of $30.4 million by the end of 2000. The total market for soil remediation services is estimated at over $120 million per year.

Under Mexican environmental law, polluters must clean up sites that they have contaminated. At the same time, the regulation that sets the parameters for remediation efforts has yet to be approved. Although soil remediation has not been a priority for the federal government, some important work has been done in recent years on the U.S.-Mexico border and by PEMEX. The government will likely increasingly prioritize the sites that risk contaminating aquifers.

In 1997, PEMEX designed and implemented an aggressive effort to elevate its environmental practices to meet international standards. The program, called the Integrated Management System for Safety and Environmental Protection (Sistema Integral de Administración de la Seguridad Industrial y la Protección Ambiental, or SIASPA), has been a tool to identify and evaluate the steps needed to improve environmental protection. As of the first quarter of 2000, PEMEX had replaced 317 kilometers of pipeline, restored 116 pits containing drilling cuttings and muds, and restored almost 85 hectares affected by hydrocarbons. PEMEX spills have decreased to a level of 20,000 barrels of hydrocarbons per year. Approximately 95 percent of those spills are on land.

Under SIASPA, PEMEX now documents all spills and immediately completes an action plan for cleanup and remediation. Thus, PEMEX has become an important consumer of soil remediation technologies, and this importance will continue as the company continues to implement its environmental plan and as it attempts to receive ISO 14000 certification in all its facilities.

PROFEPA, in collaboration with the U.S. EPA, has identified 105 abandoned sites with soil contamination (see Table 7.3). Those sites are being studied to determine the types and quantities of hazardous waste and the risks they represent. Thus far, PROFEPA has been able to study the type and quantities of hazardous materials present at only 15 of the sites. Because of the resource cost of doing full remediation on those sites, PROFEPA is working with the U.S. EPA to evaluate the possibility of brownfield redevelopment. If the program goes forward, U.S. companies will be able to perform soil remediation work on several of the sites.

The Border Zone

The border zone is home to more than 4,000 maquiladoras, which employ over 800,000 people. Much of the growth of the border zone is attributed to the maquiladora industry, which has doubled in size over the past decade alone. Maquiladoras are the main generators of hazardous waste in the border region. Under Mexican law, hazardous waste produced by maquiladoras has to be returned to the country of origin, which in most cases is the United States.

Since the signature of NAFTA, environmental authorities on both sides of the border have increased enforcement efforts in the border region. One cooperative effort, the U.S.-Mexico border Hazardous Waste Tracking System (Haztraks), tracks shipments of hazardous waste across the border and alerts local, state, and federal officials on both sides of the border of potential violations. Since the signature of NAFTA, the amount of hazardous waste returned to the United States has increased from 27,500 metric tons in 1994 to 58,400 metric tons in 1999. CONIECO estimates that this volume of hazardous waste represents less than 50 percent of the total generated in the border area.

Table 7.3 Illegal Abandoned Sites Polluted with Hazardous Materials

State	Sites	Main Polluting Agents
Baja California	2	Solvents, heavy metals, dust from smelting, oils
Chihuahua	2	Hydrocarbons, chemical compounds, waste oils
Coahuila	1	Heavy metals, residual oils, hydrocarbons, bio-hazardous waste, chemical compounds
Guanajuato	6	Oil, heavy metals, chlorinated organics, sludge, smelting dreg, waste oils
Hidalgo	12	Smelting dreg, dried paint
Jalisco	3	Tetrachloride, sludge, bacterial residues, soil polluted with diesel and fuels
México	17	Smelting dreg, bio-hazardous waste, chemical compounds, waste lubricants
Morelos	2	Metallic containers empty and full of toxic and flammable hydrocarbons
Nuevo León	5	Smelting dreg, aluminum, lead, cadmium, nickel, hydrocarbons, cyanides
Puebla	2	Hydrocarbons
Querétaro	16	Chemical waste, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, process sludge, bio-hazardous and smelting dreg
San Luis Potosí	8	Bio-hazardous waste, nickel, sludge, paint cans, asbestos, smelting dreg
Sonora	2	Bio-hazardous waste
Tamaulipas	3	Silicon sands, smelting dreg, chemical compounds, empty containers
Tlaxcala	3	Textile paints
Veracruz	12	Bio-hazardous waste, sulfur
Zacatecas	9	Heavy metals, reactive chemicals
Total	105

Source: INE.

Opportunities for installing hazardous waste facilities in the border area face challenges similar to those faced elsewhere. At the same time, because the United States and Mexico are working closely together to resolve hazardous waste issues, the border could represent a zone where clear rules emerge earlier than in other parts of the country.

