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August 2001
Issue Number 7
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
INTRODUCTION
U.S. EPA's Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO) provides
leadership, advocacy, and assistance to:
""*• Prevent and prepare for hazardous material (HazMat) emergencies;
""*• Respond to environmental crises; and
""*• Inform the public about chemical hazards in their community.
To protect human health and the environment, CEPPO develops, implements, and
coordinates regulatory and non-regulatory programs. The Office carries out this work in
partnership with U.S. EPA Regional Offices, domestic and international organizations in the
public and private sectors, and the general public.
The purpose of the Semiannual Report on United States-Mexico Border Contingency
Planning Activities is to consolidate information on United States-Mexico border joint
response and contingency planning from U.S. EPA Regions, border states, and Sister Cities
in order to promote the exchange of information and coordination among these groups.
The types of U.S.-only and binational activities presented in this report include efforts such
as developing Sister City plans, response exercises, training courses, and responses to actual
hazardous material and environmental incidents. Essential documents, websites, and
contact information also make this report useful reference material.
Each of the U.S. EPA Regions, U.S. states, and other organizations along the United States-
Mexico border were contacted for information on recent and upcoming planning,
preparedness, and response activities in the border area. The information gathered for the
sixth issue of the report (October 2000) served as the baseline for this update. Updates are
published twice a year.
PUBLISHED BY
U.S. EPA
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20460
Contacts (and e-mail addresses):
Kim Jennings (lENNINCS.KIMOEPA.COV)
Armando Santiago (SANTIACO.ARMANDOOEPA.COV)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
U.S. EPA AND STATE CONTACTS
U.S.EPAI-EADQLWKIERS
202-564-7998
Armando Santiago
202-564-8002
US. EPA REGION 6
Fenclol Chiles
214-665-2283
US. EPA REGION 9
Lauren \6lpini
415-744-2333
TEXAS
TomMik\ee
512-424-2443
NEWMEXIOO
Max Johnson
505476-9620
CAU FORMA
Rcardo Martinez
916-227-4328
ARIZONA
Placido DDS Santos
520-628-6744
M'ke Foster
520-628-5711
ISSUE NUMBER 7 CONTRIBUTORS
""*• Fendol Chiles, U.S. EPA Region 6
""*• Lauren Volpini, U.S. EPA Region 9
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
DOCUMENTS OF INTEREST
Sister City Plans
""*• Binational Prevention and Emergency Response Plan between Nogales, Arizona and
Nogales, Sonora (March 2000) (bilingual copies available from the U.S. EPA Region
9 Border Office, Tel.# (619) 235-4765)
""*• Binational Prevention and Emergency Response Plan between San Luis, Arizona and
San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora (February 2000) (bilingual copies available from U.S.
EPA Region 9 Border Office, Tel.# (619) 235-4765)
""*• Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Emergency Response Plan (May 1997) (available
from Fendol Chiles, U.S. EPA Region 6, Tel.# (214) 665-2283)
""*• Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Sister City Emergency Response Plan (March 1998)
(available from Fendol Chiles, U.S. EPA Region 6, Tel.# (214) 665-2283)
""*• Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Sister City Emergency Response Plan (December 1998)
(available from Fendol Chiles, U.S. EPA Region 6, Tel.# (214) 665-2283)
""*• McAllen-Reynosa Sister City Emergency Response Plan (February 2000) (available
from Fendol Chiles, U.S. EPA Region 6, Tel.# (214) 665-2283)
General Information
""*• "Border Visions," a 50-minute, bilingual education video about Border XXI
(December 1999). (For information about viewing or obtaining a copy, contact the
U.S. EPA Region 9 Border Office, Tel.# (619) 235-4765.)
""*• Fact Sheets for the Border XXI Workgroups (available from U.S. EPA Region 9 Border Office,
Tel.# (619)235-4765.
