A Survey of the Air and Water Quality Laws of Mexico

The provisions of the air and water pollution laws of Mexico are summarised and placed in the context of Mexican political and legislative history. Mexico enacted major protective legislation only in the late 1960s when environmental problems were coming increasingly to public attention. The first measures by the authorities to control and prevent environmental contamination took place several years later. Particular attention is given to the Federal Law for Environmental Protection and to the organization and powers of the Secretariat of Urban Development and Ecology, the most powerful environmental protection agency in Mexico. The difficulties of applying the law are described.