Profepa shuts down hotel project in Holbox nature preserve

Profepa shuts down projects with no apparent permits on Holbox. File photo

Holbox, Q. Roo — A hotel project on the island has been temporarily closed by federal officials after an anonymous report, according to a media report.

The Federal Office of Environmental Protection (Profepa) closed a hotel project arising on more than 2,100 square meters of the Yum Balam Protected Natural Area, Riviera Maya News reported. Profepa’s press office did not confirm the action.

The name of the hotel was not disclosed.

The project, built on a coastal ecosystem, reportedly includes six buildings, a swimming pool, palapa and a barbecue area.

Profepa agents visited the hotel site to verify that the development was in compliance with environmental legislation. But the owner failed to provide proof of authorization or an environmental impact statement, which would have been required by the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources.

The project is sizable. The six buildings under construction are either already three levels tall, or about to be.

The person responsible for the project faces a fine and will be held responsible for repairing environmental damage.

Last week, Profepa closed another Holbox project in which workers burned vegetation to clear more than 1,000 square meters of property.

Source: Riviera Maya News

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