The United States and Mexico signed an agreement for a consultative mechanism for the exchange of information on new and existing facilities for the management of hazardous and radioactive waste within 100 kilometers of the U.S.-Mexico border. That mechanism was developed by the U.S.-Mexico Hazardous and Solid Waste Workgroup in recognition of the public concern on both sides of the border regarding past, current, and proposed waste storage, treatment, and disposal facilities. The mechanism is consistent with article 6 of the La Paz Agreement, which allows the United States and Mexico to undertake “periodic exchanges of information and data on likely sources of pollution in their respective territory which may produce environmentally polluting incidents.” The mechanism recognizes the sovereignty of each country to make siting and permitting decisions on proposed waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities within its borders in accordance with its domestic laws, regulations, and policies.

The following types of facilities are covered under the agreement:

Commercial facilities that treat or dispose of hazardous waste generated off site
Commercial facilities that incinerate hazardous waste generated off site
Commercial facilities that recycle hazardous waste generated off site
Commercial facilities that temporarily store hazardous waste generated off site
Facilities that incinerate or dispose of hazardous waste generated on site
Facilities that dispose of radioactive waste

Table 7.4 Best Sales Prospects

Harmonized System Number	Product
3925.10.01	Polymer deposits
3926.90.16	Filtration membranes
6909.11.07	Corrosive liquid containers
7017.10.11	Condensing crystallizers and refrigerators
7309.00.01	Enameled containers
7309.00.99	Other steel containers or deposits
8416.20.01	Burners
8419.89.21	Industrial autoclaves
8421.19.03	Refining turbinators
8465.99.05	Fiber crushers
8474.20.03	Blade-crushing machine
8474.20.06	Hammer of percussion crushers
8479.82.03	Garbage compactors
8479.82.99	Mixers, crushers, mills
8479.89.14	Tubular catalytic reactors
8705.90.99	Special vehicles
9609.00.01	Bulk transport containers
8514.30.03	Industrial ovens
8609.00.01	Deposit containers, cisterns
8609.00.00	Containers for transportation

Source: “Hazardous Industrial Waste Equipment Market—Industry Sector Analysis” (Mexico City: U.S. Department of Commerce, 1999).

Through the consultative mechanism, U.S. and Mexican authorities will exchange information on proposed facilities for hazardous waste management. The information exchanged will describe the company or entity willing to develop the project, the types of hazardous materials to be handled, principal regulatory agencies that will be making permitting or licensing decisions, and the permits needed.

Because, according to Mexican law, hazardous waste produced by maquiladoras must be returned to its country of origin, the market for hazardous waste management facilities is limited. The mechanism described, however, will create clearer rules for building such facilities because of the information-sharing requirements.

The New Government’s Position

The new government is aware of the importance of resolving the environmental and public health issues associated with hazardous waste in Mexico and will strive to continue progress on a number of fronts. The government will continue to build on its early success by promoting waste minimization along with the recycling of oils, batteries, and other waste. The government will develop more precise information on the nature and quantity of hazardous materials generated. SEMARNAT and PROFEPA will strengthen efforts to register and monitor hazardous waste generators. SEMARNAT will review and rationalize the legal framework for hazardous materials and will work with local authorities and research centers to define the most viable alternatives for confinement and treatment.

The new government believes that past problems with building hazardous waste treatment facilities were caused by a lack of consensus on possible solutions among the different levels of government, environmentalists, local communities, and industry. The government believes that a consensus must first be established before moving toward a solution. To avoid a repeat of the situations in San Luis or Hermosillo, SEMARNAT will first have to put in place clear rules, work with local governments, and regain public and investor confidence in the process.

Best Prospects

While the market for hazardous waste confinement and treatment will be slow to develop, the best market opportunities will lie in other subsectors of the hazardous waste market. Recycling and minimization technologies will continue to exhibit strong growth, especially in the areas of oils, car batteries, and industrial wastes.

The market for treatment of bio-hazardous materials is limited because a large number of companies have opened facilities in Mexico’s most important cities. Small facilities are needed in some states that currently lack treatment infrastructure and that have to pay large sums to have their waste transported to out-of-state facilities. Testing equipment to detect hazardous materials in water and soils will see the greatest growth of all hazardous waste technologies. The Fox administration considers the protection of water bodies and forests to be its main environmental concern, and technologies identifying pollution sources or existing contamination will show strong demand.

The U.S. EPA will continue working with PROFEPA to detect, evaluate, and restore contaminated sites, especially on the northern border. Because of PROFEPA’s budgetary constraints, Mexican authorities are evaluating the possibility of performing brownfield redevelopment. U.S. companies with experience in this field should follow closely the development of this program sponsored by U.S. EPA and PROFEPA.

Table 7.4 presents some of the best sales prospects for industrial hazardous waste equipment.

International Trade Administration Homepage

Contact Us About ITA ITA Site Map Privacy Statement
U.S.Department of Commerce International Trade Administration

Type	Number
Collection and transportation	320
Temporary warehouse	105
Reuse	16
Recycling	140
Treatment	64
Incineration	11
Confinement	4
Total	660