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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
INTRODUCTION
EPA's Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO) provides
leadership, advocacy, and assistance to:
'"» Prevent and prepare for chemical 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 regions, 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 contingency planning from EPA Regions, border states, and sister cities in
order to promote the exchange of information and coordination among these groups.
The types of activities presented in this report range from joint response planning
meetings and meetings to develop sister city plans to actual joint response exercises
and training courses.
Each of the EPA Regions, U.S. states, and other organizations along the United States-
Mexico border were contacted for information on recent and future border
contingency activities. The information gathered for the second issue of the report
served as the baseline for this update. Future updates will be published twice a year.
AUTHOR
U.S. EPA
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Office
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Contacts (and e-mail addresses):
Kim Jennings (JENNINGS.KIM@EPA.GOV)
Sherry Fielding (FIELDING.SHERRY@EPA.GOV)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
EPA AND STATE CONTACTS
EPA HEADQUARTERS
Kim Jennings
Sherry Fielding
EPA REGION 6
Fendol Chiles
214-665-2283
EPA REGION 9
Nathan Lau, 415-744-2337
Rebekah Hoffacker, 619-235-4764
Max Johnson
505-476-9620
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
'"» Carlos Bejar, San Diego County Border Liaison
'"» Mikel Borg, Texas Association of Hispanic Firefighters
'"» Joe Candelario, San Antonio Emergency Management
'"» Conrad Estrada, Dona Ana County LEPC
»'*• Dave Henry, U.S. Department of Transportation
'"» Jackie Lockett, Border Information & Solutions Network
'"» Bryon Mabery, Douglas Fire Department
'"» Charlie Montgomery, Hidalgo LEPC
'"» Jim Nelson, Corpus Christi Nueces County LEPC
»'*• Ken Osborn, U.S. Geological Survey
»'*• Ian Saunders, U.S. Customs Service
'"» Jim Walsh, Department of Pesticide Regulation of California
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
DOCUMENTS OF INTEREST
'"» Border Information & Solutions Network monthly newsletter (since March 1998)
(available from the City of Brownsville)
'"» Brownsville-Matamoros Sister City Emergency Response Plan (May 1997)
(available from EPA Region 6)
»'*• Clean Air Act Risk Management Plan manual in Spanish (1998; translation of 157-
page English manual) (available on CD-ROM from EPA Region 6)
'"» Columbus-Puerto Palomas Sister City Emergency Response Plan (expected
January 1999) (available from EPA Region 6)
'"» Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Sister City Emergency Response Plan (March 1998)
(available from EPA Region 6)
»'*• Fact Sheet for the Border XXI Contingency Planning and Emergency Response
Workgroup (Draft, August 1998) (available from EPA Region 9)
'"» Imperial and San Diego Counties Pesticide Episode Response Plans (September
1998) (available from the Department of Pesticide Regulation of California)
»'*• Joint United States-Mexico Inland Contingency Plan (1988; currently under
revision) (available from EPA Headquarters)
'"» Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Sister City Emergency Response Plan (December 1998)
(available from EPA Region 6)
'"» The North American Emergency Response Guidebook (1996; to be updated by
September 1999) (available in English, Spanish, and French from the U.S.
Department of Transportation)
'"» Personal Safety Plan: Chemical Emergencies (1998) (available from Corpus Christ!
