Mexico said Friday that it had suspended operations at a US-owned limestone quarry in the Riviera Maya tourist region due to environmental concerns, a move the company branded "illegal."

After an inspection visit to a subsidiary of US group Vulcan Materials, it was decided to temporarily close the site near Playa del Carmen, the environment and natural resources ministry said.

There were concerns about "probable serious damage and deterioration" to ecosystems including irrecoverable loss of subsoil and negative effects on the groundwater aquifer, it said.

The move came days after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that his government would take legal action against the company.

Lopez Obrador said that although the group had reported that it was no longer quarrying, he had seen while flying over the site that they were still working and loading a ship.

"It's an audacity to mock the authorities of our country," he said.

Vulcan Materials said in a statement that it "has the necessary permits to operate and intends to vigorously pursue all lawful avenues available to it in order to protect its rights and resume normal operations."

The Alabama-based company, which describes itself as the largest US supplier of construction aggregates, said that it "strongly believes that this action by the Mexican government is illegal."

The suspension is the latest in a series of measures that have upset foreign investors, including electricity sector reforms and the nationalization of lithium exploration and mining.

yug-dr/jh

VULCAN MATERIALS

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