Grupo México

A Ferromex owned diesel-electric SD70ACe locomotive runs through Tepic's yard.

Ferromex is the largest (by length) railway in Mexico, operating 9,610 kilometres (5,970 mi) of track connecting Mexico City and Guadalajara with the Pacific port of Manzanillo and various crossings along the United States border. The railroad was founded in 1998 when Grupo México and Union Pacific Railroad purchased the Northwest Railroad concession during the privatization of railroads in Mexico. Groupo México owns 74% of Ferromex and Union Pacific owns the remaining 26%.

Ferrosur is the smallest of Mexico's mainline railroads, operating 2,654 kilometres (1,649 mi) of tracks between Mexico City and the Gulf of Mexico port of Veracruz. Ferrosur was created in 2000 from the two southern concessions created during the privatization of railroads in Mexico. Groupo México purchased Ferrosur in 2005, and can be considered a subsidiary of Ferromex.

Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, operating 565 kilometres (351 mi) of track connecting Jacksonville and Miami. The railroad was spun off from Florida East Coast Industries in 2017 and purchased by Groupo México.[2]

Texas Pacífico is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Texas, operating 605 kilometres (376 mi) of track connecting San Angelo and the Mexican border town of Presidio. Texas Pacífico interchanges cars from Ferromex at the Presidio–Ojinaga International Rail Bridge with two major US Class I railways: BNSF at San Angelo and Union Pacific at Alpine. Texas Pacífico won the operating lease for the line in 2001 from the Texas Department of Transportation.

Intermodal México (IMEX) operates 40 intermodal freight facilities across 20 cites in Mexico, as of 2023. The company supports the operation of Ferromex and Ferrosur. The company was founded in July 2001.

These tall smokestacks at Asarco's El Paso Smeltertown site were brought down in 2013.

Asarco has been found responsible for environmental pollution at 20 Superfund sites across the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency. Those sites are:

1. Interstate Lead Company, or ILCO, labeled EPA Site ALD041906173, and located in Leeds, Jefferson County, Alabama[3]
2. Argo Smelter, Omaha & Grant Smelter, labeled EPA Site COD002259588, and located at Vasquez Boulevard and I-70 in Denver, Colorado[4]
3. Smeltertown, a copper smelter used to illegally dispose of hazardous waste, in El Paso, El Paso County, Texas. The plant has since been dismantled.[5]
4. California Gulch mine and river systems in Leadville, Colorado;
5. Summitville Consolidated Mining Corp., Inc. (SCMCI), now bankrupt, EPA Site COD983778432, in Del Norte, Rio Grande County, Colorado;
6. ASARCO Globe Plant, EPA Site COD007063530, Globeville, near South Platte River, Denver and Adams County, Colorado;
7. Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical, Coeur d'Alene River Basin, Idaho;
8. Kin-Buc Landfill in New Jersey;
9. Tar Creek Superfund site (Ottawa County) lead and zinc operations and surrounding residences in Oklahoma;
10. Commencement Bay, Near Shore/Tide Flats smelter, groundwater, and residences in Tacoma and Ruston, Washington.

On July 9, 2019, 3,000 liters of sulfuric acid spilled into the Sea of Cortés from Grupo México-owned pipes near the city of Guaymas, in northwestern Mexico.[6] Three people were injured, and videos appeared online documenting the "sad and harrowing" local damage to marine wildlife as a consequence of the spill.[7]

On February 19, 2006, an explosion occurred in a coal mine in San Juan de Sabinas, Coahuila, that is owned by Grupo México. It was reported that mine workers had gone on strike against Grupo México at least 14 times, "not only for salary increases… but because of its constant refusal to review security and health measures." Grupo México said that they, in conjunction with the mining union, signed a certificate on February 7, 2006, declaring the mine safe.[8]

Although the mining operations of a coal deposit is always a risky business, due to the possibility of huge gas concentrations, there are certain theories that indicate the mine has an important lack of safety rules, very similar to the problem presented in the Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia with the accident that caused death of 12 miners on January 2, 2006. Union critics of the company openly refer to the incident as a "homicide."[9]

After the successful rescue of 33 trapped miners in October 2010 in Copiapó, Chile, the case gained popularity again, and many people including bishop Raúl Vera demanded that the case be reopened. Grupo México has not responded.[10]

According to the IndustriALL Global Union, as of August 2016, "Ten years after the mining homicide at Pasta de Conchos, Mexico, the government has still not conducted a thorough investigation into the real causes of the disaster, brought those responsible to justice, recovered the bodies or compensated the families of the victims."[9]

On August 6, 2014, 40,000 cubic meters of copper sulphate were spilled on Sonora River and Bacanuchi River by Buenavista del Cobre mine. This has been considered the largest environmental spillage in Mexico's history, polluting 7 municipal districts from Sonora state and affecting by October more than 20,000 people. Pollution has been reported to be reaching Arizona. Though a trust fund was created to assist the damaged population, complains about its management and proper ecological cleaning have been expressed.[11] A second spillage, this time sulfur dioxide, was reported.[12]

Grupo México reported Total CO2e emissions (Direct + Indirect) for the twelve months ending 31 December 2020 at 5,810 Kt (-560 /-8.8% y-o-y).[13] This follows a 19% reduction in 2019.