U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2012
Implementation and Mid-Term Report: 2007
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Dear Border Colleagues, Partners, and Stakeholders,
For over 20 years the United States and Mexico have collaborated in joint
efforts to protect the environment and public health along the U.S.-Mexico
border, most recently, through the Border 2012 U.S.-Mexico Border Envi-
ronmental Program. The program partners have made tremendous progress
on addressing critical environmental problems in these two decades. These
gains have occurred at the same time that our border population has nearly
doubled and industrial growth has nearly tripled.
This report highlights many examples of how we have managed to align our
binational resources with the environmental needs of border communities.
It also highlights the power of partnership, collaboration, and leveraging of
resources to achieve on-the-ground results. It is our commitment to continue
to promote the guiding principles of Border 2012, especially with regard to
transparency, public access to information, and binational accountability as
we progress toward achieving the goals and objectives of the program. This
report conveys this commitment and articulates the great advances that have
been achieved, while acknowledging the future challenges we face together
to accomplish the Border 2012 mission "to protect the environment and
public health in the U.S.-Mexico border region, consistent with the principles
of sustainable development."
As National Coordinators for Border 2012 in the U.S. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency (EPA) and Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural
Resources (SEMARNAT), we offer our deepest gratitude to the environmental
authorities in the 10 Border States; the U.S. border tribes; the co-chairs and
staff of the program's Regional and Borderwide Workgroups, Policy Forums
(and their respective Task Forces); academic, industry, and NGO partners;
and communities along the border that have been actively engaged with us
to advance our collective vision of improving environmental conditions for all
border residents. Their support, enthusiasm and participation, individually
and jointly, have been essential to coordinate and implement this program.
Jerry Clifford
National Coordinator, United States
Ma. Teresa Bandala Medina
National Coordinator, Mexico
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA-909-R-06-005
RECYCLE BUG HERE (align rt)
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Border 2012 - Environmental Results through Binational Partnerships
Since its inception, the Border 2012
Program has demonstrated the pow-
er of partnership and collaboration.
With the leadership of the 10 border
states, 26 U.S. tribes, numerous bi-
national institutions, and active par-
ticipation of border communities, the
Border 2012 program has leveraged
knowledge, resources, and expertise
to significantly improve the quality of
life and the environment for commu-
nities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Border 2012 partnership has
been at the core of these remark-
able achievements and future efforts
will continue to embrace innovation,
environmental results, collaboration,
and leveraging of resources to fulfill
the Program's Mission and Goals.
Together, the Border 2012 partners
are committed to uphold the Pro-
gram guiding principles that border
communities have voiced loud and
clear over the past decade; these
include:
Achieving concrete, measurable
results;
Fostering transparency and pub-
lic participation;
Adopting a bottom-up ap-
proach for setting priorities and in
decision-making;
Measuring program progress;
Reducing the highest public
health risks;
Recognizing sovereignty of U.S.
tribes;
Recognizing historical debt of in-
digenous peoples in Mexico;
Addressing disproportionate en-
vironmental impacts;
Improving stakeholder participa-
tion; and
Strengthening capacity.
PROFEPfl
Campo Band of
Kumeyaay Indians
Tohono O'odham
Nation
Procuraduria Federal de
Proteccion al Ambiente
Mexico's Federal Attorney
General for Environmental
Protection
Ewiiaapaayp Band of
Kumeyaay Indians
Comision Federal para la
Proteccion contra Ries-
gos Sanitarios
Mexico's Federal Sanitary
System
Good Neighbor
Environmental
Board
"The goais achieved by Border 2012 illustrate the com-
mitment of our two countries in fulfilling the ongoing
mission of promoting environmental protection and de-
veloping strategies of cooperation that, with a local and
regional focus, promote the development of sustainable
infrastructure in the border region. In this regard, the
work of the NADBank is complemented and facilitated
greatly."
North American Development Bank
"In 2001, the 10 Border States drafted the initial frame-
work for what is now the U.S.-Mexico Border Environ-
mental Program Border 2012. Since then, in partnership
with USEPA, Mexico's Environment Ministry (SEMAR-
NAT), and the U.S. border Tribes, we have made tre-
mendous progress in accomplishing most of the goals
and objectives of the program."
10 Border States
CONAGUA
"The National Water Commission has made progress
in one of its fundamental goals: to provide drinking
water and sewage services to a greater amount of
users located within the border region, within a frame of
interinstitutional cooperation, sustainable development
and mutual benefit for both countries. This effort has
been achieved thanks to the support and cooperation
from the diverse governmental institutions and tribes
from United States of America and Mexico, involved in
Border 2012."
Comision Federal para la Proteccion contra
Riesgos Sanitarios
Mexico's Federal Commission for the Protection
against Sanitary Risks
Institute Nacional de
Ecologia
Mexico's National Insti-
tute of Ecology
E C O S
"The Border 2012 Program advances sound environmen-
tal principles through financially-responsible financial in-
vestments for environmental success... Environmental
conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border are a shared
concern among all states that benefit from international
trade and economic development between the U.S. and
Mexico...ECOS strongly supports the Border 2012 Pro-
grams and the progress it has made improving public
health and the environment in the U.S.-Mexico Border
region."
Environmental Council of the States
"Pa/a is committed to helping bring clean water and im-
proving the health of fellow tribal members in Mexico,
insuring they're able to improve their quality of life and
better care for their community members, while continu-
ing to live on their ancestral lands."
Pa/a Band of Mission Indians
"The Border 2012 U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program
has proven to be a very effective and well structured
model for supporting the implementation of sustainable
solutions to the environmental and health problems fac-
ing the border region, through the committed and direct
involvement of federal, state and local stakeholders. For
BECC, continuing to support the implementation of spe-
cial projects identified through the program remains a
high priority."
Border Environment Cooperation Commission
(BECC)
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Acknowledgements
The Border 2012 Program would like to thankall the individuals who
have worked with the program, and those that continue to work
with the program, for their leadership, dedication, and hard work;
without these devoted individuals, many of the accomplishments
highlighted in this report would not have been possible. The
program would also like to thank the various individuals, partners
and organizations whose support was essential to the completion
of the Biennial Implementation and Mid-Term Report.
Ciudad Acuna^
j^agle P
Piedrasi.
Negras \
V Gulf of -,,
\ California
\, (
U.S.-Mexico Border Region
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Contents
Introduction
Water
Air
Land
Environmental Health
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Compliance and Enforcement
Contacts List and Acronyms
8
12
16
20
24
28
This report is also available on the Internet at www.epa.gov/border2012
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Introduction
In April 2003, EPA, SEMARNAT, the 10
Border States, and 26 U.S. tribes agreed
to renew our collective commitment to
improve environmental conditions along
the 2000-mile border. This commitment is
embodied in the U.S.-Mexico Border 2012
Program, which includes six goals that ad-
dress reduction of pollution in our air, water
and land, improving environmental health,
reducing exposure to chemicals from acci-
dental releases or terrorism and improving
environmental performance through compli-
ance, pollution prevention and the promo-
tion of environmental stewardship.
Since the signing of Border 2012, this 10-
year, binational, results-oriented environ-
mental program has focused on supporting
binational efforts that engage in collabora-
tive and consensus-driven commitments
and projects that will result in sustainable
and tangible environmental benefits.
This report describes environmental im-
provements along the border from 2003-
2005 attributable to the Border 2012 pro-
gram. It also details the region's unique
environmental challenges and the projects
and programs addressing these issues.
Finally, the report outlines the overall pro-
gram investment from 2003 to 2005. During
these years, over $8.1 million was invested
in 109 projects along the border. The proj-
ects implemented address environmental
problems along the border in a variety of in-
novative ways.
Tribal governments play an integral role in
identifying priorities and participating in
program activities, while also hosting tribal
caucus meetings to foster involvement in
the program. Active tribal leadership and
participation in the program has led to the
successful completion of projects that have
provided thousands of tribal border resi-
dents' access to safe drinking water and
wastewater infrastructure, and removed
tons of solid waste.
Participation from the 10 Border States
has also been instrumental in ensuring the
program's success. Through active partici-
pation and leadership, the 10 Border States
have expedited the availability of ultra-low
sulfur diesel fuel along the border and have
consistently provided valuable recommen-
dations on program modifications and es-
tablishing priorities that facilitate the Border
2012 program's progress.
Environmental degradation and the deple-
tion of natural resources along the border
can be linked to many factors, including
population growth, increased industry and
lack of infrastructure. Increased economic
activity has resulted in increased population
and infrastructure needs. Since 1996, the
population of the 24 U.S. border counties
has increased nearly 30 percent. In 2000,
the estimated population of the entire border
region was 11.8 million and projections indi-
cate the population is expected to increase
to approximately 16.8 million by 2020.
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Three of the ten fastest-growing metropoli-
tan areas in the United States are along the
U.S. Mexico border. While the border region
has seen tremendous growth, it has not
seen proportionate prosperity; for example,
the unemployment rate along the U.S. side
of the Texas-Mexico border is 250-300 per-
cent higher than in the rest of the country.
Measuring Environmental
Conditions
To achieve Border 2012 goals and objec-
tives, it is essential that all actions taken by
program partners have concrete and mea-
surable results. The Border 2012 framework
document calls for the development of en-
vironmental and performance indicators to
measure these results. To accomplish this,
the program established a Border Indicators
Task Force.
