Residents say that the stench from old LP canisters is unbearable and causes severe headaches.
A former refinery in Mexico City has thousands of abandoned gas cylinders. The smell is so bad that it can be seen outside, which neighbors claim makes their lives miserable.
Cesar Rivera, 37-year-old web programmer, said that almost every night Cesar Rivera leaves his apartment because the odor gets too strong.
He said that the smell at night is so strong it is almost unbearable.
The couple is also concerned that the liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) seeping from the cylinders used by many households in Mexico City could cause an explosion and make them sick.
The building administration has requested that we not smoke or use the stove burners if the smells get stronger. Rivera said that it has changed the course of our lives.
He said that it was a time bomb.
AFP aerial images show what looks like a huge cemetery in the west of the capital. It is surrounded by residential neighborhoods.
Instead of human remains, however, the disused refinery at state-owned oil giant Pemex became the resting place for thousands of old multicolored gas bottles.
Rivera stated that he and his wife had been suffering from the smell for eighteen months. However, he only discovered the source in January.
LP gas is odorless and consists mainly of propane and butane. Therefore, producers add mercaptan, which gives it a nauseating odor that allows it to easily be detected.
Although the gaseous produced by its combustion is not toxic or carcinogenic they can cause a buildup that can be explosive. This can lead to people being trapped in small spaces. Mexico’s National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy states on its website.
The tanks were stored at Gas Bienestar’s old refinery. This was established in 2021 to expand competition within the sector.
In January, Mexico City authorities stated in a statement that Pemex was removing the drugs.
Contacted by AFP the company stated that it was unable give an interview on the matter.
Mexican civil protection authorities didn’t respond to a request about the potential dangers posed by the cylinders.
Ricardo Torres from the National Autonomous University of Mexico says that LP gases contribute to the formation of ozone. This is a dangerous pollutant for the environment and people at ground level.
Firefighters at a nearby station claimed that they get daily reports of gas leaks. In fact, the odor is actually from disused tanks.
We’ve been to the former refinery but they don’t see us,” says Cesar Suarez, chief of station.
Juan Macias runs a carpentry business next to the old refining plant. He said that he now closes his windows in the afternoon because of the heat.
He said that they feel like vomiting and have severe headaches.
According to the 44-year old, authorities have nothing to be concerned.
He said that everyone here believes there is danger. Therefore, we never light anything if it smells too strong for fear of an explosion.