Nueces County LEPC)
'"» Recomendaciones a la Poblacion en Caso de Desastre (Recommendations for the
Public During an Emergency) (booklet, in Spanish) (available from Civil Protection -
Coahuila)
'"» Response Procedures for 45 Chemicals (November 1998) (available from Corpus
Christ! Nueces County LEPC; available in Spanish in 1999)
»'*• Semiannual Report on United States-Mexico Border Contingency Planning
Activities (Issue Number 1, February 1998; Issue Number 2, August 1998)
(available from EPA Headquarters)
'"» United States-Mexico Border Environmental Indicators 1997 (June 1998)
(available from EPA Region 9)
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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/
'"» EPA Region 6 Border Program — http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6bo/6bo.htm
»'*• EPA Region 9 Border XXI Program — http://www.epa.gov/usmexicoborder/
»'*• U.S. National Response Center — http://www.nrc.uscg.mil
»'*• Border EcoWeb by San Diego State University —
http://www.borderecoweb.sdsu.edu/
'"» Border Environment Cooperation Commission — http://cocef.interjuarez.com/
'"» Border Information & Solutions Network — http://www.bisn.org/
'"» City of Brownsville, Texas — http://www.ci.brownsville.tx.us/
'"» Corpus Christ! Nueces County Local Emergency Planning Committee —
http://www. lepc. net/
'"» Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission —
http://www. tnrcc.state. tx. us/
'"» United States-Mexico Border Regional Environmental Information System —
http://begss 7. beg. utexas. edu:8888/
»'*• PROFEPA Environmental Emergencies — http://www.profepa.gob.mx/
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
STATUS OF SISTER CITY PLANS
Brownsville, Texas-Matamoros,
Tamaulipas
Signed on May 6, 1997. Title: Cross Border
Contingency Plan — U.S./Mexico — Brownsville/
Matamoros.
Laredo, Texas-Nuevo Laredo,
Tamaulipas
Signed on December 21, 1998. Title: Cross Border
Contingency Plan — U.S./Mexico — Laredo/ Nuevo
Laredo.
Eagle Pass, Texas-Piedras
Negras, Coahuila
Signed on March 25, 1998. Title: Cross Border
Contingency Plan — U.S./Mexico — Eagle Pass/ Piedras
Negras
McAllen, Texas-Reynosa,
Tamaulipas; Del Rio, Texas-
Ciudad Acuha, Coahuila;
Presidio, Texas-Ojinaga,
Chihuahua; El Paso, Texas-
Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua
Work underway on several of these plans.
Columbus, New Mexico-Puerto
Palomas, Chihuahua
Expected to be signed in January 1999. Title: Cross
Border Contingency Plan — U.S./Mexico — Columbus/
Puerto Palomas.
Douglas, Arizona-Agua Prieta,
Sonora
Have an agreement concerning emergency response,
but it is not legally binding and has not facilitated
emergency response equipment crossing the border.
Naco, Arizona-Naco, Sonora
Cochise County Government currently has no plans to
enter into an agreement with Naco, Sonora. (Naco,
Arizona, is an unincorporated townsite of Cochise
County.)
Nogales, Arizona-Nogales,
Sonora
No current sister city plan, but technical assistance and
limited equipment responses have occurred
historically.
Yuma, Arizona-San Luis Rio
Colorado, Sonora
February 1995 draft (not signed). Title: U.S.-Mexico Sister
Cities — Yuma, Arizona-San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora —
Hazardous Materials Incident Contingency Plan.
Calexico, California-Mexicali,
Baja California
Have developed two mutual aid agreements. The first
in September 1993, entitled City of Calexico-City of
Mexicali Mutual Aid Agreement. The second in
February 1996, entitled United States/Mexico —
Imperial County/Ayuntamiento de Mexicali, B.C. —
Emergency Services Mutual Aid Agreement.
San Diego, California-Tijuana,
Ensenada, Tecate, and Playas
de Rosarito, Baja California
Have a communication plan for San Diego and
Imperial Counties in the United States and Baja
California in Mexico.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
SIGNING OF THE LAREDO-NUEVO LAREDO
SISTER CITY PLAN
December 21, 1998
Official signing of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo Sister City Plan by
Elizabeth "Betty" Flores (Mayor of Laredo) and Marcus Alejandro Garcia
(Municipal President of Nuevo Laredo). Photos courtesy of Fendol Chiles, EPA Region 6.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SIGNING OF THE THIRD SISTER CITY PLAN!
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Presented in Chronological Order (Presented by State in the Final Table)
1996-1999
Denver, Colorado Transboundary Aerial Photography and
Mapping Initiative. On May 6, 1996, at the United States-
Mexico Binational Commission meeting, the U.S.
