Last July 17, 2019, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (“SEMARNAT”) granted the Ministry of National Defence (“SEDENA”) the Environmental Impact and Risk Ruling No. SGPA/DGIRA/DG/05525 authorizing, conditionally, the project named “Construction of a Mixed Civil/Military Airport with international capacity in Military Air Base 1 (Santa Lucia, State of Mexico), its interconnection with the Mexico City International Airport and the Relocation of the Military Installations” (hereinafter the “Project”).
The Project entails the following works and activities:
1.Construction of an international airport named “General Felipe Ángeles” (hereinafter “AISL”), which will be part of the Metropolitan Airport System, together with the “Benito Juárez” Mexico City International Airport and the Toluca International Airport. The AISL will be settled in a total surface of 3,688.48 hectares, formed by the surface currently occupied by the Santa Lucia Military Base 1 plus 4 adjacent properties.
2. The infrastructure of the AISL will consist, among others, of:
- The construction of three new airstrips, in addition to the pre-existent one.
- Air traffic control tower.
- The terminal building, which will be constructed in four phases. The Initial Phase will have 30 contact points and a capacity for 22 million passengers.
- Fuel terminal which will include storage tanks and supply pipelines.
- Parking lot (3,000 spaces for users and 940 spaces for cabs) in the Initial Phase.
- Perimeter fence, interior roads, wastewater treatment plants, etc.
3. Construction of a confined interconnection path with the “Benito Juárez” Mexico City International Airport with a length of 38.33 Km (16.7 Km of high road and 21.63 Km at ground level).
4. Relocation of the military facilities currently located in the property where the Project will be developed, Santa Lucia Military Base 1 and Military Field 37-D.
5. Forestry land-use change in a total surface of 17.22 hectares.
6. Construction of a rainfall water management network to avoid the flood of the AISL.
7. Construction of a total of 6 biological wastewater treatment plants.
8. The setting of a photovoltaic field (solar farm) with an installed capacity of 5 MWp, same that considers a 120 MVA capacity substation and an electric transmission line of 2.1 km as a source and supply of electric energy generation.
9. Construction of a solid urban wastes’ treatment plant.
10. Use of diverse material dumping sites for the deposit of the material resulting from the excavation works to be executed in the airstrips, platforms, an drunnings, the army’s facilities, the military housing facilities, the social and services areas, etc.
It is estimated that, in its operation stage, the AISL will demand 12 thousand cubic meters of water per day, which will be supplied through a pipeline coming from the Mezquital Valley Aquifer.
The authorization will be valid for a 33-year period to conduct the Site Preparation and Construction Stage of the Project, to be developed in 4 phases:
- Initial Phase: 2019-2022
- PhaseTwo: 2022-2032
- PhaseThree: 2032-2042
- PhaseFour: 2042-2052
Meanwhile, the validity period for the Operation and Maintenance Stage will be 50 years, extendable as per the reassessment of the Master Plan in force.
The Site Preparation and Construction Stage started last Friday, July 19, 2019, and the Operation and Maintenance Stage will commence once the Initial Phase of the Site Preparation and Construction Stage is concluded.
The execution of the Project is conditioned to the compliance of various conditions specified within the authorization itself.
The Environmental Law Practise of the firm will be pleased to provide any additional information on the topic.
SINCERELY,
| Daniel del Rio | delrio@basham.com.mx |
| Ricardo Evangelista | revangelista@basham.com.mx |
| Mariana Arrieta | marrieta@basham.com.mx |
Mexico City, July 29th 2019.
