BORDER 2020:
U.S.-MEXICO ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM
,SPER*0,
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
SEMARNAT
BIENTE Y
RECURSO5 NATURALES
EPA- 160-R-12-001
The National Coordinators (EPA's Office of International
and Tribal Affairs and SEMARNAT's Office of International
Affairs) express appreciation to the local task forces, the 10
Border States, the 26 U.S. Border Tribes, the co-chairs and
staff of the former Border 2012 coordinating bodies, the
EPA Regional and Border Offices, the SEMARNAT and
PROFEPA Border Delegations, the U.S. Good Neighbor
Environmental Board and SEMARNAT's Advisory Council
for Sustainable Development whose support was essential to
the completion of this document.
We give special thanks to the members of the Border 2020
Advisory Committee, composed of U.S. and Mexican
Border States, U.S. Border Tribes, EPA, and SEMARNAT.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
MISSION STATEMENT 1
BORDER 2020 GUIDING PRINCIPLES 2
BORDER 2020 FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES 3
I. INTRODUCTION 8
II. BACKGROUND 10
III. BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 17
Goal 1: Reduce Air Pollution 17
Goal 2: Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water 19
Goal 3: Promote Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites .... 23
Goal 4: Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response 25
Goal 5: Enhance Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship 27
IV. BORDER 2020 TOOLS 29
Pollution Prevention Techniques 29
Public Health Interventions 29
Sustainable Management of Water Resources 29
Environmental Information 30
Regulation and Policy Development 30
Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance Assistance 31
Environmental Education and Training 31
Infrastructure Planning and Development 31
V ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 32
National Coordinators 32
Committees on Communication and Environmental Indicators 33
Regional Workgroups 35
Policy Fora 36
Task Forces 36
Responsibilities of the Coordinating Bodies 36
Communication 36
Operational Guidelines 37
Stakeholder Engagement and Participation 38
Planning and Accountability 39
Partnerships and Cooperation 39
Funding Sources 39
VI. ACCOUNTABILITY/REPORTING RESULTS 40
Highlight Reports 40
Midterm Assessment Report 40
Biennial Action Plans 40
Environmental Indicators 40
LIST OF ACRONYMS 42
CONTACTS 43
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP 43
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MISSION STATEMENT
As a result of the partnership among U.S. Border Tribes and
federal, state and local governments in the United States and
Mexico, the mission of the Border 2020 program is to:
Protect the environment and public health in
the U.S.-Mexico border region, consistent with
the principles of sustainable development.1
'In this program, sustainable development is defined as "conservation-oriented social and economic development that emphasizes the
protection and sustainable use of resources while addressing both current and future needs and present and future impacts of human
actions."
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BORDER 2020
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The following Guiding Principles will support the mission statement, ensure consistency among
all aspects of the Border 2020 Program, and continue successful elements of previous binational
environmental programs.
Reduce the highest public health risks, and preserve and restore the natural environment.
Adopt a bottom-up approach for setting priorities and making decisions through partnerships
with local, state, U.S. tribal governments and Mexico's indigenous communities.
Address disproportionate environmental impacts in border communities.
Improve stakeholder engagement and ensure broad-based representation from environment,
public health, and other relevant sectors.
Foster transparency, public participation, and open dialogue through provision of accessible,
accurate, and timely information.
Strengthen the capacity of local communities and stakeholders to learn about and manage
environmental and environmentally-related public health issues.
Promote sustainable communities by improving social, economic, and environmental systems
in the border regions.
Achieve concrete, measurable results while maintaining a long-term vision.
Measure program progress through development of environmental and public health-based
indicators.
The United States recognizes that U.S. tribes are separate sovereign governments, and the
equity issues affecting tribal governments must be addressed in the United States on a government-
to-government basis.
Mexico recognizes the historical debt it has to its indigenous peoples. Therefore, appropriate
measures will be considered to address their specific concerns, as well as to protect and preserve
their cultural integrity within the broader environmental purposes of this program.