The role of the Indicators Task Force is to
collaborate with all Border 2012 coordi-
nating bodies and partners to generate
and use objective indicators to measure
program progress and assess changes
in the region's conditions. Ongoing review
of these indicators will provide local com-
munities, partners, and decision-makers
with informative tools that can help shape
research, public health and environmental
policy priorities. To guide the border indica-
tor effort, the Border Indicator Task Force
and the Environmental Health Work Group
prepared a Strategy for Indicator Develop-
ment. It is available online at www.epa.gov/
border2012/ind icators.htm
State of the Border Region In-
dicators Report, 2005
Through a collaborative and iterative review
process, the Indicators Task Force devel-
oped protocols to identify, select and use
a set of binational indicators. The resulting
State of the Border Region Report informs
communities and stakeholders in the re-
gion about the state of the environment and
progress made to address the six goals of
the Border 2012 Program. The report in-
corporates environmental and public health
information in the following areas: water,
air, land, emergency preparedness and re-
sponse, and enforcement and compliance.
Twenty-three indicators are presented in an
easy-to-understand format with brief data
source information below each indicator.
This initial Binational Set of Indicators will
be refined over time by modifying exist-
ing indicators or incorporating additional
indicators.
The State of the Border Region Indica-
tors Report will be available online at
www. epa. gov/border2012
<"*fe
State of the Border Region
BORDER 2012: U.S.-MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM
Motors ftport 2005
For a detailed description of Border 2012 Goals and Objectives, please visit us on the web at www.epa.gov/border2012
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Challenges Along the Border
In northern Mexico, significant industrial develop-
ment that fueled regional job growth, combined with
an ongoing southwesterly migration in the U.S., has
resulted in a population surge near the border.
The new industrial employment opportunities have
resulted in makeshift housing that has sprung up
near industrial parks in large Mexican northern bor-
der cities providing imperfect housing lacking basic
services.
Many of these unincorporated communities with sub
standard housing conditions, called colonias in the
United States and periferia in Mexico, lack adequate
sanitation and drinking water services; outhouses
are often the only available means of sewage dis-
posal. Pollutants from both countries contaminate
shared waters due to inadequate sewage treatment.
In rural areas, agricultural runoff and chemical waste
pollute drinking water.
With population continuing to rise and groundwater
tables depleting at rapid rates, binational coopera-
tion and sustainable infrastructure continue to be the
biggest challenges along the border.
Although shared waterways have benefited from in-
frastructure improvements, sewage and other con-
taminants continue to pollute binational aquifers,
surface waters and coastal waters.
In Nogales, Sonora, the sewer system does not
provide service to all residents. Spills from the an-
tiquated sewer system combined with discharges
from unsewered homes cause raw sewage to flow
into the binational Nogales Wash. The inadequate
storm drain system results in frequent flooding dur-
ing heavy rains. The water quality problems caused
by these deficiencies in infrastructure significantly
impact Nogales, Sonora, and the downstream city
of Nogales, Arizona.
U.S. and Mexican federal governments, the U.S.
represented by EPA and Mexico by SEMARNAT,
provide direct assistance to border communities for
water and wastewater infrastructure.
Investment Along the Border
The U.S. and Mexico have invested millions of dol-
lars to build adequate water and wastewater infra-
structure; to date these improvements are impacting
over 6.7 million border residents. These infrastruc-
ture improvements not only improve water quality,
but also preserve shared waterways, prevent beach
closures, provide safe drinking water, and protect
human health. Between 2003 and 2005, EPA ap-
proved Border Environment Infrastructure Fund
(BEIF) grants for 11 water projects that are estimated
to benefit over 1.6 million people. During this period,
nine BEIF projects funded in previous years complet-
ed construction. The nine drinking water and waste-
water infrastructure projects improved services for
over 1.5 million people.
Mexico's 2001-2006 National Development Plan,
under President Vicente Fox's Federal Administra-
tion, identified the border region as a high priority.
The joint investments on drinking water and waste-
water infrastructure for Mexican communities from
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006
Jan. 2002 - June 2002: EPA, SEMARNAT, 10
States and U.S. Tribes negotiate Border 2012
Draft Framework. Partners agree to create
Drafting Committee to develop Border 2012 plan
Sep. 2002 - Nov. 2002: Public Comment Period
On Draft Border 2012 Program: Public Meetings
held in 19 different border cities; over 1,000
comments were received during this time
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2001 to 2005 with funds from the National Wa-
ter Commission, border states, municipalities, EPA,
BECC and NADBank was 5,268.7 million pesos
(approximately $500,000,000 USD). Over 80 percent
of these funds were invested from 2003 to 2005.
Twenty percent of the total investment was from bi-
national resources, including BEIF grants and NAD-
Bank loans. The bulk of the funds, approximately
80 percent, were provided by the Mexican federal
government and border states. These investments,
along with considerable performance improvements
from many water utilities, resulted in increased ac-
cess to drinking water and wastewater treatment
for many of Mexico's border communities. In large
part, these achievements are due to the collabora-
tion between EPA and Comision National del Agua
(CONAGUA) through the Border Drinking Water and
Wastewater Infrastructure Program, the support of
border states, tribes and municipalities, and the par-
ticipation of both the BECC and NADBank.
Projects and Results
In the past three years, Border 2012 funds imple-
mented 22 projects throughout the border region to
assess surface water quality, protect shared water-
ways, gauge the effectiveness of innovative waste-
water treatment technologies, and provide training
to border residents, municipal workers, and oth-
ers on water system upkeep and basic sanitation
practices.
Approximately 30 percent of water projects fo-
cused on building capacity along the border, which
included training wastewater utility operators and
developing a wastewater database. Education and
outreach projects made up roughly 15 percent of
the projects, including a watershed education pro-
gram in California-Baja California, in which a team
of trained bilingual educators are teaching over 500
students on watershed protection, monitoring, and
public health. To address the drinking water needs in
Texas's colonias, El Paso's Centra de Salud, trained
colonia residents in proper water purification tech-
niques and distributed educational, environmental
health information.
Three projects totaling $180,000 in funding focused
on the Rio Grande. The river, a natural boundary
dividing the two nations along the Texas-Mexico
border, stretches for over 1,200 miles. Both nations
draw from its waters to serve agricultural, industrial,
and drinking water needs making its use, protec-
tion, and sustainability extremely important. The Rio
Grande projects focused on a variety of issues in-
cluding developing a framework for sustainable use,
assessing the impact of infrastructure to the river,
and finally, identifying the chemical and microbial im-
pact of wastewater on the river's water quality.
Partnering for Success:
Regional Efforts
Each Regional Workgroup convened public meet-
ings along the border to hear communities' con-
cerns and develop plans to address pertinent is-
sues. Work plans were established and often, new
groups evolved. The workgroups play another im-
portant role - providing project support. The Texas-
Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-Tanaulipas workgroup has
supported the Eagle Pass, Matamoros, and Nuevo
Laredo water infrastructure projects and increased
the availability of drinking water to residents via the
Texas Colonias Initiatives program. Information ex-
change is also a vital aspect of workgroup success.
For example, New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua's con-
cerns about high fluoride levels in the Columbus-
Palomas groundwater basin prompted the work-
group to identify the need for exchange of binational
groundwater data.
Border-wide Efforts
The Water Policy Forum, guided by binational pri-
orities, addresses border-wide policy issues and
resources for projects that emphasize pollution pre-
vention. Highlights of this effort include:
Binational agreement on the need and purpose
of a Geographic Information System (GIS) water
quality database
Development of first phase of a water quality da-
tabase for the border area's watersheds
Binational agreement on the selection of 14 pa-
rameters to assess water quality
Alternative means for evaluating the efficiencies
of the border area water utilities;
Various studies from 2003-2004 of various as-
pects of water utilities in seven communities by
the NADBank's Institutional Development Coop-
eration Program
New River, Mexicali, B.C.
Considered one of the
most polluted rivers in
North America, the New
River flows from Mexicali
into the U.S. through
Calexico; agricultural
runoff, raw sewage and
industrial solvents pollute
this shared waterway.
EPA, SEMARNAT,
California, and Baja
California continue to
work together to restore
the river's condition
Jan. 2003: Border 2012 Drafting Committee,
made up of representatives from 10 border
states, 26 tribes, EPA and SEMARNAT, develop
final Border 2012 framework incorporating
comments from Public Comment Period.
April 2003: Border 2012 Signing Ceremony
EPA, SEMARNAT, 10 States, 26 U.S. Tribes and
partners commit to environmental results along
the border
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Spotlight: Water
The Colorado River
extends more than 1400
miles through four U.S.
states and Mexico. The
river is used for drinking
water, energy, agriculture
and recreation. Rapid
development has
degraded the quality of
water in the Colorado
River
Tribal & Indigenous Communities:
Providing Tribes with Access
to Safe Drinking Water, Sewage
Treatment and Protecting
Shared Waterways
Tribal and indigenous communities along the border
also lack safe drinking water and basic wastewater
sanitation. Nearly all the indigenous communities
in the Mexico border region do not have access to
safe drinking water and basic sanitation. EPA's Tribal
Border Infrastructure Program has funded 39 proj-
ects for 15 U.S. tribes in the California and Arizona
border region, providing access to safe drinking wa-
ter and basic sanitation for over 32,000 people.
Mexican indigenous communities are also receiving
water infrastructure improvements. The Quitovac
potable water project provides drinking water for a
small community and a tribal boarding school. Us-
ing Border 2012 funds, the Tohono O'odham Utility
Authority constructed the water distribution system.