""*• Joint United States-Mexico Inland Contingency Plan (signed June 4, 1999) (available
in English and Spanish, from Kim Jennings, U.S. EPA Headquarters, Tel.# (202) 564-7998
and on the web at http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/pubs/border/ipmjcp-e.pdf)
""*• Semiannual Report on United States-Mexico Border Contingency Planning Activities
(Issue Number 1, February 1998; Issue Number 2, August 1998; Issue Number 3,
January 1999; Issue Number 4, September 1999; Issue Number 5, April 2000; Issue
Number 6, October 2000) (available from Kim Jennings, U.S. EPA Headquarters, Tel.#
(202) 564-7998 and on the web at http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/ip-bopr.htm#mexico)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
""*• United States-Mexico Border Environmental Indicators 1997 (June 1998) (available
from Kim Jennings, U.S. EPA Headquarters, Tel.# (202) 564-7998 and on the web
at http://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder/indica97/index.htm)
Guidance Documents
""*• Clean Air Act Risk Management Plan manual in Spanish (1998; translation of 157-
page English manual) (available on CD-ROM from Fendol Chiles, U.S. EPA Region 6, Tel.#
(214) 665-2283)
""*• Emergency Response Guidebook 2000 (available in English and Spanish from the
U.S. Department of Transportation through the Government Printing Office
(http://bookstore.gpo.gov) and through your state coordinator for emergency response
organizations (http://Hazmat.dot.gov/gydebook.htm))
""+ Enhanced Exercise Design Course Manual (CA Specialized Training Institute under U.S. EPA
contract) (available from U.S. EPA Region 9 Chemical Emergency Preparedness and
Prevention Office, Tel.# (415) 744-2405)
""*• Imperial and San Diego Counties Pesticide Episode Response Plans (September
1998) (available from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, Tel.# (760) 339-
4314)
""*• Personal Safety Plan: Chemical Emergencies (1998) (available from Corpus Christi Nueces
County LEPC, Tel.# (361) 880-3960)
""*• Response Procedures for 45 Chemicals (November 1998) (available from Corpus
Christi Nueces County LEPC, Tel.# (361) 860-3960)
""+ U.S. Coast Guard ICS Basic Student Guide and Field Operations Guidelines/ICS Guia de
Operaciones de Campo para Derrames Petroleros and ICS Basico Guia de Estudiante
(available in Spanish at http://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder/cper/ics.htm under the
"Training" link)
Hazardous Materials Commodity Flow Studies
""+ Hazardous Material Commodity Flow Study: Calexico, California Area (January 2001)
(available from U.S. EPA Region 9 Border Office, Tel.# (619) 235-4765 and at
http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/ip-bopr.htm)
""+ Hazardous Material Commodity Flow Study: San Diego, California (June 2001) (available
from U.S. EPA Region 9 Border Office, Tel.# (619) 235-4765 and at
http://www.epa.gov/ceppo/ip-bopr.htm)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
INTERNET SITES OF INTEREST
""*• EPA CEPPO — http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/
mi* EPA Region 6 Border Program — http://www.epa.gov/r6border/index.htm
"ii+ EPA Region 6 Border Program/U.S.- Mexico Border XXI Contingency Planning and
Emergency Response Workgroup — http://www.epa.gov/r6border/ef-erp.htm
""+ EPA Region 9 Border XXI Program — http://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder/
""+ U.S. National Response Center — htip://www.nrc.uscg.mil
""+ Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Mexico Border Program —
http://www.adeq.state.az.us/environ/regional/sro/border.html
""+ Border EcoWeb by San Diego State University — http://www.borderecoweb.sdsu.edu
mi* Border Environment Cooperation Commission — http://www.cocef.org
mi* Border Information & Solutions Network — http://www.bisn.org/
""+ California EPA Border Environmental Program — http://bep.calepa.ca.gov
""+ City of Brownsville, Texas — http://www.ci.brownsville.tx.us/
""+ Corpus Christi Nueces County Local Emergency Planning Committee —
http://www. cclepc. org
""+ Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission —http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/
""+ PROFEPA Environmental Emergencies in Mexico — http://www.profepa.gob.mx
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
STATUS OF SISTER CITY PLANS
(Bold text indicates a final, signed plan.)
Brownsville, Texas-
Matamoros,
Tamaulipas
Signed on May 6,1997. Title: Cross Border Contingency Plan
— U.S./Mexico — Brownsville/'Matamoros.
Eagle Pass, Texas-
Piedras Negras,
Coahuila
Signed on March 25, 1998. Title: Cross Border Contingency
Plan, U.SjMexico Sister Cities, Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras.
Laredo, Texas-Nuevo
Laredo, Tamaulipas
McAllen, Texas-
Reynosa, Tamaulipas
Signed on December 21, 1998. Title: Cross Border
Contingency Plan, U.SjMexico Sister Cities, Laredo/Nuevo
Laredo.
Signed on February 19, 2000. Title: Cross Border Contingency
Plan, U.SjMexico Sister Cities, McAllen/Reynosa.
