Greenpeace Fights Tricoblocks’ Playa del Carmen Extraction Plan

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Greenpeace has formally requested the denial of a federal permit for Tricoblocks, a company seeking authorization to extract rocky material north of Playa del Carmen. The environmental organization has also opposed similar permits for Cemex, another firm pursuing stone extraction in the region.

Environmental Concerns Over Extraction Project

Carlos Samayoa, coordinator of Greenpeace’s “México al Grito de Selva” campaign, stated that Tricoblocks’ proposed project covers 20 hectares near residential areas of Playa del Carmen. He emphasized that the organization is advocating against the approval of such permits, citing potential ecological harm.

“We are an organization exposed to and addressing multiple environmental challenges strategically. We are not the government, nor do we have the capacity to tackle every issue individually,” Samayoa said regarding Tricoblocks’ proposal.

Details of the Proposed Extraction

In January, Tricoblocks submitted a technical Environmental Impact Statement (MIA) to Mexico’s Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat). The application seeks permission to extract 1.08 million cubic meters of rocky material from the Chen-hum property, a site recently utilized by the Tren Maya project, located near a police checkpoint in Playa del Carmen.

The project, officially titled “Explotación de roca caliza por debajo del Manto Freático en predio denominado ‘Che-hum’, Municipio de Solidaridad, Quintana Roo” (Limestone Extraction Below the Water Table in the ‘Che-hum’ Property, Solidaridad Municipality, Quintana Roo), aims to extract limestone below the water table at depths of up to five meters. If approved, operations would continue for five years.

Greenpeace’s Broader Campaign

Greenpeace has intensified its demands in recent weeks, urging Semarnat to reject further land-use changes and environmental permits for companies seeking to extract rocky materials. The organization has drawn parallels between Tricoblocks’ proposal and Cemex’s efforts to replicate the decades-long permit previously held by Calica.

Samayoa revealed that Greenpeace has attempted to engage authorities in dialogue to halt these initiatives but has yet to receive a response. “They continue trying to address these problems in isolation,” he remarked.

The environmental group’s opposition underscores growing concerns over industrial activities in ecologically sensitive areas of Quintana Roo.