Department of the Interior and SEMARNAP signed a
cooperative agreement to undertake an ambitious joint
aerial photographic survey of the border region. Color-
infrared and black-and-white photographs obtained by the
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Mexico's National
Institute of Statistics, Geography, and Data Processing
(IN EG I) are providing a wealth of information and data
about the land, water, surface vegetation cover, and natural
resources of the border region.
February 1998
Brownsville, Texas Opening of the BorderPlex
Environmental Information Center. With the assistance of
an EPA Border XXI grant, Border Information & Solutions
Network (BISN) developed a BorderPlex Environmental
Information Center for the City of Brownsville. The mission
of this center is to develop a successful process that involves
residents of the binational area in protecting human health
and natural resources. The center has an environmental
library with over 315 documents about the area at the
Brownsville Public Library. BISN focuses on the issues of
emergency planning for chemical accidents, municipal solid
waste, and wetlands in the Brownsville-Matamoros area.
March 1998
Brownsville, Texas First Border Information & Solutions
Network (BISN) newsletter published. BISN publishes a
monthly newsletter for the City of Brownsville. The topics
covered in the newsletter include wetlands, municipal solid
waste, and planning for accidents involving hazardous
chemicals.
June 23, 1998
Nogales, Arizona Meeting of the Border Working Group
that includes representatives from U.S. and Mexican
Customs. The meeting dealt with several ongoing issues,
among them the methods for emergency communication
between corresponding ports of entry.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (COnt'd)
August 1998
«'» August 1998
August 1998
San Diego, California Draft Fact Sheet for the Border XXI
Contingency Planning and Emergency Response Workgroup
and final Fact Sheet for the Border XXI Hazardous and Solid
Waste Workgroup published by EPA Region 9. These are
part of a series of fact sheets to be published on all nine
Border XXI binational workgroups and five special topics.
All fact sheets are published in English and Spanish and
copies can be obtained from EPA Region 9.
Del Rio, Texas Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras sister city plan
activated during flood. Tropical storm "Charlie" flooded the
Del Rio-Acuna area and the Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras sister
city plan was activated.
Sierra Vista, Arizona Spanish CAMEO® (Computer-Aided
Management of Emergency Operations) training. Mark
Miller from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration was the training instructor. Approximately
75 U.S. and Mexican officials from federal, state, local, and
cross-border agencies attended.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Roe, Arizona.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (COnt'd)
August 1998
Washington, D.C. Gathered U.S. data on environmental
indicators. Under the Border XXI Program, the Contingency
Planning and Emergency Response Workgroup gathered
preliminary U.S. data for the four environmental indicators.
The purpose of these indicators and their data is to
quantitatively monitor progress in emergency response along
the border. Currently, the four environmental indicators are:
industries posing risk that have coordinated emergency
response plans, organizations capable of responding to
chemical emergencies, sister cities with Local Joint Plans, and
accidents of record per year. The collected data were
presented at the Joint Response Team meeting in San Antonio,
Texas, September 23-24, 1998.
«*• September 1998
Cochise, Santa Cruz, and Yuma Counties, Arizona Created
an Innovative Compliance Assistance Program (I-CAP) to help
local communities in these three counties to identify facilities
with hazardous chemicals. The initial field survey conducted
in September identified 200 facilities that potentially have
large quantities of hazardous chemicals. Communities near
these facilities will be informed of the potential hazards. Such
follow-on activities are expected to be completed by February
1999.
«*• September 1998
San Diego and Imperial Counties, California Through an
EPA grant, Pesticide Episode Response Plans (PERPs) were
completed for both San Diego and Imperial Counties by the
Department of Pesticide Regulation of California. Mexico and
California government agencies who may participate in
episode responses were identified and contacted for
information regarding their emergency response plans for
hazardous material incidents that may have international
impact. PERPs establish a system for exchanging data, episode
notification, and a protocol for conducting investigations,
including the reporting of each agency's findings.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (COnt'd)
September 10,1998
Washington, D.C. Exercise of the United States-Mexico Joint
Contingency Plan (JCP) notification procedures through the
U.S. National Response Center (NRC). The objective of this
exercise was to test the notification procedures in the
proposed revisions to the JCP. The notification exercise
scenario was a tanker truck carrying chlorine that swerves to
avoid collision with another vehicle and overturnsjust west of
Brownsville, Texas. EPA Headquarters transmitted this
information to the NRC. Notification lists were found to be
incomplete and need to be updated, especially at the state
level (i.e., U.S. states, PROFEPA state representatives, and Civil
Protection state representatives.)
