EPA 909-R-00-002
SUMMARY OF SELECTED ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
&EPA
FROM THE U.S.-MEXICO
BORDER XXI PROGRAM: PROGRESS REPORT 1996-2000
SEMARNAP
Environmental indicators serve as a funda-
mental tool to measure the state of the envi-
ronment and changing environmental con-
ditions that affect human and ecological
health along the border.
In 1997, the first U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental In-
dicators Report set the foundation for the development of
environmental indicators along the border. Each of the nine Border XXI
Workgroups identified a series of binational environmental indicators and
began the challenging task of collecting
key information to assess status and trends
in human and ecological health along the
border. This year, the Border XXI
Workgroups have further refined and de-
veloped their indicators, and in some cases
have revised some of their original indi-
cators to accommodate evolving border
environmental needs and priorities.
Border XXI Workgroups
Workgroups Initiated in 1983
"Contingency Planning and
Emergency Response
* Hazardous and Solid Waste
Pollution Prevention
'Cooperative Enforcement and
Compliance
Workgroups Added in 1996
Environmental Information
Resources
Natural Resources
Environmental Health
'Workgroup is presented within this publication
Types of Environmental Indicators
This publication provides a preview of the developments and advancements
that have been made to the environmental indicators since their develop-
ment in 1997. The Border XXI Workgroups presented in this publication
were selected primarily because of the significant advances in the develop-
ment of their indicators. As such, only a subset of the Border XXI
Workgroups and indicators are presented in this publication, including:
AIR
CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE
HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE
WATER
ACTIONS OR ACTIVITIES THAT INDUCE PRESSURE
ON THE ENVIRONMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
QUALITY AND QUANTITY
ACTIONS TAKEN TO RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENTAL
AND NATURAL RESOURCE PRESSURES
t „
f'/i'/isi' refer to Appendix 1 mi environmental indicators of the
I'niifr,'.-! Ri-pim 1 '>W-_VW for ,1 di't,v.!crl tltfntitioii nf
•:/{ rL:*f>,)>i
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SELECTED INDICATORS FROM PROGRESS REPORT
A I R
The Air Workgroup has focused its efforts in three primary geographic areas: (1) Tijuana, Rosarito, and San Diego County; (2)
Mexicali and Imperial County; and (3) Ciudad Juarez, El Paso County, and Dona Ana County. In addition, short- and long-term air
quality monitoring and pollutant exposure studies are being conducted in other border cities. The Air Workgroup is also addressing
border-wide air quality issues such as border vehicle congestion and the relationship between energy generation and air quality.
The Air Workgroup has compiled new information from recently completed emission inventories conducted in the Ciudad Juarez, El
Paso County, and Dona Ana County air basin as well as Mexicali and Imperial County. In addition, the pollutant concentration
indicators for particulate matter (PM10), ozone, nitrogen dioxide (NO,), sulfur dioxide (SOO. and carbon monoxide (CO) have
been updated. Finally, revised information on border cities where pollution levels exceed ambient air quality standards, and the
number of exceedance days is presented below and in the Progress Report.
EMISSIONS OF POLLUTANTS PRESSURE
Emissions inventories are conducted to help de-
termine emission sources (i.e., mobile sources,
point sources) and estimate the amount of pollut-
ants emitted by these sources within a given geo-
graphic region or air basin. These data provide
information on which source types are the great-
est contributors to air quality problems.
The data presented here are for volatile organic
compound (VOC) emissions in the Ciudad Juarez,
El Paso County, and Dona Ana County air basin.
The indicator illustrates that more than half of the
total VOC emissions in the air basin are attrib-
uted to mobile sources (i.e. cars, trucks, buses).
Approximately one third of the total VOC emis-
sions are from area sources (i.e. consumer prod-
ucts, auto body paint shops, gasoline stations).
