A federal judge in Mexico City has ordered environmental authorities to issue a comprehensive response to calls for a moratorium on liquefied natural gas infrastructure in the Gulf of California, including the pending Amigo LNG project near La Paz.
The September 8 ruling recognized that both the Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment of the Hydrocarbons Sector (ASEA) and the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) have the authority to conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment — a position the agencies themselves had previously disputed.
What the Court Decided
The court granted an amparo lawsuit filed by Proyecto de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (ProDESC) and the Mexican Center for Environmental Defense (DAN), finding that responses from ASEA and the presidency were “neither congruent nor exhaustive” when the groups requested a Strategic Environmental Assessment and moratorium last July.
The judge ordered those responses voided and required new ones that are “properly founded and motivated” regarding the measures requested by environmental organizations in 2025.
Background on the Request
In July 2025, ProDESC, DAN and other organizations sent a letter urging the federal government to conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment and impose a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure in the Gulf of California. The letter was signed by communities, academics and activists concerned about the expansion of natural gas projects in the region.
According to court documents, the official responses from ASEA and other authorities were found to be ambiguous and incomplete.
Why It Matters for Baja Sur
The ruling comes as the Amigo LNG terminal project remains under review for the waters near La Paz. The proposed facility would receive shipments of liquefied natural gas and convert it back to gas for distribution, raising concerns among environmental groups about impacts on marine life in the Gulf of California.
The court decision does not block any specific project but requires authorities to provide a thorough legal explanation of their powers and responsibilities regarding cumulative environmental impacts of multiple LNG projects.
Federal Environmental Reform Underway
The court’s recognition of Strategic Environmental Assessment authority arrives as the federal government pushes forward with environmental law reform. On August 26, the administration presented an initiative to replace the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and Environmental Protection with legislation expressly incorporating Strategic Environmental Assessment as a regulatory tool.
The proposed reform emphasizes preventing environmental damage, environmental justice and ecosystem restoration — priorities that align with the concerns raised by the organizations that filed the amparo.
What Happens Next
Semarnat and ASEA must now issue new responses addressing the specific requests made in the July 2025 letter. Environmental advocates say the ruling clarifies that authorities cannot simply claim they lack the power to conduct broader assessments of fossil fuel infrastructure.
For residents and environmental groups in Baja California Sur, the decision provides a legal precedent that could influence how federal authorities evaluate industrial projects with potential impacts on the Gulf of California’s protected marine ecosystems.