In addition, the project rehabilitated a drinking wa-
ter well, increased the water storage facilities, and
improved the wastewater treatment facilities for the
boarding school. To increase capacity, a 3,000 gal-
lon water storage tank was installed and groundwa-
ter protection measures were implemented.
At a cost of $30 per home, the Tohono O'odham
Utility Authority installed continuous chlorination
units for 71 drinking water sources on the reser-
vation, previously chlorination occurred monthly or
only once every three months. These units ensure
that the water serving 20,000 residents is safe to
drink.
In partnership with EPA and the U.S. Department
of Agriculture Rural Development, the San Pasqual
Band of Mission Indians built a new drinking water
system, including a water treatment plant, a storage
tank, and new water mains to replace substandard
lines. The new system, serves 960 residents in 192
homes and provides safe pressures throughout the
system to prevent contamination. The booster fire
pump was connected the day before the Paradise
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
April2003: Good Neighbor Board Report: U.S.-
Mexico Border Environment
June 2003: First California-Baja, California
Regional Workgroup Meeting: Seven task
forces created, including: Waste/Enforcement,
Water, Two Air, Two Emergency Response and
Environmental Education
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Fire swept through the reservation in October 2004,
allowing many homes to be saved.
The Pechanga Tribe constructed a trunk sewer line
to serve government buildings and approximately
90 homes. The sewer replaces septic systems that
posed a contamination threat to the shallow alluvial
aquiferthe tribe's sole source of drinking water.
The project will also extend sewer lines to serve the
90 homes on the reservation.
Baja California indigenous communities completed
an assessment of the drinking water supply and
possible sources of water contamination. The as-
sessment, completed in partnership with the Pala
Band of Mission Indians, the Baja California Inter-
tribal Council and others, identified significant drink-
ing water contamination in six of seven indigenous
communities. Subsequently, Mexico's Comision
Nacional para el Desarrollo de los Pueblos Indige-
nas (National Commission for the Development of
Indigenous Communities, GDI) provided $900,000
and EPA provided $66,000 to construct new drink-
ing water infrastructure for these communities.
Five Quitovac students
benefit from cleaner
drinking water and
wastewater infrastructure
Quitovac's new water
storage tank has
increased storage to
three days; the new water
system uses solar and
wind power
Aug. 2003: First Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-
Tamaulipas Regional Work Group Meeting
Aug. 2003: First Binational Tribal Caucus
Meeting in San Diego: Meeting established tribal
engagement, leadership and communication on
Border affairs
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Challenges Along the Border
Air quality is a major concern throughout the bor-
der region. The pressures associated with industrial
and population growth, increasing numbers of old
vehicles, differences in governance and regulatory
frameworks, and topographic and meteorologi-
cal conditions present a challenging context for air
quality management. Common sources of pollutants
include motor vehicles, power plants, industrial fa-
cilities, agricultural operations, dust from unpaved
roads, and open burning of trash and agricultural
fields. The most common and damaging pollutants
from these sources include sulfur dioxide, particu-
late matter (both PM10 and PM25), nitrogen diox-
ide, ground-level ozone, and carbon monoxide. All
of these pollutants degrade urban and regional air
quality in the border region and contribute to the
challenge.
Investment Along the Border
Investments in air quality improvement along the
border follow two broad strategies. Between 2003
and today, the Border 2012 Program partners have
continued to focus investments on building the in-
frastructure and information necessary for science-
based decisions on priorities and control strategies.
This includes support for emission inventories and
real-time binational air quality monitoring networks.
Second, investments support priority initiatives,
such as clean diesel and road paving that reduce
or eliminate actual and potential sources of air pollu-
tion. Many funded projects include a component for
building capacity for sustainable progress in the pri-
ority areas. U.S. federal funds often leverage or are
matched by other funds from Mexico or U.S. state
and local governments, and in some cases by bor-
der partners who provide in-kind services.
Projects and Results
Projects and partnerships promoted through the
Border 2012 Program are contributing significant
progress towards environmental results. Examples
where projects have led to measurable improve-
ments in air quality are in Douglas, Arizona and El
Paso, Texas, where each city is undergoing formal
re-designation of "attainment" for national ambient
air quality standards for certain pollutants.
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Oct. 2003: Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ) hosts Bonder Hazardous
Materials/Waste Seminars
Oct. 2003: San Diego/Tijuana Sister-city
Emergency Contingency Plan Signing
Ceremony: Signed agreement on binational
response between the City and County of San
Diego and Tijuana
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A number of Border 2012 projects are yielding pollu-
tion reductions from specific sources such as diesel
engines, old vehicles, unpaved roads, brick kilns,
and power plants.
Unpaved roads contribute to high levels of particulate
pollution in several communities along the border.
Border 2012 projects are working to demonstrate
new paving applications, such as using rubberized
asphalt in Ciudad Juarez. In addition, the NADBank
has recently funded road-paving projects in several
municipalities in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua
and Tamaulipas, through $90 million in loan monies
to fund $221 million in paving projects.
While diesel emissions, older vehicles, and unpaved
roads all present air quality challenges along the
border, many other challenges exist. For example,
projects in Chihuahua, Sonora and Baja California
focus on reducing emissions from traditional brick
kilns. Recently, a private company invested nearly $1
million to construct new brick kilns in Ciudad Juarez
based on design work supported by the Border
2012 Program. Additional Border 2012 projects are
demonstrating the potential for producing biodiesel
in border communities to reduce particle emissions.
The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Tribe has implemented a
pilot project to collect waste vegetable oil and use
the fuel on a test vehicle. Other border projects are
exploring ways to increase fuel efficiency through
measures such as the Smartway Program that low-
ers fuel consumption in trucks fitted with fuel saving
devices.
Partnering for Success
Among successes of the Border 2012 Program are
the binational partnerships that have formed to meet
the program's goals. Part of the success lies in the
fact that these partnerships exist at all levels-na-
tional, regional and local. The Air Policy Forum was
formed to provide a binational forum for discussing
air quality issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. The
forum has worked to identify and prioritize common
goals and build consensus about the federal actions
needed to address binational priorities. Over the past
two years the forum has begun to narrow its focus
on: 1) improving air quality and meeting both U.S.
and Mexican air quality standards (National Ambi-
ent Air Quality Standards and Normas de calidad del
aire en Mexico) through regulatory, market-based,
and voluntary approaches by developing emission
inventories, developing and/or maintaining air qual-
ity monitoring networks and 2) through air emission
reduction projects. The forum seeks to strengthen
collaboration among border air quality stakeholders
by facilitating information exchange and coordination
across a broad network of programs and projects,
the majority of them at the regional and local levels.
Regional Workgroups have supported forum
priorities by helping border-wide stakeholders
implement emission reduction and science-en-
hancing projects. One recently completed proj-
ect examined the effects of diesel exposure and
traffic-related air pollution on asthmatic children
in Ciudad Juarez.
Spotlight: Air
Air Quality Management
Science based air quality management tools are essential in air quality
planning and implementation. Both emissions inventories and ambi-
ent monitoring networks are fundamental elements of a successful air
quality management program. EPA and SEMARNAT have continually
supported the development and use of both of these tools along the
border to evaluate potential control strategies in the region and fulfill
the goals set forth in the Border 2012 Plan, Recently, the air qual-
ity management plan, PROAIRE, for Ciudad Juarez was unveiled by
Mexican Environmental Minister Jose Luis Luege Tamargo defining 23
actions that will take place from 2006-2012 to improve the region's air
quality. The document includes recommendations made by the Joint
Advisory Committee based on emission inventory analysis.
Emissions Inventory
On Thursday, June 9, 2005, in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico,
the Institute Nacional de Ecologia, a division of SEMARNAT, unveiled
the first air emissions inventory for the six northern states of Mexico
bordering the United States. This baseline emissions inventory was de-
veloped to increase the understanding of emissions sources located in
Northern Mexico and to support air quality assessments. It is a product
of binational government partnerships completed through collabora-
tive efforts between the U.S. and Mexico. Later that year a ten-state
inventory, including the four states on the U.S. side of the border, was
developed with a special focus on the 100-km border region. Both
inventories will help federal, state and local governments, as well as,
academic institutions and private sector industries, to better under-
stand, analyze and improve air quality in the border region.
In September 2006, the first emissions inventory for the entire country
of Mexico (MNEI) was published. As part of the inventory development,
a version of the mobile sources non-road model for Mexico was also
completed. This model can be used throughout Mexico to calculate
non-road emissions. In addition, development of online training ma-
terials for Mexican state officials has begun. The report is available
online at www.erg.com/mnei/ (User ID: mexico; Password: emissions
[all lower case]).
Dec. 2003: National Coordinators Meeting
(NCM), Matamoros, Mexico: First Border
2012 NCM, coordinating bodies present their
implementation plans and priorities
Jan. 2004: First Arizona-Sonora Regional
Workgroup Meeting: Created five task forces
(Air, Water, Waste/Enforcement, Emergency
Preparedness and Children's Environmental
Health). Implementation Plan is released
-------
10
Spotlight: Air
Mexico's first Emissions
Inventory
Ambient Air Monitoring Networks
PM10 and ozone continue to be the most persistent
and pervasive pollutants found in the border region.
A number of urban areas, with air monitoring net-
works, remain out of compliance with national air
quality standards. EPA, SEMARNAT, the 10 Border
States, 26 U.S. tribes and Mexican indigenous com-
munities continue to support many binational am-
bient air monitoring networks in the border region,
providing valuable information on air quality trends
and assisting in identifying emission reduction strat-
egies. In the California-Baja California Region, EPA
is working with the California Air Resources Board,
the Baja California Secretariat for Environmental
Protection (SPA) and SEMARNAT to transfer the
operation and maintenance of an extensive ambi-
ent monitoring network in Tijuana, Tecate, Rosarito
and Mexicali to the Baja California SPA. In 2004, the
participating agencies signed a Memorandum of
Understanding memorializing their intent to transfer
the network by 2007.