1996 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Emissions Inventory
Ciudad Juarez El Paso County Dona Ana County
5.7% 4.0%
25.3%
40.1%
50.2%
Total = 209 Tons Per Day Total = 99 Tons Per Day Total = 33 Tons Per Day
D Point Sources • Area Sources D Mobile Sources • Biogenic/Natural Sources
NUMBER OF EXCEEDANCE DAYS FOR EACH AMBIENT AIR STANDARD STATE
The graphs present a list of border cities and
the number of days that each ambient air stan-
dard was exceeded in 1997 and 1998. This
information helps identify air quality problems
in a particular border city in order to focus
potential air emissions abatement efforts.
In urban areas, mobile sources are typically the
biggest contributor to CO exceedances. The
exceedances for PM10 presented in the charts
include emissions due to high wind events.
Vehicle emissions and severe traffic
congestion at international bridges are
major sources of air pollution in bor-
der cities. Emissions from industrial
sources, residential combustion, and
dust from unpaved roads are also sig-
nificant contributors to poor air qual-
ity. A summary of potential human
health risks associated with the air pol-
lutants presented here can be found in
the Air Workgroup chapter of the
Progress Report.
c
D
C
-
o
O
1997
Number of Exceedance Days
1998
San Diego
Imperial
>, County
"co
9- Dona Ana
o
El Paso
Tijuana
Mexicali
Ciudad
Juarez
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Days
3 Ozone • CO D PM10 • NO2 • S02 • Lead
• Information tor Ros.into was not available .it the time of publication
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A I R
continued
AMBIENT AIR CONCENTRATIONS FOR CRITERIA POLLUTANTS IN EACH SISTER CITY
S TATE
The charts below present ambient ozone concentrations taken from a network of monitoring stations in the Ciudad Juarez, El Paso
ounty, and Dona Ana County region and the Mexicali and Imperial County region. These charts illustrate ozone concentrations
>r the years 1997 and 1998 and provide a visual representation of seasonal variations and annual monthly trends. The comprehen-
ve set of ambient air concentrations for other criteria pollutants and cities can be found in the Progress Report.
Ciudad Juarez, El Paso County, and Dona Ana County
Maximum Monthly 1-Hour Ozone Concentration
0.3
• Dona Ana County
D El Paso County
D Ciudad Juarez
ppm = parts per million
O) 0} CT> CD
Z CO CC DC >
< LU < D- <
O
HI
a
z m DC
< LU <
CL < D 2
O O
> O
< (0 O
Mexicali and Imperial County
Maximum Monthly 1-Hour Ozone Concentration
• Imperial County
D Mexicali
ppm = parts per million
en en
OC CC
O5 CT3 O3 CD
—I C5 OL I— >
O Z DO DC DC >-
LU < LU < Q_ <
Q -3 U- 2 < 5
cn o
I- > O
O O m
- Q
.AH o/ tfte Border XXI Workgroups and the comprehensive list of
indicators for each workgroup can be found in the U.S.-Mexico
Border XXI Program: Progress Report 1996-2000
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SELECTED INDICATORS FROM PROGRESS REPORT
CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
The Contingency Planning and Emergency Response Workgroup has focused its
efforts on two primary areas: (1) increasing preparation and response capacity for
hazardous substances incidents at the local and municipal levels, and (2) imple-
menting the sister city contingency plans to optimize notification systems and the
use of resources from both countries.
The Workgroup has presented new information for all of their indicators in the
Progress Report; the indicator pertaining to sister cities with contingency plans is
presented here.
NUMBER OF SISTER CITIES WITH CONTINGENCY PLANS RESPONSE
Currently there are six sister cities that have contingency plans in place; the
remaining sister cities' contingency plans will be completed over the next
several years.
Sister Cities with Contingency Plans
Brownsville, Texas - Matamoros, Tamaulipas (1997)
Eagle Pass, Texas - Piedras Negras, Coahuila (1998)
Laredo, Texas - Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas (1998)
McAllen, Texas - Reynosa, Tamaulipas (2000)
Nogales, Arizona - Nogales, Sonora (2000)
San Luis, Arizona - San Luis, Sonora (2000)
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R C c
fca e
SB '
*- (D 4
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lo 2
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.