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BORDER 2020
FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES
As a companion to the five strategic goals (and associated objectives), which outline the
anticipated results to be achieved in the next eight years, the following six fundamental strategies
set the expectation for how program partners will approach and consider complex and critical
environmental challenges faced by communities along the U.S.-Mexico Border. The fundamental
strategies will complement and inform the work undertaken to achieve the mission and goals of
the Border 2020 Program.
Working to Improve Children's Health
As a result of environmental degradation in the border region, some residents, especially children, are
exposed to environmental conditions that are detrimental to their health. Compared to adults,
children are uniquely affected by environmental stressors. Children's exposure patterns and resulting
health outcomes are different from those of adults. For this reason, programs for protection and
exposure reductions are needed. Research has demonstrated that prenatal and early life exposure to
environmental hazards can cause lifelong diseases, medical conditions, and disabilities. These health
problems can be related to air pollution, inadequate water supply or poorly managed sewer systems,
improper management of pesticides, chemical exposures and waste disposal issues.
The Border 2020 Program will use a variety of approaches to protect children from environmental and
human health hazards, including: outreach, building capacity of local health care providers
(Promotoras), community-based programs, and state/tribal/local children's health partnerships.
Success in advancing children's health protection along the border will result from fully integrating
this priority into all Border 2020 goals. This may include engaging communities to address critical
issues affecting children's health by working with environmental health experts specifically considering
women of child bearing age, infants, children and adolescents.
Building Capacity towards Climate Change Resiliency
The risks posed from climate change are well-documented and vast. These risks may include increases
in smog levels, rising sea levels, increased precipitation intensity and droughts, which can also pose
significant economic, environmental and public health challenges to border communities. The Border
2020 climate change efforts will focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and on actions to
help border communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change.
Prior binational efforts to create GHG emissions inventories in border states have helped to identify
sources of GHG emissions, and more effectively forecast GHG emissions. Such efforts have provided
governments with the data necessary to support GHG emissions reductions, through climate change
action planning.
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BORDER 2020 FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES
Energy efficiency is one of the primary means of reducing GHGs, and a key component in state
climate change action plans or strategies to address climate variability. Sharing information on energy
efficiency technologies throughout the Border 2020 Program will build institutional capacity to
achieve reductions, as well as realize cost savings over the long-term. Anticipated energy efficiency and
renewable energy efforts in Border 2020 may include energy efficient indoor and outdoor lighting,
elements of green building, regional solar energy projects, methane recovery, and training on
renewable and energy efficiency technologies.
Protecting Disadvantage*! & Underserved Communities
For the past two decades, the U.S. and Mexican governments have implemented domestic2 and
binational efforts to improve environmental and public health conditions for communities along the
2,000-mile border. While significant progress has been made, many border communities still face dire
economic and health disparities, disproportionate environmental impacts, lack of access to resources
and environmental information, and are at a higher risk of poor health outcomes.
The Border 2020 Program acknowledges these disparities and is committed to addressing these
through a combination of approaches, including:
Improving access to bilingual environmental information, promoting transparent decision-
making and embracing a "bottom-up" approach in decision-making.
Improving access to environmental data sources and right-to-know tools for the border region.
Facilitating access to federal funding and encouraging border communities to participate in
funding opportunities and binational dialogue via Regional Workgroups and other fora.
Establishing partnerships with local, state, tribal, and federal governments and stakeholders to
achieve healthy and sustainable communities.
Developing and using environmental indicators to measure improvements in environmental
conditions and to identify health disparities in underserved communities.
2U.S. Executive Order 12898, signed in February 11, 1994, identifies federal actions that address environmental justice in minority and
low income populations.
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BORDER 2020 FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES
Promoting Environmental Awareness
Environmental Awareness is an important component to the success of the Border 2020 Program. The
goal of environmental education along the U.S.-Mexico border is to increase public awareness and
knowledge about environmental issues. Border 2020 will also support stakeholders by providing them
with as much environmental information as possible to make informed decisions and take responsible
actions toward the environment.
The Border 2020 Program will promote diverse measures to enhance the environmental culture in the
border region, such as: developing strategies to provide educational information; strengthening
capacities of strategic partners, such as the health service providers; community programs; and forming
partnerships between state, municipal and tribal entities to protect children and other vulnerable
populations from risks to environmental and human health. By integrating this strategy into the
Border 2020 goals, the sense of environmental advocacy can be instilled in future generations
throughout the border region.