While most monitoring occurs in urban areas, be-
cause tribes are experiencing air quality degrada-
tion, many have implemented extensive air quality
programs. The Pala Band of Mission Indians, La
entano
(jmisiones i
estados i\t i*
frontera norle
Mexico
Posta Band of Indians, Yselta del Sur Pueblo, and
Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians all have air
monitoring programs.
Recent efforts to provide real time reporting of air
quality has also enabled residents along the border
to obtain air quality and health information on a real-
time basis. In Northern Baja California, Southern
California and El Paso/Ciudad Juarez, residents are
able to make informed decisions about their daily
activities based on air quality data in their area. Visit
these sites for more information: http://aire.baja-
calHomia.gob.mx, http://www.sdapcd.org/, http://
imperialvalleyair.org, and http://www.tceq.state.
tx. us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/monitors ?06
Diesel Emission Reductions
Because of the relatively large contribution of pollut-
ants from diesel emissions, particularly PM10, PM25
and ozone, significant investments have been made
in emissions testing, retrofits, and collaboration to
reduce these emissions. In January 2006, Mexico
modified its fuel standard for gasoline and diesel fu-
els. An accelerated calendar was included for the
border region, with the goal to provide ultra low sul-
fur diesel to the border region by January 2007.
Emissions Testing
In June 2005, the Texas Transportation Institute
of Texas A&M University led a study to measure
emissions from diesel trucks at ports of entry in El
Paso-Ciudad Juarez. In a similar project in Nogales,
opacimeters and other remote devices were used to
estimate the emissions from 13,000 trucks passing
through the Nogales Port of Entry. The objective of
these studies was to demonstrate the use of emerg-
ing technologies to assist in developing emissions
profiles of trucks crossing the border. This informa-
tion will be used to develop strategies to minimize
wait times on these bridges, thereby reducing air
emissions due to idling.
Diesel Retrofits
The San Diego Air Pollution Control District is ret-
rofitting sixty heavy-duty diesel trucks from Tijuana
with diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs). These reduce
PM10 by 25 percent. In addition, the Laredo Indepen-
dent School District is modifying 50 school buses to
burn ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, while the Rio Rico,
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Jan. 2004: Nogales, Sonora and Nogales,
Arizona Sister-city Emergency Contingency
Plan updated and signed. Signed agreement on
binational response between the two cities
Feb. 2004: Good Neighbor Board releases a
report on children's environmental health along
the U.S.-Mexico Border
-------
11
Arizona school district is implementing a similar proj-
ect. These two projects will reduce school children's
exposure to fine particulate matter and serve as a
demonstration project for other school districts on
both sides of the border. All three of these projects
were funded from Border 2012 funds.
Collaboration
The West Coast Diesel Collaborative (in EPA Re-
gions 9 and 10) and the Blue Skyways Collabora-
tive (in EPA Regions 6 and 7) are initiatives that will
improve the quality of life in North America by re-
ducing air pollution through fuel innovations and
green energy technology. The collaboratives have
developed partnerships among international (both
Mexico and Canada are active participants), federal,
state and local governments, non-profit organiza-
tions, environmental groups and the private sector.
The partnerships will reduce emissions throughout
North America by sharing technology and leverag-
ing financial resources.
A retrofitted truck boasts
its clean air technology
Remote sensing
technology allows air
technicians to gather
data on trucks crossing
the border without
holding up traffic
April2004:10 Border States Retreat, Ensanada,
Mexico
May 2004: Binational Tire Pile Cleanup
Commitment. EPA, SEMARNAT, BECC and
Baja, Calif., celebrate kickoff of tire pile cleanups
along the border
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12
Challenges Along the Border
Inadequate waste management infrastructure, in
addition to ongoing problems like makeshift waste
dumps, unsupervised waste sites, scrap tire pile fires
and other factors contaminate the land along the
border. For example, the steady demand in Mexico
for used tires from the U.S. makes border cities host
to temporary tire piles containing millions of scrap
tires. The tire piles are fire hazards that can generate
acute air and water pollution. Tire piles also serve as
ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents and
other vermin that are vectors for the spread of West
Nile virus and malaria. The Border 2012 program ad-
dresses tire piles, adequate waste disposal facilities
and proper handling of hazardous waste.
Investment Along the Border
From 2003-2005 over $2.1 million was invested
along the border on 23 projects aimed at reducing
land contamination. Tire pile cleanups and improv-
ing scrap tire management practices made up 35
percent of projects; 30 percent dealt with hazardous
waste activities; over 22 percent funded strategy de-
velopment, waste reduction and recycling programs,
and 13 percent funded contaminated site cleanups.
Land contamination cleanup funds are roughly 25
percent of total Border 2012 project funding.
Projects and Results
More than $1.3 million supported hazardous and
municipal waste activities. These projects included
tire pile and contaminated site cleanups; port-of-
entry inspection and compliance assistance training
programs; hazardous waste reduction; and tracking
hazardous waste imports and exports.
Over $480,000 was invested in eight projects deal-
ing with tire pile cleanups, and tire reuse projects,
including feasibility studies and demonstration proj-
ects. Tire pile cleanups removed approximately 2.2
million tires, many of which were sent to cement
kilns as tire-derived fuel (TDF); others were used in
demonstration projects and feasibility studies to as-
sess the economic viability of reuse. Although the
tire pile cleanups have made a significant impact, tire
piles continue to grow. In Ciudad Juarez, home to
the largest tire pile in the border region (4 - 5 million),
each month 60,000 tires are removed from the pile,
but 30,000 tires are added. Currently, the Border
2012 Program is also working to develop a scrap tire
management strategy to serve as a framework for
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Jun. 2004: EPA, SEMARNAT and Baja California
commit to cleanup ofMetales y Derivados site,
cleanup of tire piles and transfer of air monitoring
networks to Baja, California
Aug. 2004: Binational Forum on Air and Wastes:
BECC-sponsored event focusing on vehicle
emissions and solid waste reduction
-------
13
improving scrap tire management in the border area
and to prevent the creation of more tire piles.
Nearly $200,000 supported waste inventory proj-
ects, waste strategy development, waste reduction
and recycling programs. One project targets colo-
nias in the New Mexico/Texas/Chihuahua area by
utilizing Geographic Placement System (GPS) data
and Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis
to develop a strategy to prevent illegal dumping.
An additional $125,000 funded other cleanup proj-
ects along the border. In the states of New Mexico,
Texas and Chihuahua illegal dumpsites were cleaned
up. In Arizona and Sonora, one project cleaned up
trash left by undocumented migrants in the Tohono
O'odham Nation, while another will clean up a con-
taminated copper mine.
Partnering for Success:
Regional Efforts
The four regional workgroups held public meetings
to hear citizen concerns and identify needs. In Oc-
tober 2004, the Border 2012 program sponsored
a brownfields workshop in El Paso, Texas which
provided grant training and funding opportunities
to both U.S. and Mexican partners. The diverse
stakeholders attending the workshop stimulated bi-
national coordination and efforts in brownfields' re-
development. Mexico has offered to host the next
Brownfields workshop.
Border-wide Efforts
Border-wide efforts have made tremendous progress
in coordination, information exchange and prioritiza-
tion of issues. With input from Regional Workgroups
and Task Forces, the Waste Policy Forum tackled a
variety of waste-related issues. Highlights include:
Developing an action plan that identifies and
prioritizes actions to improve institutional and
infrastructure capacity for waste management
and pollution prevention. The plan focuses de-
veloping capacity to prevent scrap tire piles, bet-
ter management of selected waste streams, and
enhancing municipal waste landfills
Producing a report describing the Mexican and
U.S. systems for tracking transboundary move-
ments of hazardous waste. This report has in-
formed efforts to improve transboundary waste
tracking
Developing a binational policy on the cleanup or
revitalization of contaminated sites in the border
area.
Spotlight: Land
Metales y Derivados Cleanup Projects
Metales y Derivados is an abandoned lead recovery facility, which recovered
lead from vehicle batteries and other materials containing lead. The Metales
site is zoned for light industry and close to Tijuana's Colonia Chilpancingo,
home to over 10,000 residents. The facility was shut down in 1989 by PRO-
FEPA and SEMARNAT due to substandard hazardous waste management
of lead slag and metal-laden battery casings. Consequently, the U.S. owner
abandoned the facility. In April 2005, the state of Baja California expropri-
ated the site and is now responsible for its remediation.
A Metales y Derivados Technical Workgroup was formed in June 2004 after
Mexico signed a declaration of cooperation and commitment to remediate
the Metales site and create a transparent process to inform and involve the
community on the cleanup. The Workgroup proposed a four-phase reme-
dial plan involving:
Phase 1: Removal Action: remove waste posing highest risk to the public
Phase 2: Cleanup Alternative Analysis: analyze and select preferred cleanup
remedy
Phase 3: Design Remedy: prepare cleanup design and award engineering
contract
Phase 4: Complete Cleanup: implement remedy (from Phase 2); restore
property to productive use
This four-phase process is underway. To date, Phase 1 and 2 are complete
and Phase 3 is underway. Accomplishments include the removal of 2,000
tons of hazardous waste and recycling 50 tons of lead smelter process
equipment in Mexico. The installation of fencing and warning signs in ad-
Above: Metales site prior to cleanup
Below: Metales site after cleanup
Sep. 2004: San Diego/Tijuana Diesel Retrofit
Project kick-off. San Diego Air Pollution Control
District received a check to begin retrofits of
diesel trucks in San Diego/Tijuana
Sep. 2004: Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-
Tamaulipas Regional Work Group Meeting
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14
Spotlight: Land
dition to community outreach and education on the
facility's hazards has increased awareness and re-
duced the risk to neighbors.