A contingent plan addresses international coordination requirements for responses to emergencies involving hazard-
ous substances. The contingency plan also prepares sister cities for chemical accidents, and helps them to identify ways
to reduce risks and prevent such accidents.
COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE
The Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance Workgroup was created to strengthen binational cooperation and to enhance both
countries' capacity to enforce and promote compliance with their respective environmental laws. This cooperation aims at resolving
mutual environmental problems caused by noncompliance in a way that respects each country's own resources and sovereignty at all times.
The Workgroup has presented new information for all of their indicators to help assess overall performance of environmental
enforcement and compliance programs for both countries. The classifications (i.e., Pressure, State, Response) for these indicators
have been omitted because they do not lend themselves to the OECD framework for organizing indicators. The indicator pertaining
to the number of enforcement actions is presented below.
NUMBER OF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS AND PENALTIES IN THE BORDER AREA
This indicator measures legal actions taken in the border area by the United States and Mexico. Many factors can affect the number
of enforcement actions conducted in each country, including the number of facilities to inspect, amount of enforcement resources,
and general compliance rates among regulated entities. During the next year, the Workgroup will improve its indicators to better
address enforcement and compliance trends in the border area.
Number of Enforcement Actions
in the U.S. Border Area
Number of Total or Partial Closures
in Mexico's Border Area
36
2
9
11
r
2
19
15
10
n
n
n e
ELD
1996 1997
1998
3,553
3,323
59 59
3,127
61
I Air
I—i Hazardous
LJ Waste
Dwa
17
18
21
^2,308
37
1995
1996
1997
1998
Number
of Visits
I Total Closures
D Partial Closures
' From I'Wb 10 1W8. EPA took 3~ Clean \Vatcr Au (CWA) enforcement action* in
Texas (the State of'Tevas had not assumed the OVA Program)
• Source: PROHF.PA/SEMARNAP 2000 Unidad JuriJica de PROFH'A
1 A p.itua! closure is an administrative ot enforcanc nt action hy \vhich a portion ot an industrial
or totitist project 01 activin is terminated ot suspended. A total Jostire is an administrative ot
enforcement action bv which an entire industrial or tourist project ot activity is terminated or
suspended
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HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE
The rapid industrialization and the associated population increase in the border region have created a need for improved hazardous
and solid waste management infrastructure. Many of the indicators developed by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Workgroup
address progress in the development of such infrastructure. Seven binational environmental indicators were published in 1997;
since then the Workgroup has made significant progress in developing and collecting the necessary data to visualize status and
trends in hazardous waste management along the border.
Three of the seven indicators are presented below, with information on the border regions disposal and recycling infrastructure and
capacity.
RESPONSE
Hazardous Waste Exported to Mexico
for Recycling
(by Mexican definition of hazardous waste)
•
The graph is based on National Institute of Ecology (INE) data and pre-
sents a registry of total imports of hazardous waste to be recycled in Mexico.
The hazardous wastes imported in greater volume throughout the country
are those with a high content of zinc, tin-lead powders and residues, and
used automotive batteries.
A number of factors affect the pattern seen in this indicator. One impor-
tant element is that one single facility, located in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon,
accepts more than half of the total hazardous waste sent to Mexico each
year for recycling. This facility recycles electric arc furnace dust from steel
mills in the United States. Another factor, which relates to the increasing
trend seen in this indicator, is INE's policy of encouraging the develop-
ment of recycling capacity. As the number of businesses established for
recycling hazardous wastes has increased in recent years, more hazardous
waste from the United States has been exported to Mexico for recycling.