«* September 23-24, 1998
San Antonio, Texas United States-Mexico Joint Response
Team (JRT) meeting. Participants included over 70 federal,
state, and local representatives from the United States and
Mexico. The main issues discussed at the meeting included an
update on contingency planning activities, the recent
notification exercise, linking the JRT with other workgroups
under Border XXI, updating the JRT Implementation Plan,
overview of the data collected on the four environmental
indicators, the Spanish version of CAMEO®, and outreach an
marketing activities for the JRT. The next JRT meeting is
scheduled for September 1999, in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Joint Response Team Meeting
San Antonio, Texas • September 23-24, 1998
October 1998
Rio Bravo, Texas Three-month training course for U.S. and
Mexican firefighters began. On December 12, fourteen
students graduated and joined the new volunteer fire
department in Rio Bravo, Texas. The course was taught in
Spanish.
October 1, 1998
San Francisco, California Nathan Lau assumed Kathleen
Shimmin's responsibilities for cross-border emergency
response planning in EPA Region 9. Kathleen Shimmin will
now be working with the Pacific Islands.
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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 14, 1998
Yuma, Arizona Open House for the citizens of Yuma,
Arizona, and San Luis/Rio Colorado, Sonora, sponsored by
EPA Region 9. The Open House familiarized citizens with
emergency response procedures and national coordination
efforts. Speakers at the Open House included staff from U.S.
Customs Service, Arizona's Department of Environmental
Quality, and the Yuma Fire Department. Approximately 35
people attended.
Photos courtesy of Rebekah Hoffacker, EPA Region 9.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (COnt'd)
«*• November 1,1998
Corpus Christi, Texas Publication of response procedures for the
45 most prevalent chemicals within the Corpus Christi area. The
Corpus Christi Nueces County LEPC prepared this document for
responders at all levels. The list of chemicals in the document is
continuously expanding. The document includes the rating
indexes for chemicals for fire, health, and reactivity; special
instructions; definitions; chemical analyses; and medical and
emergency response procedures for each chemical. The Corpus
Christi Nueces County LEPC has provided training, which is
required in order to obtain a copy of the document, for the
Nueces, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties thus far.
«*• Novembers, 1998
Washington, D.C. National Response Team Transboundary
Subcommittee meeting. The items discussed included: the
Joint Response Team meeting and the production of a
"Questions and Answers Document" to address the initial
issues posed to the Transboundary Subcommittee.
«*• November 7, 1998
Douglas, Arizona Binational hazardous material drill
coordinated by Cochise County, Arizona. Scenario —trailer
carrying hazardous materials is involved in an accident in front
of a Department of Corrections (DOC) facility in Douglas. The
Arizona DOC evacuation plan and the county medical
resources were exercised. A total of 23 agencies from both
sides of the border participated. This successful drill
demonstrated the need for a better communications system
between the participating agencies. For example, some of
these agencies currently use different radio frequencies.
"* November 7 & 14,1998
Tecate, Baja California Through an EPA grant, San Diego
County offered the last two sessions of a three-session
emergency response/operational course. (The first session was
offered on July 4, 1998.) The course is part of a series of
emergency response courses (ranging from the
response/operational course to an emergency management/
incident commander course), which are to be completed in
Mexico by March 1999. The 23 attendees included
firefighters, police, rescue workers, and industry staff, all from
Mexico.