As part of the project's second phase, EPA and
SEMARNAT completed a baseline human health
risk assessment and field sampling to fill data gaps.
Site characterization and risk assessment are both
essential to better understand exposure sources
and pathways that pose a public health risk. The
Technical Workgroup will design remediation strat-
egies that consider risk reduction and eliminating
exposure pathways.
Border-wide Tire Pile
Management Strategy
Improper management and disposal of scrap tires
is creating significant environmental problems in the
border area. The California Integrated Waste Man-
agement Board, in partnership with Baja California
stakeholders is currently undertaking an 18-month
study to evaluate the economic benefit and environ-
mental challenges posed by the used tire trade phe-
nomenon. Once completed, the study will provide
data that can be used as a tool in developing policy
on used and waste tires.
Tire piles present serious land contamination, health
and potential air quality issues in the border area.
Cleanup of these piles is a Border 2012 and Bina-
tional Commission priority. Tire pile fires can last
weeks to months, causing severe air pollution from
the dense smoke and noxious fumes emitted. Tire
fires also generate large amounts of liquid wastes
which can contaminate soils, ground water and sur-
face water. In addition, tire piles serve as breeding
ground for mosquitoes, rodents and other disease
vectors. The West Nile virus, dengue fever and ma-
laria have already been associated with tire piles in
the eastern U.S.-Mexico border regions.
The border region economy is expected to continue
growing, and scrap tires are expected to be gener-
ated in even larger quantities. Even with the efforts
of both nations, a binational tire management strat-
egy is critical.
During a November 2004 Binational border visit,
former SEMARNAT Minister Cardenas and former
EPA Administrator Leavitt signed a Letter of Intent to
develop a Comprehensive Scrap Tire Management
Strategy. The purpose of this strategy is to improve
effective management of scrap tires in the border
area and throughout Mexico. This strategy will also
provide guidance to continue cleanup efforts on
both sides of the border, and beyond.
The strategy consists of six proposed actions that
meet Border 2012 Program goals and four basic
principles. Some of the proposed actions are al-
ready underway in both countries, either indepen-
dently, or jointly under Border 2012. However, with
the strategy, both countries will be clear and consis-
tent on the basic principles, and the short and long-
term actions that are necessary to properly man-
age scrap tires. Further, the strategy will help both
countries leverage existing resources. After signing
the strategy, the U.S. and Mexico agreed to seek
funding and implement the strategy.
Tire Pile Cleanup
The cleanup of abandoned tire piles is a significant
binational border priority because of the known pub-
lic and environmental threats. One of the largest tire
piles in the whole border region is the Juarez pile,
with approximately 4 - 5 million tires. In the Califor-
nia/Baja California region, the largest tire piles were
Centinela, with 1.2 million tires and INNOR, with
over 400,000 tires.
Working in cooperation with local and state gov-
ernments and industry, cleanups at all three of the
largest tire piles along the border are underway or
completed. Cleanup at the INNOR tire pile in the
Mexicali area is complete. Cleanup of approximately
900,000 tires from the 1.2 million-tire pile at the
Centinela site, also in the Mexicali area, is underway,
and the entire tire pile is expected to be completely
removed at the end of 2006. Both of these projects
send the waste tires to cement kilns where they are
used as tire derived fuel. The removal of tire piles
reduces land contamination and public health risks
in both Baja California and California.
In Arizona and Sonora a project removed 40,000
scrap tires in Agua Prieta. Tires were collected and
transported by rail to a cement plant and used as
fuel. The cleanup has reduced land contamination
and public health risks in Mexico and Arizona. Tire
pile cleanup is also a priority for tribes along the bor-
der. The Pala Band of Mission Indians removed over
34,000 tires from its reservation and issued a cease
and desist order to an unlicensed junk yard.
EPA, SEMARNAT, NADBank, BECC and Ciudad
Juarez were instrumental in the success of the
Binational Forum on Air and Wastes held in Sep-
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Oct. 2004: Air Policy Forum Meeting: Break-
I out sessions focused on seeking local/regional
consensus on Air Policy direction for six broad
areas
- --.- | I Oct. 2004: Border Binational Health Week
-------
15
Above: INNOR tire pile
prior to cleanup
Below: INNOR tire pile
after cleanup
tember 2004 in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Under
an agreement, SEMARNAT, EPA, the state of Chi-
huahua, and the City of Ciudad Juarez began the
cleanup of the pile. As a result of this agreement
over 1 million scrap tires have been removed and
used as tire derived fuel in a local cement kiln, and
a road was paved with rubberized asphalt. In addi-
tion, EPA is working with BECC, Ciudad Juarez and
GCC Cemento, S.A. de C.V., Samlayuca, a local ce-
ment plant, to remove approximately 620,000 scrap
tires from the Juarez pile. This project will showcase
the advantages of using scrap tires for energy in the
U.S.-Mexico border region.
In the Lower Rio Grande Valley a project will ana-
lyze available tire recycling technology which can be
used to construct and operate a facility, determine
local needs for incorporating crumb rubber applica-
tions, and estimate the number of waste scrap tires
generated annually.
Texas A&M University in Kingsville is evaluating
waste tire applications as possible sustainable tech-
nology solutions for highway engineering projects.
The researchers there are testing the use of waste
tires as roadway subgrade and base material. The
project will provide science-based information to
help solid waste managers safely process and re-
use the tires.
The City of Eagle Pass has a project underway to
remove approximately 50,000 tires, and eliminate
health and safety hazards associated with tire piles.
A 50/50 mix of clean fill and tire shreds will be used
in the construction of concrete flood ditches.
Nov. 2004: U.S.-Mexico Binational Commission
Meeting, Mexico. Letter of Cooperation between
EPA and SEMARNAT signed; State to State
Partnership
Nov. 2004: Arizona-Sonora Regional
Workgroup Meeting. Task Forces present their
accomplishments and priorities for the coming
year
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16
Challenges Along the Border
Socioeconomic factors, demographic distribution,
high population growth, lack of health insurance and
environmental degradation along the border create
a serious need to improve health conditions. Inad-
equate and often nonexistent environmental infra-
structure makes border residents more susceptible
to higher rates of asthma, hepatitis and spread of
infectious diseases than the population as a whole.
For example, tuberculosis in the 24 border counties
is double the U.S. national average. In Mexico, the
incidence of tuberculosis along the border is hetero-
geneous, nevertheless, in Mexicali, for instance, the
incidence of tuberculosis is three times the national
average (48.7 cases per 100,000 people). In Tex-
as' Rio Grande Valley, cases of hepatitis A are four
times as common as the rest of the state; in 2002
alone, over 700 cases of hepititis A were reported
in Baja California. Poor air quality can increase the
incidence of asthma, respiratory ailments, heart dis-
ease and diminished lung capacity. Nearly all of the
24 counties along the border in the U.S. have been
by the Department of Health and Human Services
designated health professional shortage areas.
Projects and Results
Border 2012 funded seven pesticides-related proj-
ects addressing a variety of issues and populations
along the border. These projects dealt with reducing
children's exposure to pesticides through integrated
pest management programs at border schools, and
the measurement and analysis of children's expo-
sure and susceptibility to pesticides. For example,
the Pala Band of Mission Indians implemented a
Integrated Pesticides Management Plan, requiring
pesticide applicators to obtain a permit from the
tribal office before dispensing pesticides within the
reservation. Other projects compiled pesticide use
data and assessed the feasibility of a pesticide poi-
soning tracking system. Farm worker training was
another important component of the pesticides proj-
ects. Three projects supplied educational materials
and training to farm workers, while one project pro-
vided crop specific data to farm workers and their
employers on the exposure hazards associated with
pesticides.
In Texas, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas, an
environmental education program trained over 100
teachers from four pairs of border sister cities. Other
efforts included a lead poisoning prevention cam-
paign in Arizona, the development of an Internet en-
vironmental education database for educators, and
a binational community action plan to educate resi-
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Jan. 2005: Waste Policy Forum meets in
Tijuana. Agreements made regarding the
development of a binational Waste Action Plan
and policy on clean-up of waste sites
Jan. 2005: Environmental Health Workgroup
and Border Indicators Task Force Joint Meeting
-------
17
dents and prevent the spread of West Nile virus and
dengue fever in New Mexico, Texas and Chihuahua.
Similarly, funds were invested to build the capacity
of border professionals and residents to respond
to environmental threats. One project developed a
binational capacity building course for health care
providers. Trainers developed environmental health
skills appropriate for health care response and man-
agement along the Border. The course trained one
hundred physicians on common binational envi-
ronmental health exposure and corresponding pa-
tient care management. Another project organized
community members among four Hidalgo County
colonias and helped them assess their environmen-
tal health needs. Through these assessments, the
four Hidalgo County colonias developed a Colonias
Health Action Plan to engage public and private
health and infrastructure institutions to resolve the
identified priority issues. In addition, the Environmen-
tal Health Work Group was influential in implement-
ing projects along the border.