Tons
RECYCLING CAPACITY IN THE BORDER REGION
Twenty-three companies are authorized by INE to recycle hazardous wastes
in Mexico's border states: seven recycle used solvents, five process metals,
four recondition used drums, three recycle used lubricants, and four pro-
vide integrated handling for the preparation of alternate fuel. It is impor-
tant to note that this information is provided for facilities located through-
out Mexico's border states; they are not necessarily exclusively within the
100 kilometer (km) border zone. Within the 100 km border region in the
United States, there are two commercial recycling facilities. Of these, one
recycles spent solvents and the other recycles both solvents and metals.
There are several reasons why the number of recycling facilities is much
higher in Mexico than in the United States. First, as noted above, the data
for Mexico reflect the number of recycling facilities in the border states, not
just the 100 km border region. Second, with some exceptions, the Mexi-
can side of the border is generally more heavily industrialized. Because of
this, there are more service industries, such as hazardous waste recyclers, to
address the hazardous waste management needs of industry in the Mexican
states. A final reason for this difference is INE's policy, which strongly
encourages hazardous waste management companies to develop recycling
rather than disposal capacity in order to reduce the amount of hazardous
waste that must ultimately be sent for disposal.
Hazardous Waste Recycling Facilities in
U.S. and Mexico
1998
In Mexico Border States
Alternative fuel preparation
4
Used solvents
7
L. ^^
Used lubricants
3
Total: 23
In U.S. Border Region
Solvents and Metals
1
I
Used solvents
1
Total: 2
All of the Border XXI Workgroups and the comprehensive list of
indicators for each workgroup can be found in the U.S.-Mexico
Border XXI Program: Progress Report 1996-2000
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SELECTED INDICATORS FROM PROGRESS REPORT
HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE
continued
»
•
c-1
RESPONSE
There are five sanitary landfills in operation in Mexico's border region (located in Tijuana, Nogales, Ciudad Juarez, Nuevo Laredo,
and Matamoros) for the permanent disposal of municipal solid wastes. In the United States, there are 27 municipal solid waste
landfills in Texas, 10 in Arizona, 18 in California, and 4 in New Mexico.
Currently, there is only a single site in Mexico for the final disposal of hazardous wastes, located in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Mexico
has no permitted disposal capacity in the entire border region. This indicates a lack of infrastructure to support the final disposal of
hazardous waste.
The U.S. border region has one commercial disposal site, located in Westmorland, California. However, on a national level, the
United States has a surplus of hazardous waste disposal capacity.
Hazardous and Solid Waste Disposal Facilities
in the U.S. - Mexico Border Area
ARIZONA
Westmorland
DURANGO Monterrey
Pacific Ocean
o Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Q Commercial Hazardous Waste Disposal Facility
. U.S.-Mexico Border Region
The Growth of Maquiladoras
The pace of industrialization and population growth in the border region is most clearly illustrated by the growth
of the maquiladora industry.
Maquiladoras are assembly plants that import raw materials into Mexico and assemble finished products,
primarily for export.
According to Mexico's National Institute for Statistics, Geography and Information (INEGI), in January of 1993
there were 2,078 maquiladoras in Mexico. By January of 1999, that figure had risen over 50 percent, to a total
of 3,143 maquiladoras in all of Mexico. The significance of this growth for border hazardous and solid waste
issues is particularly great, given that approximately 80 percent of maquiladoras are located in the border states.
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SELECTED INDICATORS FROM PROGRESS REPORT
WATER
The indicators developed by the Water Workgroup were
developed to help measure progress towards alleviating wa-
ter pollution problems through the development of needed
wastewater and potable water infrastructure, and progress
towards improving surface and sub-surface water quality.
Two indicators are presented below.
Unreliable water supply and water pollution are persistent
environmental and public health problems in the border re-
gion. Insufficient wastewater treatment, disposal of untreated
discharges, and inadequate operation and maintenance of treat-
ment plants endanger the health of the border communities.
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION BEING SERVED POTABLE WATER
STATE
This indicator identifies the percentage of the border population that is
served drinking water from a central system, and is intended to help
assess the effectiveness of current and planned infrastructure projects.
