4II'J II
NUEVO LEON
_/•
TAMAULfPAS
CALIFORNIA / BAJA CALIFORNIA
• San Diego and Tijuana
The "sister cities" of San Diego and Tijuana represent one
of the key target areas of the Integrated Environmental
Plan for the Mexico-U.S. Border Area, a bilateral effort of
the two nations produced by their environmental agencies,
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the
Secretaria de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecologia (SEDUE), in
cooperation with the binational International Boundary and
Water Commission (IBWC). The overall goal is to
strengthen the base for continuing cooperation between
Mexico and the United States in order to adequately protect
human health and natural ecosystems within the Border
Area, defined as an area 100 kilometers (62 miles) on each
side of the border. Key objectives include a strengthened
cooperative enforcement strategy, pollution reduction
through new initiatives, increased cooperative planning,
training, and education, heightened public awareness of the
border environment and increased private and public
participation in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—40 additional environmental inspectors in Baja California,
complementing the existing cadre of 31 inspectors
—High priority activity in Tijuana/San Diego area to
properly control the level of shipments of hazardous wastes
—Increase U.S.-Mexico cooperative enforcement strategies
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop a binational border surveillance system to
monitor hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections
by environmental and customs agencies in both countries
to improve tracking of waste shipments
-Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement agencies in each country
—Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
-Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement strategies
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
—Commence construction of 25 million gallons-per-day
waste-water sewage treatment system for the Tijuana River,
to be constructed through the IBWC; U.S. federal
commitment of $52 million in FY1992 and a proposal of $69
million for FY1993
-$9 million to be provided by Mexican federal government
for road improvements in Tijuana which would alleviate
border crossing traffic congestion and thus reduce air
pollution
-$5 million loan will be made by the Mexican federal
government to Tijuana to assist in public transportation
improvements
-Initiate control programs in Tijuana for industrial air,
water and land pollution, including collection of toxic
release data, enforcement actions and pollution prevention
initiatives
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—Monitor air quality and prepare emissions inventories for
the Tijuana/San Diego common airshed
• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION:
—Improve the training capability of health and environ-
mental inspectors in Baja California through a "train the
trainers" program, in cooperation with the University of
California, Los Angeles and the State of California
-Inclusion of San Diego State University in the Southwest
Center for Environmental Policy and Research, which
received $3.9 million from EPA in FY1991-92 to study
environmental problems and ways of promoting
environmental education in the border region
—Promote community right-to-know initiatives
-Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
-Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency.
• INCREASES IN CITIZEN AND STATE/LOCAL
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
—Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response.
-Community Environmental Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, environmental, business, academic and other private
and public sector leaders from the border region) to advise
EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the border
region
-Existing joint U.S/Mexico working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded to include,
in addition to SEDUE and EPA officials, representatives of
the California Environmental Protection Agency, the
California Air Resources Board (CARB), and other state
and local agencies.