Partnering for Success:
Border-wide Efforts
The Environmental Health Work Group serves as a
main conduit for addressing binational environmen-
tal health concerns. The work group's efforts have
developed and supported a wide range of projects.
Four projects funded the development and definition
of indicators to gauge the health of border residents.
A key aspect of improving environmental health
depends on defining indicators of specific human
health conditions. Once indicators are defined, data
can be gathered over time to assess changes in hu-
man exposure and health conditions due to specific
environmental interventions.
In partnership with the U.S. Geological Service
(USGS) the Border 2012 program has created a new
environmental health website for the Rio Grande.
This website, the first of its kind, incorporates en-
vironmental and health data from both sides of the
border into a Geographic Information System (GIS)
format. The site is a tremendous success, offering
information to border residents, health care profes-
sionals, scientists and policy makers. Due to the
website's success, in 2006 it is expanding to include
the entire border region. To visit the site, go to http://
borderhealth.cr. usgs. gov/index. html
The Environmental Health WorkGroup also support-
ed the Binational Border Health Week. Organized by
the U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission in Oc-
tober of 2004 and 2005, Binational Border Health
Week brings together more than 29 federal partner
agencies and programs, and 310 community orga-
nizations to promote public health along the border,
particularly environmental health.
Cumulative Number of Farmworkers Trained
in Safe Pesticide Use in the Border Region, 2003-2005
Bonier 2012 Goal: 36,000
1*
3
,E 20
15
Source: State of the
Border Region, Indicators
Report 2005
Finally, the work group helped fund a number of proj-
ects in conjunction with the Health Resource Ser-
vices Administration, including:
An analysis of resources currently available in
selected Community and Migrant Health Cen-
ters along the border to determine their level of
knowledge and need for additional information to
promote respiratory and cardiovascular health,
and prevent contamination and disease resulting
from exposure to airborne contaminants;
Clinical Impacts of Promotoras-led Education
on Child Pesticides Exposure. This project will
develop and test a methodology for assessing
environmental health education, and the integral
role of training local women as promotoras for
community environmental health education, on
clinical outcomes for children who might be sub-
ject to pesticide exposure;
Establishment of a U.S.-Mexico Border Bination-
al Environmental Health Connections E-Group to
establish communication among and between
U.S. and Mexican Health Professionals to:
- Identify common health and environmental
problems which affect public health along the
border
- Identify needs which can be addressed
through collaboration, and
- Share information about solutions and inter-
vention models which have been successful
among peers in facilitating resolution of prob-
lems and addressing needs.
Disease susceptibility, risk analysis and preven-
tion projects were also funded. These included
binational surveillance of air pollution-related dis-
eases and environmental health interventions that
concentrated on lead exposure, water and air
contamination reduction and risk assessment.
For more information on Environmen-
tal Health Work Group Projects, go to
www. epa.gov/ehwg
Feb. 2005: Good Neighbor Board Report: Water
Resources Management on the U.S.-Mexico
Border
Feb. 2005: Chihuahua-New Mexico-Texas
Regional Work Group Meeting
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18
Spotlight: Environmental Health
During the hands-
on toxics training,
two women learn the
importance of reducing
children's exposure
to toxics and how to
decrease exposure
Binational Tracking Network of
Environmentally Related Diseases
This project addresses the information gap on dis-
eases associated with environmental exposures
throughout the Chihuahua-New Mexico-Texas
Border Region by establishing a pilot program to
collect data in El Paso, Sunland Park, and Ciudad
Juarez. An inclusive committee will set criteria for
the various classes of environmental diseases and
analyze results to see if links can be established be-
tween environmental quality and disease. The first
phase of the pilot program considers only respira-
tory-based diseases. The project seeks to improve
public knowledge and understanding of the relation-
ship between air quality and respiratory diseases.
The pilot project will initiate a tracking network to
provide comprehensive data on diseases and their
relationship to environmental conditions. It will be
designed to provide common criteria and method-
ology for the U.S.-Mexico border region on disease
tracking and data reporting, and possibly develop
indicators for environmental health. Among the most
widely mentioned issues in the development of dis-
ease tracking networks is the difficulty in develop-
ing compatible databases. This project will attempt
to remove that barrier. For more information, go to
www.infofrontera.org/btnerd/index.htm
Pesticides Studies: Pilot Study
to Measure Neurobehavioral
Effects of Pesticides in Children
The purpose of the first pilot pesticide project is to
identify a field-ready method to evaluate cognitive
and / or behavioral endpoints in very young children
living in U.S.-Mexico border communities. The proj-
ect addresses the need to evaluate young children
with potentially high exposures to pesticides. Based
on a thorough review of available methods and ap-
proaches, a relatively new questionnaire, the Infant
and Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment was
selected. The Spanish version of the assessment
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Feb. 2005: California and Arizona Border
Tribal Caucus Meetings held to identify
accomplishments and priorities
March 2005: National Coordinators Meeting,
Tucson, Arizona: Priorities included promotion of
diesel retrofit projects and cleanup of abandoned
waste and tire sites
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19
A woman interviews a
farmworker to assess
what precautions he
takes while working in
the fields. The health
official offers bilingual
educational materials
on pesticides to reduce
exposure
was evaluated for use within two colonias in the
Rio Grande Valley. Thirty-nine children between 12
and 47 months of age were enrolled in the study.
For each child, a parent or other primary caregiver
completed the assessment. This pilot study intends
to demonstrate the assessment as an acceptable
instrument for evaluation of young children in U.S.-
Mexico border communities. Specific recommenda-
tions will be made to modify and standardize the
administration of future assessmnents. For more in-
formation, go to www.epa.gov/ehwg/projectsjDub-
lications/neurobehavioral_effects.html
Pesticide Collection Project to
Dispose of Obsolete Pesticides
in Two Border Communities
Reduces Exposure Risk
The Pesticide Collection Project is a pilot program
that organized pesticide collection and disposal
events in Yuma County, Arizona, and in San Luis Rio
Colorado, Sonora. This demonstration project im-
proved protection of human health and the environ-
ment through the removal of unwanted or obsolete
pesticides from agricultural areas. This prevented
use of these "legacy" pesticides on both sides of
the border, as well as prevented contamination from
improper pesticide storage. Over 46 tons of waste
pesticide was removed during the collection events
in August, 2006. Based on this project, Mexico has
initiated a nationwide inventory of waste pesticides.
This project is intended to illustrate the need for
sustainable collection programs in both Arizona and
Sonora.
The Baja Mobile Medical
Clinic brings medical
care to residents that are
unable to seek medical
attention otherwise.
Medical care on wheels is
of paramount importance
for residents of rural
areas
May 2005: Mexican/Imperial Valley Sister-city
Emergency Contingency Plan Signing Ceremony
May 2005: INNOR tire pile cleanup complete
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20
Challenges Along the Border
Increasing numbers of industrial facilities that create
hazardous waste have led to more frequent chemi-
cal emergencies. At the same time, because of the
population boom, a much higher risk of public expo-
sure to these contaminants exists. As a result, there
is an immediate need to improve response capability
through training and joint response exercises. Any
spill, release, fire, or explosion that has the potential
to affect either country is reported to the 24-hour
U.S.-based National Response Center or the Mex-
ico-based National Communications Center. Be-
tween 2003 and 2005, these centers received over
700 calls.
In an effort to coordinate and respond to emergen-
cies, the U.S.-Mexico Joint Response Team was es-
tablished in 1999. The team is comprised of federal,
state and local emergency response and prepared-
ness agencies from both nations. The 1999 Joint
Response Team laid the groundwork for sister-city
plans. These plans are binational emergency con-
tingency plans that detail roles and responsibilities
for federal, state and local emergency response
agencies. To date, 15 pairs of sister-cities have es-
tablished emergency contingency plans that pro-
vide coordination among both nations' emergency
responders.
Investment Along the Border
Government agencies have invested over $300,000,
supporting twelve projects in the border region to
support emergency response and preparedness ac-
tivities. About 72 percent of these funds, were used
for capacity building projects, including emergency
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
June 2005: Arizona-Mexico Commission
Meeting: As a result of this meeting the Ambos-
Nogales Air Quality Plan is signed which outlines
12 recommendations for reducing air pollution
July 2005: Following caucus meetings, border
tribes release the Tribal Border Communique on
tribal accomplishments and priorities along the
border
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21
contingency training development and emergency
responder training. Nearly 30 percent was used for
planning, coordination and preparedness activities.
This investment is crucial, since preparedness and
capacity building are essential to the ability of any
agency to respond to an emergency. Response and
preparedness funds account for 4 percent of Border
2012 project funds. In addition to project funds ap-
proximately $880,000 was invested in contract sup-
port to assist in the development of the sister-city
plans.
Building capacity among emergency responders is
an essential component. From 2003-2005 nine proj-
ects involved capacity building. In Arizona-Sonora,
over $67,000 was invested to support training activi-
ties. These projects included courses on tanker cars,
hazardous materials, response to chlorine releases,
and also supported a binational workshop on the
Operation Response Emergency Information Sys-
tem. As a result of the training, emergency respond-
ers are able to make competent, informed decisions
and are better equipped to respond to an emergency
situation involving hazardous materials. In California-
Baja over $120,000 was invested in the binational
Baja California Emergency Management Institute to
ensure long-term sustainability of training capacity
among emergency responders along the border. In
the New Mexico-Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-Tam-
aulipas-Chihuahua border area, over $58,000 was
invested to support hazardous material trainings and
a joint education initiative.