The data is expressed as the percent of households with potable water
service. Because most water service infrastructure projects are in the
pre-project data collection, project planning, or construction stage, there
is a limited database from which to draw present indicator information.
It is expected that these in-progress infrastructure projects will result in
significant changes in environmental indicators in the near future.
Percent of Mexican Border Population
with Potable Drinking Water
1995
2000
Percent
WATER QUALITY OF TRANSBOUNDARY SURFACE WATERS STATE
Federal, state, and local agencies in Mexico and the United States conduct water quality monitoring programs in the border
region. The programs have diverse goals, measure different types of water quality characteristics, and have independent
sampling schedules and different data quality objectives. The water quality trends for the principal water bodies in the
border region can be found in Appendix 14 of the Progress Report. The water quality data was collected and analyzed over
a ten-year period from 1987 to 1997 for several water sheds in the border region. Two of the parameters, turbidity and fecal
coliform, are presented below.
Turbidity and Fecal Coliform
Turbidity is an indirect measurement of the amount of particles in a water sample. River water and other water bodies have
varying turbidity, depending on the type of rock, sediment, or habitat through which they flow. Decaying organic matter and
microscopic organisms, such as plankton and bacteria, also increase turbidity. Data for turbidity were collected at 13 locations.
As presented below, turbidity is increasing at one site (Rio Grande at El Paso, Texas) and decreasing at three other sites.
Fecal coliform is a measurement of a type of bacteria found in vertebrate gut. It is an indirect measurement of the potential
for the presence of human pathogenic bacteria. Data for fecal coliform were collected at 14 locations. The chart below
shows that fecal coliform is increasing at one site (New River at the international border) and decreasing at two other sites.
Concentration Trends for Turbidity and Fecal Coliform
SITES WHERE SITES WHERE SITES
CONSTITUENT CONCENTRATIONS ARE CONCENTRATIONS ARE WITH NO
INCREASING DECREASING CHANGE
TURBIDITY
FECAL COLIFORM
1
1
3
2
9
11
Data are based on monitoring conducted between 1987 and 1997.
All of the Border XXI Workgroups and the comprehensive list of
indicators for each workgroup can be found in the U.S.-Mexico
Border XXI Program: Progress Report 1996-2000
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SEMARNAP
SUMMARY OF SELECTED ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
FROM THE U.S.-MEXICO BORDER XXI PROGRAM: PROGRESS REPORT 1996-2000
This publication was developed by the
Environmental Information Resources (EIR) Workgroup
under the direction of the U.S. and Mexico EIR
Workgroup Co-Chairs:
LYNDA F. CARROLL
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
ADRIAN FERNANDEZ BREMAUNTZ
National Institute of Ecology/SEMARNAP
PUBLICATION EDITORS
TOMAS TORRES
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9
TERESITA GUTIERREZ
National Institute of Ecology/SEMARNAP
MEXICO AND U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL
INDICATORS COORDINATORS
ROLANDO C. RIOS AGUILAR
Director de Informacion Ambiental
INE-SEMARNAP
Av. Revolucion 1425, Col. Tlacopac, San Angel
Delegacion Alvaro Obregon
Mexico, D.F. C.P. 01040
Tel: (525) 624-3454
Email: rcrios@ine.gob.mx
SAM BALANDRAN
U.S. EPA, Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
Tel: (214)665-8051
Email: balandran.sam@epa.gov
Special thanks to former EIR Workgroup Co-Chair, Nora McGee, for initiating and supporting the development of this publication.
We would also like to thank the nine Border XXI Workgroups for their assistance in developing this publication.
To order copies of Border XXI publications in the U.S. call 800-334-0741.
Border XXI publications can also be viewed on the Border XXI website; http://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder/
More information is also available on INE's website: http://www.ine.gob.mx
The photographs that appear on the cover of this publication were taken
by Rebekah Hoffacker, U.S. EPA San Diego Border Office and Digital Stock Corporation.
This publication was printed on recyc'
'able paper with vegetable-based inks.
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