Del Rio, Texas-Ciudad
Acufia, Coahuila
El Paso, Texas-Ciudad
Juarez, Chihuahua
Seventeen representatives, including eight from Cuidad Acufia,
attended a kick-off meeting held in Del Rio, TX on April 26, 2001.
The plan should be completed in 2001.
This plan is in draft stage and should be finalized in 2001.
Presidio, Texas -
Ojinaga, Chihuahua
Plan development discussions have occurred and the Plan will
be considered by local officials in the near future.
Weslaco, Texas -
Norte Progresso, Rio
Bravo
Meetings held in July 2001 for preparation and completion of
the Sister City Plan. The draft of the plan was reviewed in late
July 2001.
Columbus, New
Mexico-Puerto Las
Palomas, Chihuahua
This plan is finalized and awaiting signatures from the appropriate
parties.
Douglas, Arizona-Agua
Prieta, Sonora
Naco, Arizona-Naco,
Sonora
A binational letter of understanding to cooperate in case of
emergencies became effective on April 29, 1999. The Sister City
Plan is in the final stage of development. The Binational Steering
Committee expects to complete the plan and hold a signing
ceremony in Fall 2001.
Initial binational discussions regarding Sister City planning held
on August 1, 2001.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
STATUS OF SISTER CITY PLANS (cont'd)
Nogales, Arizona-
Nogales, Sonora
San Luis, Arizona-San
Luis Rio Colorado,
Sonora
Signed on March 17, 2000. Title: Binational Prevention and
Emergency Response Plan between Nogales, Arizona and
Nogales, Sonora.
Signed on February 25, 2000. Title: Binational Prevention and
Emergency Response Plan between San Luis, Arizona and San
Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.
Calexico, California-
Mexicali, Baja
California
San Diego, California-
Tijuana, Ensenada,
Tecate, and Playas de
Rosarito, Baja
California
A mutual aid agreement was signed in September 1993, entitled
"City of Calexico-City of Mexicali Mutual Aid Agreement." An
Agreement was developed between Imperial County, California
and Ayuntamiento de Mexicali, Baja California in June 1999,
entitled "Emergency Services Mutual Aid Agreement." Currently,
there are no formal efforts underway to develop a Sister City Plan.
Communication plans exist for San Diego and Imperial Counties
in the U.S. and Baja California in Mexico. Currently,
there are no formal efforts underway to develop a Sister City Plan.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT1 UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
(Presented in Chronological Order (Presented by State in the Final Table))
September 18-22,
2000
October 23-2 7,
2000
Brownsville, TX/Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Conducted
international exercises and presented workshops on hazardous
materials during a five-day introductory hazardous materials
training course. The course was conducted by a Federal On-
Scene Coordinator and contractor personnel. Course topics
included the Incident Command System (ICS) and the Unified
Command System (UCS), site characterization and hazard
identification, personal protective equipment, decontamination
procedures, the implementation of the Joint Contingency Plan,
and the role of Proteccion Civil and the National Response
Center in the exercises. Workshop materials were available in
Spanish and English and simultaneous interpretation was
provided for up to 100 participants. Exercise and workshop
participants included private medical response services, the
Office of Center Operations and Community Services from the
University of Texas, local emergency management teams, and
the emergency brigades from LC Electronics and Johnson
Controls.
McAllen, TX/Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Conducted international
exercises and presented workshops during a five-day
introductory hazardous materials training course. The course
was taught in Spanish and English and covered numerous
topics. See previous listing from September 18-22, 2000 for
details.
Hazardous material escapes from a tanker at the
Brownsville-Matamoros exercise in September
2000. (Photo courtesy of A. Santiago.)
Or not previously reported in an earlier update.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
""*• October 2000
November 2000
December 11-15,
2000
January 2001
Nogales, AZ. EPA Region 9 translated into Spanish and
sponsored a week-long binational course on hazmat exercise
design. The 40-hour course was delivered by the California
Special Training Institute, through an EPA contract. During the
course, participants designed and conducted the first tabletop
exercise of their Sister City Plan.
Eagle Pass, TX. EPA Region 6 conducted a five-day
commodity flow study of hazardous materials vehicles
(transporters and box trailers) crossing the border at the
Camino Real port of entry. The purpose of the survey was to
determine the number of trucks and volume of hazardous
cargo transported into the U.S. at this location.