For further information, contact EPA at 415-744-2125
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb. 1992
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4 I'J
NUEVO LEON
_^
TAMAULfPAS
IMPERIAL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA / BAJA CALIFORNIA
• Calexico and Mexicali
The Imperial Valley of California, in particular the "sister
cities" of Calexico, California and Mexicali, Baja California
in Mexico, is one of the targeted areas of the Integrated
Environmental Plan for the Mexico-U.S. Border Area, a
bilateral effort of the two nations produced by its
environmental agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the Secretaria de Desarrollo Urbano y
Ecologia (SEDUE), in cooperation with the binational
International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
The overall goal is to strengthen the base for continuing
cooperation between Mexico and the United States in order
to adequately protect human health and natural ecosystems
within the Border Area, defined as an area 100 kilometers
(62 miles) on each side of the border. Objectives include a
strengthened cooperative enforcement strategy, pollution
reduction through new initiatives, increased cooperative
planning, training, and education, heightened public
awareness of the border environment and increased private
and public participation in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—40 additional environmental inspectors in Baja
Californiacomplementing the existing cadre of 31 inspectors
—Increase cooperative U.S.-Mexican enforcement activities
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop binational border surveillance system to monitor
hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections by
environmental and customs agencies in each respective
country to improve tracking of waste shipments
—Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement operations in each respective country
—Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
-Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement actions
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
—Commence planning and construction of U.S/Mexico
wastewater sewage treatment system for the New River
through the IBWC; to implement the system, U.S. funding
will come from part of the $10 million proposed in the
President's FY93 budget for the Mexicali system; an
additional facility with a SEDUE budget of $8.6 million is
planned to complete construction of new treatment facility
in southeast Mexicali which will process domestic and
industrial wastewaters and expand sewage collection
system;
-$4.5 million commitment by Mexico for improvement of
dirt roads and modernization of transport system in
Mexicali in order to reduce air pollution
—Initiate industrial source controls for Mexicali in air,
water, and land pollution; will involve collecting industrial
toxic release data, increased enforcement actions and
pollution prevention programs
-Improve air quality by implementing air quality
monitoring programs and preparing emissions inventories
for the Mexicali/lmperial Valley common airshed
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• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION:
—Improve the training capability of Baja California health
and environmental inspectors through a "train the trainers"
program, in cooperation with the University of California,
Los Angeles and the State of California
—Inclusion of San Diego State University in the Southwest
Center for Environmental Policy and Research, which
received $3.9 million from EPA in FY1991-92 to study
environmental problems in the border region and
promoting border environmental education
—Promote community right-to-know initiatives
—Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
—Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency
• INCREASES IN CITIZEN AND STATE/LOCAL
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response
—Community Environmental Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, environmental, business, academic and other private
and public sector leaders in the border region) to advise
EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the border
region
—Existing joint U.S/Mexico working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded and will
include, in addition to SEDUE and EPA officials,
representatives of the California Environmental
ProtectionAgency, the California Air Resources Board, and
other state and local agencies
For further information, contact EPA at 415-744-2125
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb. 1992
-Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
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i PJ
NUEVO LEON
_x-
TAMAULfPAS
SOUTHERN ARIZONA/NORTHERN SONORA
• Yuma and San Luis Rio Colorado
• Nogales and Nogales
• Naco and Naco
• Douglas and Agua Prieta
The border community overlapping two states, Arizona in
the U.S. and Sonora in Mexico, is one of the key target
areas of the Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexico-
U.S. Border Area, a bilateral effort of the two nations
produced by their environmental agencies, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretaria
de Dessarollo Urbano y Ecologia (SEDUE), in cooperation
with the binational International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBWC).
In Arizona and Sonora, there are four principal "sister
cities" which are being addressed in the Border Plan:
Yuma/San Luis Rio Colorado, Nogales/Nogales, Naco/Naco
and Douglas/Agua Prieta.
The overall goal is to strengthen the base for continuing
cooperation between Mexico and the United States in order
to adequately protect human health and natural ecosystems
within the Border Area, defined as an area 100 kilometers
(62 miles) on each side of the border. Key objectives
include a strengthened cooperative enforcement strategy,
pollution reduction through new initiatives, increased
cooperative planning, training, and education, heightened
public awareness of the border environment and increased
private and public participation in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—10 additional environmental inspectors in Sonora,
complementing an existing cadre of 12 inspectors
—Increase cooperative U.S.-Mexican enforcement activities
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop a binational border surveillance system to
monitor hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections
by environmental and customs agencies in each respective
country to improve tracking of waste shipments
—Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement operations in each respective country
-Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
—Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement actions
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
—Completion by the IBWC of the international wastewater
treatment plant at Nogales, Arizona, allowing for an
increase of capacity to 17.2 million gallons per day, more
than double the current capacity; an increase in funding for
the plant will come from part of the $5 million proposed in
the President's FY93 budget for systems in Nogales
—Rehabilitation by Mexico of its sewer collection system in
Nogales, Sonora to stop uncontrolled sewage flows across
the border
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—$1.8 million will be invested by the Mexican Government
to purchase solid waste collection equipment and the
construct sanitary landfills in Nogales, Sonora
—$1.5 million will be allocated in Sonora for to improve
dirt roads in the City of Nogales, thereby reducing air
pollution
—$4 million will be programmed by the Mexican
Government for the construction, equipment, and site
improvements for area sanitary land fills in Nogales,
Sonora
—Promote community right-to-know initiatives
—Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
—Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency
• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION:
-Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response
—Community Environmental Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, environmental, business, academic and other private
and public sector leaders in the border region) to advise
EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the border
region
-Existing joint U.S^Mexico working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded to include,
in addition to SEDUE and EPA officials, representatives of
the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona
Department of Emergency and Military Affairs, and other
state and local agencies.