«*• December 1998
Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi Nueces County Local
Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) launched their new
web site. The Internet address is http://www.lepc.net
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
«*• December 1-2, 1998
Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas Two-day hazardous materials
transportation training course hosted by the Center for
Environmental Studies of Arizona State University and
Mexico's Secretariat of Communication and Transportation.
The course, which was conducted in Spanish, primarily
focused on the Mexican regulations recently enacted (i.e., "Las
Normas Oficiales Mexicanas para el Transporte Terrestre de
Materiales y Residues Peligrosos") pertaining to materials
classification, labeling, shipping papers, packaging
specifications, segregation of materials, emergency response,
container specifications, and basic safety issues. The
participants consisted of representatives of various Mexican
agencies, maquiladoras, and manufacturing firms.
«*• December 13, 1998
Pertaville, Arizona Third Annual Hazardous Material
Refresher Course offered by Cochise County, Arizona.
Approximately 15 people from both the United States and
Mexico attended the eight-hour course.
«*• December 21, 1998
Laredo, Texas Signing of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo sister city
emergency response plan. The Mayor of Laredo and the
Municipal President of Nuevo Laredo signed the Cross Border
Contingency Plan — U.S./Mexico — Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. For
more information, visit Region 6's web site at
http://www. epa.gov/earth1r6/6bo/6bo. htm
FUTURE ACTIVITIES
START ON NEXT PAGE
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
FUTURE UNITED STATES-MEXI CO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
All Activities are Tentative (Presented by State in the Final Table)
January-June 1999
San Diego, California EPA Region 9 expects to publish
fact sheets on all Border XXI binational workgroups and the
five special topics (San Diego border office, Border XXI
overview, geographic information systems, environmental
justice, and Border Environmental Cooperative
Commission and North American Development Bank). All
fact sheets will be published in English and Spanish.
January/February 1999
El Paso, Texas Joint Response Team public outreach
meeting. EPA Regions 6 and 9 will meet to plan future
outreach to federal, state, and local agencies in the United
States and Mexico. The goal is to familiarize these agencies
with the Border XXI Program, including emergency
response. Development of pamphlets is also expected.
This will be the first of four meetings.
January 1999
Washington, D.C. Launch of the United States-Mexico
joint contingency planning and emergency response
activities calendar. EPA will post a calendar in its border
programs Internet webpage at http://
www.epa.gov.swercepp/border.html. This world-wide-
web-based electronic calendar will be used to publicize
federal, state, and local events and activities pertaining to
chemical emergency preparedness and response along the
U.S.-Mexico border. Anyone may submit their activities to
the calendar.
January 1999
Washington, D.C. Distribution of Spanish CAMEO® by
Regions 6 & 9. The version of CAMEO® in Spanish will
be distributed to emergency response personnel through
Nathan Lau (Region 9) and Fendol Chiles (Region 6).
January 1999
Columbus, New Mexico Signing of the Columbus-Puerto
Palomas sister city emergency response plan. The Mayor
of Columbus and the Municipal President of Puerto
Palomas will sign the Cross Border Contingency Plan —
U.S./Mexico — Columbus/Puerto Palomas.
January 6-8, 1999
Laredo, Texas Hazmat First Responders training course.
Funding is through the International Association of
Firefighters, and the fire departments in Laredo (Texas) and
Nuevo Laredo (Tamaulipas) will attend. The course will
provide classroom work only (no exercises).
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
FUTURE UNITED STATES-MEXI CO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (COnt'd)
January 23, 1999
Mexicali, Baja California Eight-hour First Responder
Awareness class. This is the fourth course in a series of
emergency response courses offered by San Diego County.
January 30, 1999
Tijuana, Baja California Eight-hour First Responder
Awareness class. This is the fifth course in a series of
emergency response courses offered by San Diego County.
January 31 and
February 6 & 7, 1999
Tijuana, Baja California Twenty-four-hour First Responder
Operational class. This is the sixth course in a series of
emergency response courses offered by San Diego County.