San Luis, AZ. EPA Region 9 translated into Spanish and
sponsored a week-long binational course on hazmat exercise
design. The 40-hour course was delivered by the California
Special Training Institute, through an EPA contract. Participants
were from Calexico/Mexicali, San Luis/San Luis Rio Colorado,
Douglas/Agua Prieta and Yuma County. The course focused on
designing an exercise to test San Luis' new Sister City Plan. In
Fall/Winter 2001, the emergency response community will
utilize their new exercise design skills to plan and conduct a
full-scale, binational hazmat exercise.
Brownsville, TX/Matamoros, Tamaulipas; McAllen,
TX/Reynosa, Tamaulipas; Laredo, TX/Nuevo Laredo,
Tamaulipas; Eagle Pass, TX/Piedras Negras, Coahuila; and
El Paso, TX/Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua. Developed a
database of local emergency response resources for the listed
Sister Cities. The database was designed for use by local
emergency planning commissions (LEPCs) in revising and
updating their emergency response plans. The database is to
be used with Lotus Organizer software.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
January 2001 San Diego, CA. EPA Region 9 was part of a multi-agency,
multimedia inspection team that visited ten Customs Brokerage
houses. The inspections resulted in enforcement actions by
participating county agencies, compliance outreach by EPA
Region 9, and the decision to inspect approximately 90
additional brokerage houses in the community.
January 2001 Calexico, CA. EPA Region 9 issued a Final Report and Fact
Sheet on the Calexico Commodity Flow Study, which describes
the hazardous materials traveling through the area and
discusses options for risk reduction. The Calexico City Council
held a special session to discuss the report. Session participants
included impacted residents, County Supervisors, the media,
and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) officials.
February 2001 Brownsville, TX. Conducted two five-day commodity flow
studies of hazardous materials vehicles (transporters and box
trailers) crossing the border at the Veteran's and Los Indios
ports of entry. The purpose of the studies was to determine
the number of trucks and volume of hazardous cargo
transported into the U.S. at these locations.
""*• March 2001
March 2001
Texas. Conducted CAMEO workshops in Spanish at the
Laredo Public Library, the El Paso Fire Training Center, the
Hidalgo Fire Department Training Center, the Brownsville Fire
Training Center, and the Ramada Inn in Del Rio, TX. The
Mexican agencies participating in these courses included
Proteccion Civil, Bomberos, PROFEPA, and SEMARNAP. Each
course had approximately 15 participants.
Nogales & Rio Rico, AZ. EPA Region 9 conducted a
compliance inspection of an International Boundary Water
Commission (IBWC) Wastewater Treatment Plant, along with
the Arizona State Emergency Response Commission, the Santa
Cruz Local Emergency Planning Committee, and the Nogales
and Rio Rico Fire Departments. The inspection revealed an
EPCRA violation and raised concerns about the adequacy of
the plant's Risk Management Program.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
""*• March 2001 San Diego, CA. The California Border Emergency Planning
and Response Task Force met to discuss the results of the San
Diego Commodity Flow Study, the U.S. DOT's Motor Carrier
Safety Administration, and hazardous material incidents at the
border.
""*• April 23-25, 2001 Laredo, TX/Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas. Conducted
international exercises and presented workshops in Spanish
and English over five days. The workshops covered a variety of
topics. See the September 18-22, 2000 listing for details.
""*• May 2001 Nogales & San Luis, AZ. The first two 200-hour Binational
Hazardous Materials Technician Courses were conducted with
assistance from EPA Region 9, the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality, and the Arizona Division of Emergency
Management. As a result of this training, 50 new HazMat
Technicians are now certified to respond to hazardous material
releases in the Arizona/Sonora border area. Four of the course
graduates are emergency responders from Sonora, Mexico.
""*• May 2001 Nogales, Sonora. A binational, full field exercise to test and
activate the Nogales-Nogales Sister City Plan was conducted.
EPA Region 9 helped design the event and also participated.
Other participants included local, state and Federal
government entities from both sides of the border, railroad
officials, and representatives from nearby industrial facilities.
""*• June 2001 San Diego, CA. EPA Region 9 issued a Final Report and Fact
Sheet on the San Diego Commodity Flow Study. The study
describes the hazardous materials traveling through the San
Diego border area and provides recommendations for risk
reduction.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
""*• Spring 2001
New Mexico. EPA Region 6 contractor staff conducted a
roundtable discussion on planning a future city/port at the
Santa Teresa crossing in New Mexico. Discussion topics
included Sister City plans, commodity flow studies, hazmat
training, and implementation of international exercises. The
port will be used to alleviate traffic congestion in Juarez,
Mexico.