For further information, contact EPA at 214-655-2200
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb.1992
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4 rj
NLEVO LEON
~s
TAMAULfPAS
SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO / NORTHWEST CHIHUAHUA
• Santa Teresa - Sunland Park and Ciudad Juarez
• Columbus and Las Palomas
The border community overlapping two states. New Mexico
in the U.S. and Chihuahua in Mexico, is one of the key
target areas of the Integrated Environmental Plan for the
Mexico-U.S. Border Area, a bilateral effort of the two
nations produced by their environmental agencies, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretaria
de Desarrollo Urbana y Ecologia (SEDUE), in cooperation
with the binational International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBWC).
Emerging environmental problems are of concern in Santa
Teresa and Sunland Park in the U.S. and Ciudad Juarez in
Mexico. The plan also addresses environmental problems
in Columbus and Las Palomas.
The overall goal is to strengthen the base for continuing
cooperation between Mexico and the United States in order
to adequately protect human health and natural ecosystems
within the Border Area, defined as an area 100 kilometers
(62 miles) on each side of the border. Key objectives
include a strengthened cooperative enforcement strategy,
pollution reduction through'new initiatives, increased
cooperative planning, training, and education, heightened
public awareness of the border environment and increased
private/public participation in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—19 additional environmental inspectors in Chihuahua,
complementing an existing cadre of 19 inspectors
—Increase cooperative U.S.-Mexican enforcement activities
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop binational border surveillance system to monitor
hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections by
environmental and customs agencies in each respective
country to improve tracking of waste shipments
—Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement operations in each respective country
—Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
—Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement actions
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
—$50 million budget proposed in the President proposed
budget for FY93 to address waste water needs in the
colonias, including those in southern New Mexico; an
additional $25 million has been requested for drinking
water needs in the colonias in the Department of
Agriculture section of the proposed FY93 budget
—$4 million will be programmed by the Mexican
Government for the construction, equipment, and site
improvements for area sanitary land fills in Chihuahua
—Monitoring of air quality and development of emissions
inventories for common airshed which includes southern
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New Mexico, northern Chihuahua and the El Paso/Ciudad
Juarez "sister cities"
• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION:
—A new cooperative effort between Mexico and U.S.
institutions; $3.9 million has been appropriated in the EPA
FY 91-92 budgets for the Southwest Center for
Environmental Policy and Research which includes New
Mexico State University. The center is a consortium of
universities which has as its mission the study of border
environmental issues and environmental education
throughout the border area
-$5 million has been allocated by the U.S. Department of
Energy in 1992 for a Waste Management Education and
Research Consortium in New Mexico to focus on hazardous
waste management and education for the border region.
Consortium membership includes the New Mexico Institute
of Mining and Technology, the Los Alamos National
Laboratories, the Sandia National Laboratories and Navajo
Community College in Shiprock, New Mexico.
