One Man's Trash is Another Man's…Well…Trash, Needlessly Crosses Borders
You know how sometimes you promise to clean up that pile of laundry on your floor, but what actually happens is you just shuffle it to the other side of the room? Apparently entire industries do that, but in a slightly more hazardous and continental version. Enter: Zinc Nacional, a factory in Monterrey, Mexico, playing the role of the room’s dark corner where the US tosses its dirty socks aka toxic steel waste, out of sight.

The Full Lowdown (Or Should We Say, Throwdown?)
Following a joint investigation revealing heavy-metal pollution around its facility, Zinc Nacional — which processes US steel industry's toxic waste — is hopefully packing up soon.
 
Zinc Nacional promised to move its nastier operations elsewhere within two years following continuous local protests and media scrutiny. Oh, and they're also planning to spruce up the place, build a shiny new enclosure to contain their still-toxic materials, and plant a few trees. The crayon drawings from the locals saying "Your wealth isn't worth our health" weren't mentioned in the plans. Go figure.
They also anticipate maintaining more than one thousand jobs. News on whether those jobs will come with a complimentary health insurance upgrade is still pending.

Turning Over a New, Perhaps Less Toxic, Leaf
Zinc Nacional's Director of Operations, Eugenio Peña, regarded the plan as unprecedented, and an admittedly small part of resolving the wider local environmental gridlock. He also reinforced the company's "innocence" regarding the heavy metal pollution found around the plant.

Local Skeptics Raise an Eyebrow
Skeptics, however, are demanding reparations for health and damages. Residents have been dealing with dust and smoke from the plant for years, resulting in ailments – particularly the vulnerable groups like children and the elderly. The company's pledge to lift some of its operations didn't quite satisfy Ricardo González, a neighborhood activist: "In their proposal, there's no mention of the affected citizens, much less any talk about health or damage reparations." 

Seeing Green in the Future
Despite local skepticism, environmental investigations, and having its "clean industry" certificate renewal declined, the factory is determined to hustle and got an interim court order to keep operations running for now. Meanwhile, community members are hoping to create a committee to keep an eye on Zinc Nacional, working together with researchers to monitor pollutants and their effects. The local jury is still out on how much this plan will cost and who will pick up the tab, but it seems safe to say this toxic drama is not flying back to the U.S. anytime soon.

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