On November 5, 2010 an amendment to the Environmental Law of the State of Nuevo Leon was published in theOfficial Journal of the State of Nuevo Leon. The amendment comes as a result of the modification of almost 100articles of the State Environmental Protection Agency and State Department of Sustainable Development, in regard tochanges in rules governing wastewater discharges that are subject to self-regulation by the industry, as well as makingwastewater quality standards consistent with the Mexican Law of National Water and other Official Mexican Norms(Ley de Aguas Nacionales y Normas Oficiales Mexicanos). Another notable modification is the reduction of responsetimes from the authority regarding whether or not a party is required to submit an environmental impact statement in agiven situation. Once an interested party has submitted its documentation, the State of Nuevo Leon’s Department ofSustainable Development is required to respond within a term no greater than 20 working days stating whether thefiling of an environmental impact statement is required or not. Upon the end of this term, if the state does not respond,it will be understood that one will not be required to file an environmental impact statement (this applies for thosewho are not obligated by law to present such an environmental impact statement). Before this amendment, response times for the agency were longer, and the new reforms seek to speed up the process in cases in which parties are notalready obligated by law to present and environmental impact statement.