July 2001 Tucson, AZ. EPA Region 9 held a Regional Response Team
(RRT) meeting, part of which focused on the EPA border
program. Federal and state RRT members discussed individual
and RRT-wide activities that could help improve chemical
safety in the border area.
July 2001 Tucson, AZ. EPA Region 9 and the Arizona Department of
Emergency Management held a one-day workshop for
members of Arizona's four border area local emergency
planning committees (LEPCs). Speakers included staff from the
U.S. DOT's Motor Carrier Safety Administration, University of
Arizona, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Santa
Cruz County, and fire chiefs from two Sister Cities. Workshop
topics included transborder transportation issues, border
success stories, the unique challenges of border LEPCs, and the
relationship of the LEPCs with their Sister Cities.
Participants demonstrate emergency response
techniques at the Brownsville-Matamoros exercise in
September 2000. (Photo courtesy of Armando
Santiago.)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
UPCOMING UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
(All Activities are Tentative - Presented by State in the Final Table)
July 31-August Eagle Pass, TX. EPA Region 6 will conduct a workshop with city
2, 2001 officials to discuss the international exercise in Eagle Pass (see below)
and the Del Rio-Ciudad Acufia Sister City Plan.
August 28-31, Eagle Pass, TX & Piedras Negras, Coahuila. Will conduct
2001 international exercises and present workshops on hazardous
materials during a five-day introductory hazardous materials training
course. The course will be conducted by a Federal On-Scene
Coordinator and contractor personnel. Course topics include the
Incident Command System (ICS) and the Unified Command System
(UCS), site characterization and hazard identification, personal
protective equipment, decontamination procedures, the
implementation of the Joint Contingency Plan, and the role of
Proteccion Civil and the National Response Center in the responses.
Workshop materials will be available in Spanish and English and
simultaneous interpretation will be provided for up to 100
participants. Exercise and workshop participants include private
medical response services, the Office of Center Operations and
Community Services from the University of Texas, local emergency
management teams, and the emergency brigades from LC
Electronics and Johnson Controls.
""*• August &
September
2001
Texas. Three Joint Response Team (JRT) workshops are scheduled
for the Sister Cities of Brownsville-Matamoros, Tamaulipas; Laredo-
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and El Paso-Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.
Officials from several Federal, State, and local agencies are expected
to participate. Workshop topics include how the National
Contingency Plan, the Joint Contingency Plan, and the Local
Emergency Planning Committees affect communities along the
border and interactions between the Sister Cities.
""*• August- California & Arizona. EPA Region 9 will conduct a hazardous
November material emergency response resource capability assessment of the
2001 six Sister Cities in the region. The assessment tool and protocol are
currently under development.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
UPCOMING UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
""*• September Arizona & California. EPA Region 9 invited three bilingual
2001 emergency responders from Nogales, Sonora and 1 7 responders
from six Sister Cities to attend the Annual Continuing Challenge
Workshop. The Workshop is scheduled to be held in Sacramento,
CA on September 4-7, 2001. EPA is paying registration, travel, and
per diem costs for participants.
""*• November Arizona. Arizona-Sonora border area contingency planning and
2001 emergency response meeting to be held in Hermosillo, Mexico.
The agenda will focus on emergency response preparedness status.
""*• TBD 2001 Texas. EPA Region 6 will conduct workshops in Spanish focusing on
the Field Operations Guidebook. This manual was translated into
Spanish and the Spanish version is now available on the EPA
website. (See the Documents of Interest section of this report for
further details.)
""*• TBD 2001 California & Arizona. The first phase of a tire pile study conducted
by EPA Region 9 and CEPPO in Washington, DC will be
completed. In the first phase of the study, aerial photographs will
be used to identify waste tire piles on both sides of the Region 9
border. Next, a ranking tool, audit checklist, and inspection
protocol will be developed and used to determine which sites
should be field audited.
""*• TBD 2001 San Luis, AZ/San Luis Rio Colorado. The Sister Cities will hold a
binational, full field exercise to activate and test their Sister City
Plan, with support and participation from EPA Region 9. All levels
of government and industry from both sides of the border will be
involved in the event.
""*• TBD 2002 San Diego, CA. The City and County of San Diego will purchase
and equip a vehicle to be stationed in the border area that will be
used for incident response and to inspect facilities for violations of
hazardous material and waste regulations. The purchase will be
made using a $50,000 grant from EPA Region 9.