February 1999
McAllen and Laredo, Texas Planning meetings funded by
Partners of the Americas and coordinated by the Texas
Association of Hispanic Firefighters. The purpose is to help
plan emergency preparedness, train police officers in
community policing, and help Mexico find funding for
equipment. The expected participants include: EPA
Region 6, Texas Association of Hispanic Firefighters, Latino
Police Officers Association, Emergency Management
Association of Texas, Partners of the Americas, and
Mexican Civil Protection, police departments, and fire
departments.
February 1999
Las Cruces, New Mexico Region 6 and New Mexico's
Office of Emergency Management plan to conduct a
commodity flow study and hold a training exercise. A
vulnerability and hazards assessment study (May 1998)
showed the need for a commodity flow study for Doha Ana
County's Interstates 10, 25, and State Highway 70. A
CHER-CAP (Comprehensive Hazardous Emergency
Response and Capabilities Assessment Program) training
exercise will follow the commodity flow study. The
scenario will be a chemical tanker accident. Finally, a
hazardous cargo route will be determined over the next
few years. U.S. Customs, U.S. Department of
Transportation, and other federal and state agencies are
expected to participate.
February 1-4, 1999
Mexicali, Baja California Twelve-hour Emergency
Management Seminar from 6-9 p.m each evening. This is
the seventh course in a series of emergency response
courses offered by San Diego County.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
FUTURE UNITED STATES-MEXI CO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
February 2-4, 1999
Las Vegas, Nevada EPA Headquarters will host the annual
National Response Team/Regional Response Team (NRT/RRT)
Co-Chairs meeting. The meeting will involve a brief
roundtable discussion on the status of international response
issues. United States-Mexico border issues will be discussed
briefly along with issues regarding the Caribbean, Panama,
and Canada. Participants will include NRT members, RRT Co-
Chairs, and RRT coordinators.
February 13,14,19,
20 & 21,1999
Mexicali, Baja California Thirty-six-/forty-hour Incident
Commander California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI)
Certified class. This is the eighth course in a series of
emergency response courses offered by San Diego County.
February 15-18, 1999
Tijuana, Baja California Twelve-hour Emergency
Management Seminar from 6-9 p.m each evening. This is the
ninth course in a series of emergency response courses offered
by San Diego County.
February 26, 27 & 28
and March 6 & 7,1999
Tijuana, Baja California Thirty-six-/forty-hour Incident
Commander California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI)
Certified class. This is the tenth course in a series of
emergency response courses offered by San Diego County.
March 1999
Dallas, Texas EPA Region 6 plans to translate into Spanish
the field operations guide and instructor's manual for the
incident command system. These documents were
originally developed by the U.S. Coast Guard and are used
for all international spills, including those along the United
States-Mexico border.
March 1999
El Paso, Texas Second meeting of the Joint Response
Team for public outreach planning. A total of four meetings
are scheduled.
March 1-5, 1999
Ensenada, Baja California United States-Mexico National
Coordinator meeting. The United States-Mexico National
Coordinators and Co-Chairs of the United States-Mexico
Workgroup will meet to discuss and prioritize
environmental issues along the United States-Mexico
border.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
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FUTURE UNITED STATES-MEXI CO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
March 8-11, 1999
Seattle, Washington International Oil Spill Conference and
Exposition. The purpose of this conference is to promote an
international exchange of information and ideas dealing with
spill prevention, planning, response and restoration processes,
protocols, and technology. The theme for this conference is
"Beyond 2000: Balancing Perspectives."
April 1999
Guadalajara, Jalisco Training class for the San Antonio,
(Texas) and Guadalajara (Jalisco) fire departments. Instruction
will be in Spanish and will cover incident command, high-rise
firefighting, and hazardous material response.
April 1999
Tampico, Tamaulipas Firefighters' training course on
hazardous materials. The primary focus will be on helping
Mexico develop its own firefighters' academy (possibly in the
state of Tamaulipas or Coahuila). Currently, Mexicans attend
expensive training classes at Texas A&M.
May 1999
El Paso, Texas Third meeting of the Joint Response Team for
public outreach planning. A total of four meetings are
scheduled.
