FCA Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant

About the Program
The FCA Saltillo Truck Assembly Plant is a vehicle assembly factory located outside of Saltillo, Mexico, in the southeastern region of the Chihuahua Desert. The plant was completed in 1995, and the site encompasses 49 acres, with most of that land containing the arid, shrubby habitat that typifies the Chihuahua Desert. The site is home to ground squirrels and many reptile species that often come into contact with employees of the plant. The site also features a pollinator garden maintained by the project team to support biodiversity in the area.

Practices and Impacts

• In order to protect both reptiles on-site and employees of the company, the team has created a training program to educate employees and volunteers on how to safely handle reptiles at the site. The Chihuahua Desert contains several species of lizard and snake, some venomous and others not, that employees (such as those on the firefighting team) often come into contact with. The training program has improved the safety of employee-reptile interactions and has contributed to the conservation of reptile species on the site.
• To foster awareness and understanding of environmental benefits in the region, the team developed a series of environmental events that educate members of the community, such as school students. In addition to giving talks, the employees give away educational materials, plants and other items during school visits, fair sessions and pollinator garden visits.