""*• TBD 2002 Tucson, AZ. EPA Region 9 will organize a workshop for federal
facilities in the border area to focus on improving their risk
management planning and provide support for local border
emergency response preparedness.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
UPCOMING UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
TBD 2002 California & Arizona. The Chemical Emergency Preparedness and
Prevention Team will coordinate a multimedia effort to inspect and
provide compliance outreach at all IBWC facilities in EPA Region 9.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Feature Activity: United Response 2000 Exercise
Reynosa, Tamaulipas, November 1, 2000
(Based on a summary by Mario Davila, McAllen, Texas Hazardous Materials Fire Chief)
On November, 1, 2000, the McAllen Fire Department, along with Proteccion Civil and
Heroico Cuerpo de Bomberos of Reynosa held a binational emergency response exercise,
called United Response 2000, to test their Sister City emergency response plan. The
exercise took place during a five-state conference and involved Local Emergency Planning
Committee members from Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
The emergency exercise consisted of three simulated events - a head-on collision between
two tankers, a single minibus collision with multiple injuries, and a chemical leak
threatening the lives of thousands of nearby residents and plant workers, including U.S.
citizens. During the exercise, nearly 10,000 persons were evacuated from their residences
and worksites. This was the largest mass-scale evacuation practice in Mexico outside of
Mexico City, and the largest recorded land crossing of U.S. firefighters. The exercise was
staged in front of the headquarters for TRW-Electronica at Parque Industrial Reynosa,
immediately east of Lucio Blanco International Airport in Reynosa and south of the Pharr-
Reynosa international port of entry. Training for the event, which was sponsored by the
U.S. EPA, was held at La Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas-Reynosa Aztlan.
Exercise Planning and Participation. Planning and preparation for this exercise required
the coordination and cooperation of multiple agencies from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico
border. Participants included MEDCARE EMS, Valley Air Care, and Chemical Response
and Remediation Contractors, Inc., each of which provided personnel and equipment. In
addition, the Office of Center Operations and Community Services (CoServe) from the
University of Texas-Pan American deployed their NetMobile to evaluate communication
capabilities with their mobile wireless network and satellite equipment. Other agencies
and organizations involved in the exercise included the Hidalgo County Office of
Emergency Management, the McAllen Police 911 Center, the emergency brigades from LG
Electronics and Johnson Controls, and various U.S. and Mexican federal and local
government agencies. Additionally, fire departments and other local response entities from
the McAllen metropolitan area formed a group called the United Response Strike Force
and participated in the exercise.
Exercise Goals and Objectives. United Response 2000 had a number of goals. It allowed
the Sister Cities of McAllen and Reynosa to test their Cross Border Contingency Plan. It also
raised issues related to medical access in the border region, which are addressed by the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Safe and Healthy Sister Cities Program.
United Response 2000 also demonstrated how a response governed by an incident
management system called United Command would operate. The primary focus of United
Command is to combine and coordinate the efforts of local response and support agencies
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
in safeguarding human life, property, the environment, and the area's economic
infrastructure. Finally, the exercise helped assess communication vulnerabilities between
geographically diffuse and governmentally diverse sites in Mexico City, Ciudad Victoria, and
Reynosa in Mexico and Washington, DC; Dallas; and McAllen in the United States.
Lessons Learned. Participants and planners alike learned many lessons as a result of this
binational exercise. The exercise confirmed the need for additional and ongoing cross-
border coordination, training, and local resource management, with a special emphasis on
environmental protection and transboundary issues. The exercise also demonstrated that
improved communication is needed, especially in the areas of cross-border cell phone
coverage, provision of a common radio band for emergency responders, and distribution
of communication equipment among responders. During the exercise, the city of McAllen
distributed handheld radios, but this is not a standard practice.
In addition to the lessons learned noted above, the exercise had practical benefits at several
levels. Overall, it provided the opportunity to evaluate emergency preparedness and
response readiness for health, safety, and environmental threats resulting from the release
of hazardous materials. At the local level, the exercise prompted TRW managers to initiate
discussions with local colleges and universities regarding environmental safety programs.
The exercise also resulted in closer cooperation between local fire departments. At the
state level, public servants from Texas who participated in the exercise, such as members
of local police and fire departments, were able to receive state credit toward their
mandatory extracurricular activity training. United Response 2000 was recognized and
approved for state credit by the Texas Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency
Management. The exercise also stimulated interest in Reynosa regarding the incorporation
of maquila brigades as an environmental protection resource. At the federal level, United
Response 2000 provided a forum for communication between the U.S. EPA's Federal On-
Scene Coordinator in Dallas and the State Director of Proteccion Civil in Mexico.