May 24-28, 1999
Phoenix, Arizona CAMEO® 99 Conference, which will
include training for Spanish CAMEO® (Computer-Aided
Management of Emergency Operations). The training will be
hosted by EPA, NOAA, and the Arizona Emergency Response
Commission. CAMEO® is a suite of programs for Windows
and Macintosh and includes chemical databases, an
emergency management program, MARPLOT (a mapping
program), and ALOHA (an air dispersion model).
June 21, 1999
Washington, D.C. Clean Air Act (CAA) Risk Management
Plans (RMPs) are due. Some facilities handling acute toxics
and highly volatile flammable substances must file. Each CAA
RMP will provide information on the facility's implementation
of risk management programs, five-year accident history,
analyses of worst-case releases, and data on prevention and
emergency response programs. The CAA RMPs will be
available on the Internet (except for the offsite consequence
analysis section).
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
FUTURE UNITED STATES-MEXI CO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
July 1999
El Paso, Texas Fourth meeting of the Joint Response Team
for public outreach planning. This will be the final meeting.
July 1999
Laredo, Texas Hazmat training course for technicians only.
This course is for both the Laredo (Texas) and Nuevo Laredo
(Tamaulipas) fire departments. The course will provide hands-
on training for containment of spills. Funding is provided by
the International Association of Firefighters.
September 1999
Guanajuato, Guanajuato PROFEPA will host the next annual
United States-Mexico Joint Response Team (JRT) meeting.
Potential topics to be discussed at the meeting include
national and international issues related to joint contingency
planning and emergency response. Participants will include
U.S. and Mexican members of the JRT and stakeholders at the
Federal, State, and local levels of government as well as the
industrial sector.
September 1999
Imperial County, California Translation into Spanish and
update of the Imperial County Pesticide Episode Response
Plan (PERP). Department of Pesticide Regulation of California
expects to translate the PERP into Spanish, verify the contact
information listed, and perform an emergency exercise in the
Imperial County border area.
September 1999
San Diego, California EPA Region 9 expects to complete
production of a video on the Border XXI Program. The video
will present an overview of the Border XXI Program and
discuss the decision-making process used for the entire Border
XXI Program, highlighting the importance of public
participation in the process. The video will be produced in
English and Spanish and available to communities in Arizona
and California.
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT AND FUTURE UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
Presented by State (Presented in Chronological Order in Previous Tables)
Texas
Past Activities:
— Opening of the BorderPlex Environmental Information Center
(Brownsville; February 1998)
— First BISN monthly newsletter published (Brownsville; March 1998)
— Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras sister city plan activated during flood (Del
Rio; August 1998)
— Regional Response Team meeting (San Antonio; September 21-22,
1998)
— United States-Mexico Joint Response Team meeting (San Antonio;
September 23-24, 1998)
— Three-month training course began for U.S. and Mexican
firefighters (Rio Bravo; October 1998)
— Publication of response procedures for the 45 most prevalent
chemicals within the Corpus Christ! area (Corpus Christi; November
1,1998)
— Corpus Christi Nueces County LEPC launched new web site
(Corpus Christi; December 1998)
— Signing of the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo sister city emergency response
plan (Laredo; December 21,1998)
Future Activities:
— Joint Response Team meeting for public outreach planning (El Paso;
January-February, 1999)
— Hazmat First Responders training course (Laredo; January 6-8,
1999)
— Meetings on emergency preparedness (McAllen and Laredo;
February 1999)
— Translation into Spanish of the incident command system (Dallas;
March 1999)
— Second Joint Response Team meeting for public outreach planning
(El Paso; March 1999)
— Third Joint Response Team meeting for public outreach planning (El
Paso; May 1999)
— Fourth Joint Response Team meeting for public outreach planning