-Promote community right-to-know initiatives
—Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
—Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency
• INCREASES IN CITIZEN AND STATE/LOCAL
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
—Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response
—Community Environmental Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, environmental, business, academic and other private
and public sector leaders in the border regions) to advise
EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the border
region
—Existing joint U.S/Mexico working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded to include,
hi addition to SEDUE and EPA officials, representatives of
the New Mexico State Environmental Department, the New
Mexico Division of Emergency Services and other state and
local agencies
—Increase coordinated EPA/New Mexico Environment
Department activities in dealing with emerging
environmental challenges expected as a result of the
planned opening of border crossings in Sunland Park and
Santa Teresa
-Sante Fe will be the site of the first annual Border
Assembly to be held in conjunction with the U.S/Mexico
Border Plan National Coordinators Meeting, June 22-26
For further information, contact EPA at 214-655-2200
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb. 1992
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i 'J
llfAUJfU
NUEVO LEON
_x-
TAMAULfPAS
PASO DEL NORTE - BIG BEND REGIONS
• El Paso, Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua
• Presidio, Texas and Ojinega, Chihuahua
The Paso Del Norte and Big Bend regions, particularly the
"sister cities" of El Paso/Ciudad Juarez and
Presidio/Ojinega, are the key target areas of the Integrated
Environmental Plan for the Mexico-U.S. Border Area, a
bilateral effort of the two nations produced by their
environmental agencies, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the Secretaria de Desarrollo Urbano y
Ecologia (SEDUE), in cooperation with the binational
International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC).
The overall goal is to strengthen the base for continuing
cooperation between Mexico and the United States in order
to adequately protect human health and natural ecosystems
within the Border Area, defined as an area 100 kilometers
(62 miles) on each side of the border. Key objectives
include a strengthened cooperative enforcement strategy,
pollution reduction through new initiatives, increased
cooperative planning, training, and education, heightened
public awareness of the border environment and increased
private and public participation in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—19 additional environmental inspectors in Chihuahua,
doubling the size of the current cadre of inspectors
—High priority will be placed on enforcement in El
Paso/Ciudad Juarez area
—Increase cooperative U.S.-Mexican enforcement activities
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop a binational border surveillance system to
monitor hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections
by environmental and customs agencies in each respective
country to improve tracking of waste shipments
—Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement operations in each respective country
—Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
—Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement actions
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
—$50 million budget proposed in the President's proposed
budget for FY93 to address waste water needs in the
colonias, including those in the Paso del Norte area; an
additional $25 million has been requested for drinking
water needs by the colonias in the Department of
Agriculture in its proposed FY93 budget
-$70 million has been proposed during the 1992-94 phase
of the plan through a public-private partnership (Mexican
government, maquila industry and International Boundary
and Water Commission) to commence planning, design and
construction of a high capacity sewage treatment plant in
Ciudad Juarez to replace the current open channel sewage
disposal system
—$4 million will be programmed by the Mexican
government to improve area sanitary landfills for waste
disposal
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-$6 million will be committed by the Mexican government
to improve dirt roads and other pollution-causing situations
in the Ciudad Juarez area
—$4 million has been committed by the Mexican
government to set aside 300 hectares (741 acres) of
territorial reserves (land dedicated for low income housing
and a buffer to industrial development)
—Air quality monitoring and emissions inventory programs
will be established in the Ciudad Juarez/El Paso common
airshed during the first phase of the Border plan for the
purpose of developing a data base for a pollution control
program
• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING; AND EDUCATION:
—A new cooperative educational effort will be launched to
include the University of Texas, El Paso and the Institute
Technologies of Juarez in studies undertaken by the
Southwest Center for Environmental Policy and Research, a
consortium of U.S. colleges and universities which has as
its mission the study of border environmental issues and
promotion of environmental education throughout the
border area. EPA has appropriated $3.9 million in FY91
and FY92 for the center.
—Promote community right-to-know initiatives
—Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
-Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency
• INCREASES IN CITIZEN AND STATE/LOCAL
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
—Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response
—Community Border Plan Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, government, environmental, business, academic and
other private and public sector leaders in the border region)
to advise EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the
border region
—Existing joint U.S/Mexico working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded and will
include, in addition to SEDUE and EPA officials,
representatives of the Texas Air Control Board, Texas Water
Development Board, Texas Department of Health/Bureau of
Solid Waste Management, Texas Water Commission, the
Texas Emergency Response Commission (SERC) and other
state and local agencies
For further information, contact EPA at 214-655-2200
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb. 1992
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4 'J
TEXAS
Middle Rio Grande
Northern Rio Bravo
NUEVO LEON,
^
~^~~ TAMAUHpAS
MIDDLE RIO GRANDE (RIO BRAVO)
• Del Rio, Texas and Ciudad Acuna, Coahuila
• Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedias Negras, Coahuila
• Laredo, Texas and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas
The Middle Rio Grande region, particularly in the "sister
cities" of Del Rio/Ciudad Acuna, Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras
and Laredo/Nuevo Laredo, is one of the key target areas of
the Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexico-U.S.