Aside from building capacity, $95,000 was invested
to support emergency response planning, coordina-
tion and preparedness activities. In the New Mexico-
Texas-Chihuahua border area, $60,000 supported
emergency response simulation exercises and evalu-
ations of local sister city response capabilities. These
exercises are mock emergency situations that deter-
mine the effectiveness, coordination and communi-
cation of emergency responders. In Arizona-Sonora
$35,000 was invested to update Ambos Nogales'
binational prevention and emergency response plan.
Frequent revisions to emergency contingency plans
are important because new technologies and threats
change the face of emergencies.
Partnering for Success:
Regional Efforts
In the cities of Presidio, Texas, Ojinaga and Palo-
mas, Chihuahua and Columbus, New Mexico, the
New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua Workgroup has been
instrumental in coordinating local sister city contin-
gency plans.
The workgroup conducted a hazardous materials
commodity flow study for El Paso, which included
the inspection of commercial truck traffic transport-
ing hazardous materials across the Zaragoza-Ys-
The EPA mobile
command center is a
total communications
center. With secure phone
lines, GIS capabilities
and cameras; this truck
enables emergency
responders to set up a
base of operation and
communications
July 2005: Secretary Luege and Administrator
Johnson meet as newly appointed Agency
heads
Oct. 2005: Binational Event Announcing
availability of ULSD on Mexican side of the
border in 2007: Letter of intent signed to
promote emission reductions along the border
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22
leta International Bridge. In addition, the Commodity
Flow Study included facility inspections and risk and
vulnerability analyses of the hazardous materials of
concern for major truck transportation routes. The
workgroup also supported preparedness in environ-
mental health emergency response; trainings were
held in five major hospitals and two clinics in El Paso,
Texas and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua on hospital
mass casualty decontamination.
Other accomplishments include implementing sever-
al binational and tri-national (including Tribal Nations)
exercises to help develop preparedness and pre-
vention in the region. These efforts include risk and
consequence analysis, risk reduction, and counter-
terrorism. The workgroup has also conducted sev-
eral binational training sessions in the areas of haz-
ardous materials, field operation guides, chemical /
biological / radiological / nuclear responses, incident
command/unified command systems, and the De-
partment of Homeland Security's National Incident
Management System and National Response Plan.
Border-wide Efforts
The Emergency Preparedness and Response Bor-
der-wide Workgroup improved binational coordina-
tion among emergency responders, and increased
transparency among federal, state and local agen-
cies while continuing to support Joint Response
Team activities. Highlights include:
A Joint Contingency Plan established the frame-
work and foundation for the 15 sister-city plans;
The National Response Plan includes Mexican
protocols, and updated notification procedures;
The workgroup is currently revising the chemical
emergency notification system between the U.S.
and Mexico last tested in late 2005. The revisions
will enhance binational preparedness, while im-
proving coordination and communication
Ongoing activities include revising an all-hazards
emergency notification system between Mexico and
the U.S. and expedited border crossings for emer-
gency response personnel. The all-hazards notifica-
tion system is being updated and has been included
in the Joint Contingency Plan. Eventually, the up-
dated system will be incorporated into each sister
city plan. The overall effort will enhance health and
safety for both Mexican and U.S. citizens. Expedited
border crossings for emergency response personnel
are essential for the safety and security of both na-
tions' citizens. Officials are working to develop a vi-
able protocol for emergency responders to expedite
their crossing.
EPA Superfund
Emergency Responders
decontaminate Snowball,
to remove any mercury
that might be hidden in
his fur. EPA, PROFEPA,
and state and local
emergency responders
collaborate to develop
binational emergency
contingency plans to
enable coordinated and
effective emergency
response operations
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
Oct. 2005: Binational Commission Meeting:
Theme is Bonder Security
Dec. 2005: Arizona-Sonora Regional Workgroup
meeting
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23
Spotlight: Emergency Preparedness and Response
Baja California Emergency
Management Institute
The Baja California Emergency Management In-
stitute is a public/private binational partnership
for sustainable Border emergency preparedness
through certified academic programs and bina-
tional standardization of skills and procedures.
Focusing first on chemical emergencies, the In-
stitute plans to expand to other hazards such as
bioterrorism and conduct research and risk re-
duction programs. In 2005 the partners signed a
memorandum of collaboration. The autonomous
State University of Baja California serves as fiscal
and organizational coordinator; other partners are
the Tijuana Fire and Civil Protection Department,
Mexico Attorney for Environmental Protection,
EPA, County of San Diego, and State of Cali-
fornia Specialized Training Institute. The private
sector is represented by the Tijuana Chamber of
Commerce and the Pro-Bomberos Tijuana Asso-
ciation. In 2005 the Institute also conducted first
level responder training.
Arizona-Sonora Emergency
Preparedness Task
Force Achievements
In 2003 the Border 2012 Arizona-Sonora Emer-
gency Preparedness Task Force supported a
field exercise in Ambos Nogales to simulate a
response to a terrorist attack. In 2005, this bina-
tional task force conducted a table-top exercise
to test a response involving the sister city plans in
Cochise County, Douglas, and Agua Prieta. The
exercise simulated an overturned tanker truck re-
leasing sulfur dioxide.
In addition, the Arizona-Sonora task force spon-
sored training in exercise design, the Operation
Respond Emergency Information System, rail-
car safety, and the Incident Command System.
The training paid off with coordinated binational
responses to five emergencies in 2005: the
Nogales fire, San Lazaro rail spill, Nogales floods,
a Nogales raw sewage spill and the Naco landfill
fire. Finally, the Task Force met with the Tohono
O'odham Nation Council and identified capacity-
building and tri-national planning as potential col-
laborative projects.
The Baja California
Emergency Management
Institute will host
classes for local
emergency responders.
In this table-top exercise
emergency responders
are determining roadways
to use and roadways to
block in the event of an
emergency
Jan. 2006: The Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-
Tamaulipas Regional Workgroup formed three
binational, geographically focused environmental
Task Forces: the Gulf Task Force, the Falcon
Task Force and the Amistad Task Force
Feb 2006: First Gulf Task Force Meeting
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24
Challenges Along the Border
Growing industrial activity along the border has led
to increased air emissions, waste generation, and
water and energy use on both sides of the border.
These environmental impacts make collaboration
and cooperation between both nations increasingly
important to ensure environmental compliance and
foster enhanced participation in voluntary programs.
The border region is home to over 19,000 regulated
facilities, with roughly 8,600 in the U.S. and 11,000
in Mexico; "regulated" is defined as any facility need-
ing an air or water discharge permit or that handles
hazardous waste. Both nations must work with the
manufacturing sector to improve environmental con-
ditions through compliance assistance, incentive-
based voluntary programs, and targeted enforce-
ment efforts.
Projects and Results
From 2003-2005, over $300,000 was provided for
projects along the border to ensure compliance, pro-
vide technical assistance, target enforcement activi-
ties, and reduce waste through pollution prevention
programs and Environmental Management System
(EMS) training.
The money supported six projects. Nearly 70 per-
cent of projects funded dealt with pollution preven-
tion and provided EMS training and implementation.
Enforcement targeting and compliance assurance
related activities made up the remainder. All these
projects support related efforts to reduce waste.
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
March 2006: First Falcon Task Force Meeting
March 2006: U.S.- Mexico Binational
Commission Meeting, U.S.: Letter of cooperation
between USAID, EPA and SEMARNAT signed on
Methane to Markets
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25
Arizona Governor Janet
Napolitano (center
left) with Sonora
Governor Bours (center
right) present AMIGO
award to Sonora
industry recipients
for their outstanding
achievements
Partnering for Success:
Regional Efforts
The four regional workgroups worked to address cit-
izen concerns, identify needs, and provide guidance
and support for projects in the past three years. The
California-Baja regional workgroup supported the
Green Business Pilot Program for the Automotive
Industry in Tijuana, Mexico, which reduces hazard-
ous waste through pollution prevention, education,
training, and cost incentives. To date, people work-
ing at 23 automotive repair shops were trained in
green business practices. In addition, the workgroup
is also supporting EMS and pollution prevention
training for businesses and port-of-entry inspec-
tions training for the California-Baja area. The Ari-
zona-Sonora workgroup supported similar projects,
including EMS workshops and the Arizona Mexico
International Green Organization (AMIGO) Program
to bring Arizona and Mexican industries closer to-
gether to share technologies that reduce waste and
pollution, while increasing profits, worker safety, and
environmental health.
The Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-Tamaulipas Re-
gional Workgroup, working with Texas and SEMAR-
NAT held seven Pollution Prevention and Resource
Conservation workshops from 2003-2005. In the
same period two voluntary site assistance visits to
maquiladoras were made, yielding significant reduc-
tions to pollution along the border.