Internationally, it served the purposes of two international organizations-the United
Nations and the World Health Organization by demonstrating the United Nations'
Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level (APELL) process. The
APELL process was developed by the United Nations to demonstrate how to effectively
handle technological accidents and emergencies.
Finally, United Response 2000 provided a unique and high-profile example of emergency
response for local communities, environmental groups, and classes dealing with
environmental management and response issues. The ability of environmental issues to
generate high levels of cooperation between local, regional, state, and federal officials is
unique and invaluable. The United Response 2000 exercise is an example of a best
practice that future generations - and the rest of the world - can follow.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Feature Activity: Am bos Nogales Exercise - May 6, 2001
In March 2000, officials from Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Sonora (collectively known as
Ambos Nogales) signed the Binational Prevention and Emergency Response Plan (i.e., the
Sister City Plan), which established the Binational Emergency Planning Committee (BEPC).
At 5:00 a.m. on May 6, 2001, the BEPC and its Exercise Design Team conducted a full-
scale, real time, multi-agency exercise in Nogales, Sonora.
The purpose of the exercise was to create a scenario requiring implementation of the Sister
City Plan and to provide a training platform for exercise participants. Multiple Mexican
agencies and members of the private sector were represented at the exercise, including 14
federal agencies, four state agencies, and seven private facilities. Numerous representatives
from the U.S. also participated, including officials from the City, County, Local Emergency
Planning Committee (LEPC), USEPA Region 9, Arizona Department of Emergency
Management (ADEM), and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
The exercise simulated a collision of a westbound passenger bus with a northbound train
carrying tanker cars of sulfuric acid. The incident occurred at the intersection of Boulevard
2000 and the railroad tracks
in Nogales, Sonora. The
impact from the collision
caused a tanker car to derail,
resulting in a release of
sulfuric acid. Twelve
passengers were injured in
the crash and were severely
burned by the escaping
sulfuric acid.
After the collision, the
nearby Summex Maquila
Factory notified the
Municipal Police about the
incident. The Police, in turn,
notified the railroad transit
police, la Cruz Roja (the Red
Cross), the Los Bomberos
(the fire department), and
Proteccion Civil. The transit
police were the first to arrive on scene, followed by the Red Cross who set up a triage
station. Proteccion Civil contacted the Nogales, AZ Fire Department, which activated the
Binational Plan. The Nogales, AZ Fire Department responded by bringing in a hazmat
The Ambos Nogales exercise involved a school bus filled with
children that lost control and hit sulfuric acid tankers being
transported by rail. (Photo courtesy of L. Chaboya.)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
trailer and 18 HazMatTechnicians-in-Training. In addition to the 18 trainees from Arizona,
four trainees from Nogales, Sonora also participated in the event, which served as the final
component in their 200-hour HazMat Technician certification course work. The HazMat
Technician certification course was funded by USEPA Region 9 via a grant to ADEQ, with
additional support from ADEM.
In preparation for this exercise,
USEPA Region 9 provided a 40-
hour binational Enhanced
Exercise Design course to assist
participants in the exercise
design phase. The objective of
the Enhanced Exercise Design
course was to develop an
Exercise Design Team capable of
delivering emergency
management exercises for
Ambos Nogales. During the
Ambos Nogales exercise, course
instructors were on hand to
evaluate the students' skills in
meeting the training objectives.
Hazmat Technicians from the Nogales, AZfire department
respond to the simulated sulfuric acid leak from a railcar in
the Ambos Nogales exercise. (Photo courtesy of L.
Chaboya.)
After the exercise, a formal
debrief (Hotwash) was conducted. During the debrief, seven independent evaluators
determined that (1) the exercise scenario was highly realistic; (2) the level of cooperation
between the agencies and both countries was exemplary; and (3) the binational plan
worked well. After the exercise, it was also determined that:
• Emergency agencies from both sides of the border have a critical need for additional
equipment and training;
• An international communications system, a resource directory, and a binational
recovery fund need to be created;
• Emergency responders need the ability to plug/patch leaks; and, most importantly
• A paramedic toxic response team needs to be formed.
The Hotwash also identified several key steps that need to be taken prior to holding future
exercises. These include:
• Developing a safety and security component;
• Holding a pre-exercise briefing to explain the "ground rules" to all involved
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
individuals (i.e., the controllers, evaluators, and observers); and
• Discussing and agreeing with all parties involved whether video taping should be
allowed.