Promoting Environmental Health
Since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Mexico border region is
bustling with a growing and transient population, diverse industry, and agriculture. This rapid growth
has placed increased burdens on public health and the environment along the border. Residents, many
of them young families with children, workers, as well as tribal and indigenous communities, are
exposed to a variety of environmental health hazards including: air pollution from autos and diesel
trucks at ports of entry, emissions from maquiladoras and domestic manufacturing, agricultural
impacts such as smoke from burning, and air and water contamination from pesticide use; and
inadequate and overburdened infrastructure for wastewater, drinking water and chemical and solid
waste disposal. Border 2020 will aim to increase awareness of these issues and offer safer best
management practices to improve human health and the environment.
Environmental health education and outreach is essential along the U.S.-Mexico border, where
vulnerable populations, especially farmworkers and their families, have insufficient knowledge about
worker and chemical safety and the links between chemical exposure, asthma triggers, and other
negative health outcomes. Continuous education and outreach focused on families, schools and
especially farmworkers will demonstrate and encourage safer alternatives such as integrated pest
management for insect and rodent control; chemical and pesticide safety and proper storage; and
identification and avoidance of household and work-related items that contain lead and mercury (such
as home remedies, toys, candy, glazed pottery, homemade facial creams, traditional stained glass, and
some home repair/construction materials such as copper pipe solder).
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BORDER 2020 FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES
The Border 2020 Program will coordinate with partners and focus on:
Identifying and promoting best practices for handling and disposal of excess pesticides and other
chemicals used to control insect and rodent pests.
Promoting the safe storage and handling of pesticides and other chemicals.
Reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals and asthma triggers in and around the home by
educating families on the proper use of integrated pest management, the identification and
dangers of lead, mercury and other heavy metals, other environmental hazards, and open waste
dumps.
Developing pilot projects to foster the adoption of integrated pest management in the school
environment to reduce children's exposures to pesticides and asthma triggers while achieving
effective pest control on school property.
Training health care providers, practitioners, physicians, and/or Promotoras on the recognition
and reporting of illnesses and poisonings caused by lead, pesticides, and other chemical
exposure.
Providing information and outreach to agricultural workers and their families.
Compiling existing border environmental health information from credible sources (such a
local and state health statistics from public health authorities) to better document
environmental health issues along the U.S.-Mexico border.
In addition, the Border 2020 Program will adopt a variety of capacity building tools and
communication methods, including sharing information via the Internet, printed materials, and
educational materials; collaboration between the Policy Foras and Regional Workgroups with school
administrators and heads of household.
The U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission (BHC), created in 2000 by the U.S. and Mexico
Secretaries of Health, is undertaking a number of binational public health efforts, including
Environmental Health objectives, in their Healthy Border 2010/2020 initiative. The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mexico's Secretariat for the Environment and Natural
Resources (SEMARNAT) are committed to collaborating with the BHC to identify and support
future environmental health objectives that complement the U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental
Program (Border 2020). The BHC will launch a new Healthy Border 2020 initiative in the fall of
2013.
Strengthening Tribal, State, Federal, and International Partnerships
A central component of the Border 2020 Program is to ensure strong and effective tribal, local, state,
federal, and international communications and partnerships. Through strong partnerships and
interagency cooperation, available resources can be better leveraged and maximized while waste and
duplication of efforts can be minimized.
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BORDER 2020 FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES
The Border 2020 Program is committed to strengthening tribal, local, state, federal, and international
partnerships through a combination of approaches, including:
Encouraging and enabling full participation by tribal, state, and local governments in the effort
of the Regional Workgroup and Task Forces.
Encouraging and enabling full participation in policy foras by tribal or indigenous communities,
and state governments.
Frequent and effective communication on progress to border communities and program
partners.
Developing joint action plans, strategies, and priorities to address program goals, objectives, and
emerging issues such as sustainable urban growth models for border cities.
Engaging with relevant tribal, local, state, and federal agencies to help with technical assistance,
resources, and/or appropriate expertise to address the challenges contained in the various goals
and objectives of the program.