The project has produced dramatic results in reduc-
ing waste generation and energy consumption in
border facilities. Since 1994, participating maquila-
doras have reported:
Reducing hazardous waste generation by about
21,000 tons
Reducing non-hazardous waste generation by
more than 117,000 tons
Reducing volatile organic compound emissions
by more than 95,000 pounds
Reducing CO2 emissions by about 900,000
pounds
Conserving approximately 523 million gallons of
water
Conserving more than 481 million kilowatt hours
of electricity and
Saving partner U.S. facilities nearly $89 million in
avoided material and disposal costs
Border-wide Efforts
To enhance environmental performance, the Bor-
der-wide Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance
Workgroup
Developed an inventory of high-risk facilities
Promoted self-auditing and voluntary compliance
programs
Established a Web-based Border Compliance
Assistance Center
Supported training for Mexican and U.S. cus-
toms officials on environmental violations
Established a protocol for sampling hazardous
waste compounds at ports of entry
PROFEPA "Clean
Industry" program to
honor businesses that
take measures to reduce
their environmental
impact
March 2006:10 Border States Retreat, San
Francisco
March 2006: Good Neighbor Board Report: Air
Quality, Transportation and Natural Resources
along the border
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26
Spotlight: Compliance and Enforcement
State personnel safely
remove and dispose
hazardous materials
Radio Frequency Identification
Pilot for Hazardous
Waste Transports
Efforts are underway to test the use of Radio Fre-
quency Identification (RFID) as a means to track
shipments of hazardous waste from maquiladoras
in Mexico to their final treatment or disposal facility
in the U.S. The RFID tags and corresponding read-
ers enable customs officials, the waste generators,
and others to track the waste from a maquiladora
site as it travels through Mexican and U.S. border
checkpoints, along U.S. highways, to its designated
receiving facility for recycling, treatment or disposal.
Successful implementation of the pilot program will
facilitate safe transport of hazardous waste and re-
duce the potential for illegal dumping of the material.
It could also speed border crossings, thus reducing
air emissions and fuel use by trucking companies us-
ing the technology.
Border Compliance and
Enforcement Prioritization Tool
By extracting information from national databases
on over 8,000 facilities in the border region, EPA has
developed a tool to incorporate data on compliance
history, pollutant releases, and population statistics
that allows users to sort and rank facilities based
an a number of factors. The tool is designed to help
Border Timeline 2002 - 2006, cont.
April 2006: Strategy for Indicator Development
Report
April 2006: National Coordinators Meeting,
Ensenada, Mexico. Priorities included: removal
of obsolete pesticides, increased availability
of low-sulfur fuel, pilot technologies related to
transboundary movement of waste
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27
regional work groups prioritize compliance activi-
ties, such as inspections and compliance assistance
for different facilities, geographic areas or industrial
sectors. It has been distributed to the regional task
forces for implementation, not only for compliance
activities but also for helping to identify facilities that
may pose significant environmental risks from indus-
trial pollutant releases. For example, it can help iden-
tify facilities that may be causing a disproportionate
environmental impact on a particular population, or
help identify which facilities are polluting a stream or
watershed.
Border Compliance
Assistance Center
The Border Center is a web-based compliance as-
sistance resource developed in partnership with the
National Center for Manufacturing Sciences. The
purpose is to help businesses importing hazardous
waste from Mexico understand and comply with
applicable environmental regulations. Providing the
regulated community with information can help them
meet and exceed environmental compliance in both
countries. The center provides online, plain language
explanations in both English and Spanish on envi-
ronmental requirements that apply to U.S. importers,
U.S. warehouse/storage facilities, U.S. and Mexican
transporters, and Mexican generators. The informa-
tion includes federal and state regulations, packag-
ing and labeling requirements, paperwork prepara-
tion guidelines, as well as customs yard information
at ports of entry from California to Texas. While the
Border Center serves three main groups (Mexican
hazardous waste generators, Mexican and U.S.
transporters, and U.S. importers/brokers), it is also
useful to federal and state regulators and the public.
Center usage has increased by an impressive 412%
since the Center's 2003 inaugural year. For more in-
formation, go to www.bordercenter.org/index2.cfm
Major accomplishments include a cooperative effort
between the Border Center, EPA and U.S. Customs
and Border Protection to provide U.S. hazardous
waste manifests from each port of entry, for develop-
ment of a hazardous waste manifest database. The
compilation of data is in its pilot phase, and includes
types and quantities of hazardous waste entering
U.S. ports of entry and their final destination. The
Border Center will use the data to develop a hazard-
ous waste destination directory to help maquiladoras
and importers decide where to most efficiently send
their waste.
The center is establishing three new key features: (1)
Crossing the Border, which provides Customs con-
tacts, number of open lanes/longest wait times, and
paperwork instructions for transporters; (2) a Waste
Code Dictionary cross-referencing EPA and INE haz-
ardous waste codes; and (3) a Broker Directory to
help locate U.S. waste brokers.
Secretary Enrique
Villegas of the Baja
California Secretariat
for Environmental
Protection addresses
private and public sector
representatives at the
2006 Eco-Efficiency
Conference in Tijuana,
MX.
May 2006: Joint Advisory Committee 10th
Anniversary
June 2006: First joint BECC/NADBank Meeting:
Agreement on developing BECC technical
assistance program, using $50 million in paid-
for capital, making the Solid Waste Program
permanent
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28
Contact List: United States
The following contacts can provide information on environmental issues and activities in their respective states and regions.
EPA OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL
AFFAIRS
U.S. National Coordinator
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20460
Telephone: (202) 564-6600
Fax: (202) 565-2407
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/international
ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Arizona-Mexico Border Programs Unit
400 West Congress, Suite 433
Tucson, AZ 85701
Telephone: (520) 628-6744
(888)271-9302
Internet: www.adeq.state.az.us
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
Border Affairs Unit
1001 I Street, 25th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Telephone: (916) 324-7316
Internet: www.calepa.ca.gov
NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT
DEPARTMENT
1190 St. Francis Drive
P.O. Box26110
Santa Fe, NM 87502
Telephone: (505) 827-2176
Internet: www.nmenv.state.nm.us
TEXAS COMMISSION ON
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Division of Border Affairs
MC-121
P.O. Box 13087
Austin, TX 78711-3087
Telephone: (512) 239-3606
Internet: www.tceq.state.tx.us
EPA REGION 9
75 Hawthorne Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
Telephone: (415) 972-3434
Internet: www.epa.gov/region09
EPA SAN DIEGO BORDER OFFICE
610 West Ash Street, Suite 905
San Diego, CA 92101
Telephone: (619) 235-4765
EPA REGION 6
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202
Telephone: (214) 665-8188
Internet: www.epa.gov/region06
EPA EL PASO BORDER OFFICE
4050 Rio Bravo, Suite 100
El Paso, TX 79902
Telephone: (915) 533-7273
TRIBAL COORDINATORS
California Tribal Liasion
Nina Hapner
42143 Avenida Alvarado, Unit 2A
Temecula, CA 92590
Telephone: (951)296-5595
Email: tribalenvironmental@yahoo.com
Arizona Tribal Border Liaison
Tibaldo (Ty) Canez
609 E. Oxford Drive
Tempe, AZ 85283
Telephone: 480-820-1426
Email: tylcanez@msn.com
EPA Region 6 Tribal Liasion
Jonathan Hook
1445 Ross Avenue, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75202
Telephone: 214-665-8069
Email: hook.jonathan@epa.gov
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Contact List: Mexico
29
UNIDAD COORDINADORA DE
ASUNTOS INTERNACIONALES DE
SEMARNAT
Coordinador Nacional Mexico
Av. San Jeronimo 458, Col. Jardines del
Pedregal
Del. Alvaro obregon, c.p. 01900
Mexico, D.F.
Telefono: (52-55)5490-2100
Fax: (52-55)5490-2194
Internet: www.semarnat.gob.
mx/frontera2012
BAJA CALIFORNIA
Direccion General de Ecologfa
Telefono: (664) 624-2095
Fax: (664) 624-2096
CHIHUAHUA
Direccion de Ecologfa
Telefono: (614)410-6440
Fax: (614)410-0474
COAHUILA
Institute Coahuilense de Ecologfa
Telefono: (844)414-9213
(844)412-5622,-22
Fax: (844)412-5678,-22
NUEVO LEON
Subsecretarfa de Ecologfa
Telefono: (818) 331 -3156, -64, -94
Fax: (818)331-3156,-64,-94
SONORA
Direccion General de Normatividad
Ecologica
Telefono: (662)213-1966
Fax: (662)213-1966
TAMAULIPAS
Direccion General de Desarrollo
Sustentable
Telefono: (834)318-9450
Fax: (834)318-9466
DELEGACION SEMARNAT EN BAJA
CALIFORNIA
Telefono:
Email:
(686)551-8701
bc_deleg@semarnat.gob.mx
DELEGACION SEMARNAT EN SONORA
Telefono: (662) 259-2701
Email: son.deleg@semarnat.gob.mx_
DELEGACION DE PROFEPA EN
CHIHUAHUA
Telefono: (656)611-0166
Fax: (656) 611 -0220
Email: chihprofepa@terra.com.mx
DELEGACION DE SEMARNAT EN
CHIHUAHUA
Telefono: (614)442-1501
Email: deleg@chihuahua.semarnat.gob.
mx
DELEGACION DE SEMARNAT EN
NUEVO LEON
Delg. de Nuevo Leon
Telefono: (818)369-8902
Email: nleon_deleg@semarnat.gob.mx
DELEGACION DE SEMARNAT EN
COAHUILA
Telefono: (844) 411 -8402
Email: delegado@coahuila.semarnat.
gob.mx
DELEGACION DE SEMARNAT EN
TAMAULIPAS
Telefono: (834)318-5251
Email: delegado@tamaulipas.semarnat.
gob.mx
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30
List of Acronyms
BECC Border Environment Cooperation
Commission
COFEPRIS Mexico's Federal Sanitary System
CONAGUA Mexico's National Water Commission
EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
GNEB Good Neighbor Environmental Board
INE Mexico's National Institute of Ecology
NADBank North American Development Bank
PROFEPA Mexico's Federal Attorney General for
Environmental Protection
SEMARNAT Mexico's Secretariat for the Environment
and Natural Resources
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