Border Area, a bilateral effort of the two nations produced
by their environmental agencies, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretaria de Desarrollo
Urbano y Ecologia (SEDUE), in cooperation with the
binational International Boundary and Water Commission
(IBVVC). The overall goal is to strengthen the base for
continuing cooperation between Mexico and the United
States in order to adequately protect human health and
natural ecosystems within the Border Area, defined as an
area 100 kilometers (62 miles) on each side of the border.
Key objectives include a strengthened cooperative
enforcement strategy, pollution reduction through new
initiatives, increased cooperative planning, training, and
education, heightened public awareness of the border
environment and increased'private and public participation
in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—Increase the number of environmental inspectors in
Coahuila by eight and in Tamaulipas by 13, complementing
the existing cadre of 11 inspectors in Coahuila and 17 in
Tamaulipas
—Increase cooperative U.S.-Mexican enforcement activities
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop a binational border surveillance system to
monitor hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections
by environmental and customs agencies in each respective
country to improve tracking of waste shipments
—Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement operations in each respective country
-Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
-Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement actions
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
-$50 million budget proposed in the President's proposed
budget for FY93 to address waste water needs in the
colonias, including those in the Middle Rio Grande; an
additional $25 million has been requested drinking for
water needs by the colonias in the Department of
Agriculture in its proposed FY93 budget
—In Nuevo Laredo, a joint U.S/Mexico wastewater
treatment plant and pumping station are under construction
through the IBWC; the total project cost will be $44 million
with funding from the U.S., Mexican and Texas
governments (in the current fiscal year, U.S. expenditures
total $12 million)
-$5.2. will be committed by the Mexico federal government
to the City of Nuevo Laredo for road improvements and $2
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million for the set-aside .of 150 hectares (370 acres) for the
establishment of a territorial reserve (land dedicated to low
income housing)
—$4.4 million committed by the Mexican government to
begin construction of a wastewater treatment facility in
Piedras Negras and an additional $1.5 million will be
allocated next year for the improvement of solid waste
disposal in the area
• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION:
-Promote community right-to-know initiatives
—Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
—Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency
• INCREASES IN CITIZEN AND STATE/LOCAL
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
—Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response
—Community Environmental Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, environmental, business, academic and other private
and public sector leaders in the border region) to advise
EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the border
region
—Existing joint U.S/Mexko working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded and will
include, in addition to SEDUE and EPA officials,
representatives of the Texas Air Control Board, Texas Water
Development Board, Texas Department of Health/Bureau of
Solid Waste Management, Texas Water Commission, and
the Texas Emergency Response Commission
—Establish community Border Plan Advisory Groups in
Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of civic,
government, environmental, business, academic and labor
leaders) to advise EPA and SEDUE on key issues of
concern to the border region—Include representatives of the
Texas Air Control Board, Texas Water Development Board,
Texas Department of Health/Bureau of Solid Waste
Management, Texas Water Commission, the State
Emergency Response Commission and other state and local
agencies in joint U.S/Mexico working groups dealing with
border issues, e.g., enforcement, air and water pollution,
hazardous waste, emergency planning & response, and
pollution prevention
For further information, contact EPA at 214-655-2200
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb.1992
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II IfJ
TEXAS
COAHUILA"
Rio Grande Valley
Tamaulipas
NUEVO
TAMALLfPAS
RIO GRANDE VALLEY (RIO BRAVO)
• Brownsville, Texas and Malamoros, Tamaulipas
• McAllen, Texas and Reynosa, Tamaulipas
The Rio Grande Valley, particularly in the "sister cities" of
Brownsville/Matamoros and McAllen/Reynosa, is one of the
key target areas of the Integrated Environmental Plan for
the Mexico-U.S. Border Area, a bilateral effort of the two
nations produced by their environmental agencies, the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Secretaria
de Desarrollo Urbano y Ecologia (SEDUE), in cooperation
with the binational International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBVVC). The overall goal is to strengthen the
base for continuing cooperation between Mexico and the
United States in order to adequately protect human health
and natural ecosystems within the Border Area, defined ?s
an area 100 kilometers (62 miles) on each side of the
border. Key objectives include a strengthened cooperative
enforcement strategy, pollution reduction through new
initiatives, increased cooperative planning, training, and
education, heightened public awareness of the border
environment and increased private and public participation
in implementing the plan.
