On April 30, 2020 the Federal Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (“SEMARNAT”) published in the Official Federal Gazette the “Ruling indicating the days that will be considered as non-business days for administrative acts and procedures filed before the Federal Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and its administrativedecentralized agencies, with exceptions for the indicated procedures and acts” (“Ruling”).
The Ruling provides that the suspension of legal terms and deadlines for acts and proceedings filed before SEMARNAT will be extended until May 30, 2020.
The Ruling also enables days and hours to perform certain administrative acts and maintains the exemptions from the suspension of terms and deadlines during the extended period, as indicated in the “Ruling enabling business days and hours for the indicated administrative entities, in order to perform administrative acts regarding the acts and procedures referred to” published in the Federal Official Gazette on April 6, 2020. The administrative acts for which days and hours are enabled are as follows:
| Matters | Business days and hours enabled/Exemptions |
| Forestry. | Days: 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28 of May 2020. Hours: From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. |
| Chemical Substances and Hazardous Waste subject to international treaties. | Days: 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28 of May 2020. Hours: From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. |
| Air Emissions. | The electronic system for regular submission remains available and the following emails are enabled: |
| Protected Natural Areas. | The activities and deadlines set forth in the Sustainable Development Conservation Program (“PROCODES”) and in the Protection and Restoration of Ecosystems and Species at Risk Program (“PROREST”) will not be suspended. |
| Acquisition, leasing and services procedures. | The activities and deadlines for acquisitions, leasing and services procedures, as well as the execution of the corresponding legal acts, will not be suspended. |
| Environmental Impact. | Days: 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28 of May 2020. Hours: From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m |
| Biological Infectious Hazardous Waste. | Days: 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28 of May 2020. Hours: From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m |
Furthermore, the Ruling enables business days and hours on May 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., to file acts and procedures by and before the Industrial Management Unit of the National Agency for Industrial Safety and Environmental Protection of the Hydrocarbon Sector (“ASEA”) regarding the following activities:
a. Surface reconnaissance and exploration, and hydrocarbon exploration and extraction;
b. Treatment, refining, transfer, commercialization, transportation and storage of oil;
c. Processing, compression, liquefaction, decompression and regasification of Natural Gas;
d. Transportation, storage, distribution and sale of liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas and oil, and
e. Pipeline transportation and storage, related to petrochemical pipelines resulting from natural gas processing and oil refining
To obtain additional information contact our experts:
Edmond Grieger, Partner: +52 (55) 5258 1048 | egrieger@vwys.com.mx
Ariel Garfio, Associate: +52 (55) 5258 1048 | agarfio@vwys.com.mx
Rebeca Márquez, Associate: +52 (55) 5258 1048 | rmarquez@vwys.com.mx
Roberto Flores, Associate: +52 (55) 5258 1048 | rflores@vwys.com.mx