Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Unauthorized dump trucks have been dumping sargassum in an open lot next to the La Toscana residential development, sparking a citizen complaint and a city investigation.
Julieta Martín Azueta, secretary of Municipal Public Services for Playa del Carmen, said officials have identified dump trucks not affiliated with local unions that are carrying out unauthorized disposal of the seaweed.
“They are not from the unions that have a final disposal permit. What is happening is a lot of pirate activity with the dump trucks. We haven’t yet detected which truck dumped it,” she said.
This is not the first time dump truck operators have been accused of emptying their loads in unauthorized sites, though previous incidents occurred on the outskirts or away from urban areas.
“I was on guard duty and the dump truck we discovered dumping has no license plate or logo. To date, at least from Public Services, we don’t know who they belong to, we don’t know who is responsible, we don’t know who hires them, we don’t know who sends them to collect payment,” Martín Azueta explained.
The incident comes as sargassum levels on Playa del Carmen’s beaches have increased, particularly near the city center and southern zone. The amount of organic matter reaching the shoreline is so large that its decomposition has generated odors detectable more than 500 meters from the dunes.
Martín Azueta said the local government is monitoring the situation and will impose sanctions if the responsible party is found. Local regulations in Playa del Carmen stipulate that dumping waste in unauthorized sites can result in fines and up to 72 hours of detention.