Initiatives during the Plan's first stage (1992-94):
• A STRENGTHENED COOPERATIVE ENFORCEMENT
STRATEGY:
—13 additional environmental inspectors in Tamaulipas,
complementing the exisiting cadre of 17 inspectors
—High priority activity in Matamoros/Brownsville area to
increase the level of proper shipments of hazardous wastes
—Increase cooperative U.S.-Mexican enforcement activities
when hazardous waste generators fail to verify the
disposition of their wastes
—Develop a binational border surveillance system to
monitor hazardous waste shipments; increase inspections
by environmental and customs agencies in each respective
country to improve tracking of waste shipments
—Maintain existing vigorous EPA enforcement program
along the northern side of the border
—Increase federal government cooperation with local and
state enforcement operations in each respective country
—Improve intelligence of SEDUE and EPA on waste
shipments through a regular exchange of data culled from
manifests and other transporting documents
—Increase training of SEDUE and EPA inspectors on
efficient methods of tracking hazardous waste
transboundary shipments
—Increase the number of cooperative enforcement actions
against maquiladoras and their parent companies where
appropriate
• NEW INITIATIVES:
—$50 million budget proposed in the President's proposed
budget for FY93 to address waste water needs in the
colonias, including those in the Rio Grande Valley; an
additional $25 million has been requested drinking for
water needs by the colonias in the Department of
Agriculture in its proposed FY93 budget
—$6 million committed by the Mexican government for the
initial construction of a wastewater treatment facility in
Matamoros
—$2 million will be allocated next year for the improvement
of solid waste disposal in Matamoros
—$5.2 million to be provided by the Mexican federal
government to the City of Matamoros for the improvement
of pollution-causing dirt roads
-$4.4 million commited by Mexican federal government to
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begin construction of a wastewater treatment facility and $2
million to improve solid waste disposal in Reynosa
• INCREASES IN COOPERATIVE PLANNING,
TRAINING, AND EDUCATION:
—Promote community right-to-know initiatives
—Increase training and technical assistance for emergency
preparedness and response personnel, utilizing the Joint
Response Team and Joint Contingency Plan
-Expedite transboundry notification and border crossings
of necessary personnel and equipment to deal with
chemical emergency
• INCREASES IN CITIZEN AND STATE/LOCAL
GOVERNMENT PARTICIPATION:
-Foster the establishment of local emergency planning
groups, such as local emergency Planning Committees and
Local Committees on Mutual Assistance, to coordinate
transborder planning, prevention, and response
-Community Border Plan Advisory Groups will be
established in Mexico and U.S. border cities (consisting of
civic, government, environmental, business, academic and
other private and public sector leaders along the border) to
advise EPA and SEDUE on key issues of concern to the
border region
—Existing joint U.S/Mexico working groups dealing with
environmental border issues will be expanded and will
include, in addition to SEDUE and EPA officials,
representatives of the Texas Air Control Board, Texas Water
Development Board, Texas Department of Health/Bureau of
Solid Waste Management, Texas Water Commission, and
the Texas Emergency Response Commission
For further information, contact EPA at 214-655-2200
or 202-260-1383 or SEDUE at 011-525-271-8217
Feb.1992
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