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
aquifer—the 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

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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

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                                                                                                                                    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

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                                                                                                                             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

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                                                                                                                                  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

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                                                                                                                               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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