How Has NAFTA Affected the Public Health and the Environment in the US and Mexico?
Mexico, along with most of Latin America, lacks strong environmental laws. And those regulations that do exist often go unenforced.The increase in manufacturing along the US-Mexico border region has exacerbated environmental and public health threats in the area. Most maquilador waste goes unaccounted for; according to EPA officials, only a fraction of all waste is properly disposed of. No wonder that in some border areas birth defects are twice the US national average. In some border counties, the rate of hepatitis is two or three times the national average due to lack of proper sewage treatment.Also, the export-driven growth model perpetuated by NAFTA is destroying ecosystems around Mexico as the country cuts down its forests to earn hard currency. Since NAFTA,15 US wood product companies have set up operations in Mexico, and logging there has increased dramatically. In the state of Guerrero, massive clear cutting has led to soil erosion and habitat destruction.
Mexico, along with most of Latin America, lacks strong environmental laws. And those regulations that do exist often go unenforced. The increase in manufacturing along the US-Mexico border region has exacerbated environmental and public health threats in the area. Most maquilador waste goes unaccounted for; according to EPA officials, only a fraction of all waste is properly disposed of. No wonder that in some border areas birth defects are twice the US national average. In some border counties, the rate of hepatitis is two or three times the national average due to lack of proper sewage treatment. Also, the export-driven growth model perpetuated by NAFTA is destroying ecosystems around Mexico as the country cuts down its forests to earn hard currency. Since NAFTA,15 US wood product companies have set up operations in Mexico, and logging there has increased dramatically. In the state of Guerrero, massive clear cutting has led to soil erosion and habitat destruction.