(El Paso; July 1999)
— Hazmat training course for technicians (Laredo; July 1999)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENTAND FUTURE UN I TED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
New Mexico
Future Activities:
— Signing of the Columbus-Puerto Palomas sister city emergency
response plan (Columbus; January 1999)
— Commodity flow study and training exercise (Las Cruces; February
1999)
Arizona
California
Past Activities:
— Meeting of the Customs Border Working Group (Nogales; June 23,
1998)
— Spanish CAMEO® training (Sierra Vista; August 1998)
— Created an Innovative Compliance Assistance Program (Cochise,
Santa Cruz, and Yuma Counties; September 1998)
— Open House on emergency response procedures (Yuma; October
14,1998)
— Binational hazardous material drill (Douglas; November 7,1998)
— Third Annual Hazardous Material Refresher Course (Pertaville;
December 13, 1998)
Future Activities:
— CAMEO® 99 Conference, which will include training for Spanish
CAMEO® (Phoenix; May 24-28, 1999)
Past Activities:
— One draft and one final fact sheet published by EPA Region 9
Border XXI Program (San Diego; August 1998)
— Pesticide Episode Response Plans completed (San Diego and
Imperial Counties; September 1998)
— Nathan Lau assumed Kathleen Shimmin's responsibilities for EPA
Region 9 (San Francisco; October 1, 1998)
Future Activities:
— EPA Region 9 Border XXI expects to publish all fact sheets (San
Diego; January-June 1999)
— Pesticide Regulation of California in Spanish expected (Imperial
County; September 1999)
— Border XXI Program video expected (San Diego; September 1999)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENT AND FUTURE UN I TED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
"*• Other Past Activities:
Locations — United States-Mexico Transboundary Aerial Photography and
Mapping Initiative (Denver, Colorado; 1996 to 1999)
— U.S. data gathered on environmental indicators (Washington, D.C.;
August 1998)
— Exercise of the Joint Contingency Plan notification procedures
(Washington, D.C.; September 10, 1998)
— National Response Team Transboundary Subcommittee meeting
(Washington, D.C.; November 5, 1998)
— San Diego County hosted the last two sessions of a three-session
emergency response/operational course (Tecate, Baja California;
November 7 & 14, 1998)
— Two-day hazardous materials transportation training course (Nuevo
Laredo, Tamaulipas; December 1-2,1998)
Future Activities:
— Launch of the United States-Mexicojoint response activities
calendar (Washington, D.C.; January 1999)
— Distribution of Spanish CAMEO® (Washington, D.C.; January,
1999)
— Eight-hour First Responder Awareness class (Mexicali, Baja
California; January 23, 1999)
— Eight-hour First Responder Awareness class (Tijuana, Baja
California; January 30, 1999)
— Twenty-four-hour First Responder Operational class (Tijuana, Baja
California; January 31 and February 6 & 7,1999)
— Twelve-hour Emergency Management Seminar (Mexicali, Baja
California; February 1-4,1999)
— National Response Team/Regional Response Team Co-Chairs
meeting (Las Vegas, Nevada; February 2-4,1999)
— Thirty-six-/forty-hour Incident Commander Certified class (Mexicali,
Baja California; February 13, 14, 19, 20 & 21, 1999)
— Twelve-hour Emergency Management Seminar (Tijuana, Baja
California; February 15-18,1999)
— Thirty-six-/forty-hour Incident Commander Certified class (Tijuana,
Baja California; February 26, 27 & 28 and March 6 & 7, 1999)
— United States-Mexico National Coordinators meeting (Ensenada,
Baja California; March 1-5,1999)
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SEMIANNUAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES-MEXICO
BORDER CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES
RECENTAND FUTURE UN I TED STATES-MEXICO BORDER
CONTINGENCY PLANNING ACTIVITIES (cont'd)
'"*• Other Future Activities (cont'd):
Locations — International Oil Spill Conference and Exposition (Seattle,
Washington; March 8-11, 1999)
— Training class for the San Antonio and Guadalajara fire departments
(Guadalajara, Jalisco; April 1999)
— Firefighter's training course on hazardous materials (Tampico,
Tamaulipas; April 1999)
— Clean Air Act Risk Management Plans are due (Washington, D.C.;
June 21, 1999)
— United States-Mexico Joint Response Team meeting (Guanajuato,
Guanajuato; September 1999)
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