In addition to teaching many valuable lessons, planning and implementing this binational
exercise strengthened the bond between the Ambos Nogales emergency responders. As
a result, three Nogales, AZ firefighters donated their time to deliver an 80-hour HazMat
course to 12 volunteer firefighters from Nogales, Sonora. A graduation ceremony was held
on July 7, 2001 in Nogales to recognize the achievements of course participants.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT AND PLANNED UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Presented by State (Presented in Chronological Order in Previous Tables)
Texas
New Mexico
Recent Activities:
— Five Spanish CAMEO workshops. (Laredo, El Paso, Hidalgo,
Brownsville, and Del Rio, March 2000)
— International exercises and workshops on hazardous materials.
(Brownsville, September 18-22, 2000)
— International exercises and workshops on hazardous materials.
(McAllen, October 23-27, 2000)
— Commodity flow study of hazardous materials vehicles at the
Camino Real port of entry. (Eagle Pass, November 2000)
— Database of local emergency response resources for Sister Cities.
(Brownsville-Matamoros, McAllen-Reynosa, Laredo-Nuevo
Laredo, Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras, El Paso-Ciudad Juarez, January
2001)
— Commodity flow study of hazardous materials vehicles at the
Veteran's and Los Indios ports of entry. (Brownsville, February
2001)
— International exercises and workshops on hazardous materials.
(Laredo, April 23-25, 2001)
Planned Activities:
— Workshop with city officials to discuss the international exercises
in Eagle Pass and Del Rio. (July 31-August 2, 2001)
— International exercises and workshops on hazardous materials.
(Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras, August 28-31, 2001)
— Three Joint Response Team workshops with participation from
Federal, State, and local agencies. (August & September, 2001)
— Spanish workshops on the Field Operations Guidebook. (TBD,
2001)
Recent Activities:
— EPA workshop on creation of new city/port at border. (Spring
2001)
Planned Activities:
— None reported.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT AND PLANNED UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
California Recent Activities:
— Ten Customs Brokerage houses visited by multi-agency,
multimedia inspection team. (San Diego, January 2001)
— Final Report and Fact Sheet issued by EPA Region 9 on the
Calexico Commodity Flow Study. (Calexico, January 2001)
— California Border Emergency Planning and Response Task Force
meeting. (San Diego, March 2001)
— Final Report and Fact Sheet issued by EPA Region 9 on the San
Diego Commodity Flow Study. (San Diego, June 2001)
Planned Activities:
— Hazardous material emergency response resource capability
assessment of six Sister Cities. (August-November 2001)
— Emergency responders from San Diego, Calexico, and Imperial
County invited to attend the Annual Continuing Challenge
Workshop in Sacramento in September 2001. (September 2001)
— Completion of first phase of tire pile study. (TBD 2001)
— EPA Region 9 Grant to purchase a vehicle for chemical incident
response and facility inspections for San Diego County EHS. (San
Diego, TBD 2002)
— Multimedia inspection and compliance outreach effort at IBWC
facilities. (TBD 2002)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT AND PLANNED UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
Arizona
Recent Activities:
— Two binational, EPA sponsored forty-hour "Exercise Design"
courses conducted by the California Specialized Training
Institute. (Nogales, October 2000 & San Luis, December 2000)
— Compliance inspection performed at an IBWC Wastewater
Treatment Plant. (Nogales and Rio Rico, March 2001)
— Two EPA-sponsored, binational 200-hour Hazardous Materials
Technician Courses conducted. (Nogales & San Luis, May 2001)
— Regional Response Team meeting held with half-day focus on EPA
Border Program. (Tucson, July 2001)
— One-day workshop held for members of all four border area
LEPCs. (Tucson, July 2001)
Planned Activities:
— Hazardous material emergency response resource capability
assessment of six Sister Cities. (August-November 2001)
— Emergency responders from Sonora, Mexico and Nogales, Naco,
Douglas, and San Luis, AZ invited to attend the Annual Continuing
Challenge Workshop in Sacramento in September 2001.
(September 2001)
— Arizona-Sonora border area contingency planning and emergency
response meeting. (Hermosillo, MX, November 2001)
— Completion of first phase of tire pile study. (TBD 2001)
— Full field exercise to test the San Luis-San Luis Sister City Plan.
(TBD 2001)
— Federal facilities workshop on risk management planning, and
local emergency response preparedness to be held. (Tucson, TBD
2002)
— Multimedia inspection and compliance outreach effort at IBWC
facilities. (TBD 2002)
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