Strengthening our cross-cultural sensitivity with tribes, recognizing that tribes have cultural,
jurisdictional, and legal aspects that must be considered when coordinating and implementing
environmental projects on tribal lands.
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I. INTRODUCTION
The U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2020 is an eight-year (2013-2020) binational
effort designed "to protect the environment and public health in the U.S.-Mexico Border region,
consistent with the principles of sustainable development." Its implementation will be accomplished
within the framework of the respective laws and regulation of the U.S. and Mexico.
Border 2020 is the latest cooperative effort implemented under the 1983 La Paz Agreement. It builds
on previous binational efforts, particularly Border 2012, which emphasized a regional bottom-up
approach as the basis for decision making, priority setting, and project implementation to address the
environmental and public health problems in the border region. In addition to adopting and
incorporating this approach in its framework, Border 2020 has established six fundamental strategies
that set expectations on how program partners will work along the border and achieve results.
Border 2020 has identified five long-term strategic goals to address environmental and environmental
health challenges in the border region. Within the five goals are specific objectives that identify
priority areas and activities that program partners will undertake for the duration of the Border 2020
Program. The goals and objectives were carefully written based on extensive input from program
partners and border stakeholders about ongoing environmental challenges. Biennial action plans will
outline priorities and implementation strategies to accomplish the various goals and objectives, based
on available resources, emerging issues, and regional and community priorities. The Border 2020
strategic goals are:
Goal 1: Reduce Air Pollution
Goal 2: Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water
Goal 3: Promote Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites
Goal 4: Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response
Goal 5: Enhance Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship
To achieve the long-term strategic goals and associated objectives, Border 2020 will track progress
through highlight reports, a mid-term assessment, and a final report. Border 2020 plans to build on
the indicators developed in the Border 2012 Program to select, refine, and develop qualitative and
quantitative environmental performance indicators and reports. These will help measure program
achievements, as well as integrate and identify additional needs and targets for near-term planning.
In order to ensure effective program implementation, cooperation, and communication, the U.S. EPA
and Mexico's SEMARNAT, will provide guidance and oversight to Border 2020 coordinating bodies:
Policy Fora and Regional Workgroups. Policy Fora will provide border-wide technical and policy
support on issues that are primarily of a federal nature and border-wide scope. Regional Workgroups
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INTRODUCTION
will prioritize and implement projects and efforts in the four geographic regions of the border:
California-Baja California, Arizona-Sonora, New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua and Texas-Coahuila-
Nuevo Leon-Tamaulipas. The workgroups will create and oversee local task forces.
Border Regional Task Forces will engage and seek input from communities, governments, and
stakeholders familiar with local and regional issues. In addition, Border 2020 will rely on
Communication and Indicators Committees to support program implementation. The Committee on
Communications will provide recommendations to the National Coordinators on the design,
implementation, and maintenance of effective communication strategies. The Committee on Border
Indicators will select, refine and use environmental and performance indicators to identify program
needs, outputs and outcomes.
Border 2020 aims to improve environmental conditions in underserved communities and sensitive
populations by fulfilling its five goals and associated objectives. Border 2020 also aims to provide
stakeholders timely access to environmental data and will continue to promote training and capacity
building that focuses on environmental and programmatic sustainability within border communities.
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II. BACKGROUND
MEXICAN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN
THE BORDER REGION
^ochimi
^ucapa
Gkapues
Ciliwa
oimiai
'ai Pai
'apagos
an Francisquito (Tohono O odham)
Source: Institute Nacional Indigenista)
J.S. TRIBES IN THE BORDER REGION
Barona Band of Mission Indians
ampo Band of Mission Indians of the
Kumeyaay Nation
^apitan Grande Band of Mission Indians
(Reservation held in trust for Barona and Viejas Tribes.)
^ocopah Indian Tribe
^wiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay
ipay Nation of Santa Ysabel
Inaja Band of Indians
Jamul Indian Village
Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas
La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians
LaPosta Band of Mission Indians
Los Coyotes Band of Indians
Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians
Pala Band of Mission Indians
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
Pauma Band of Mission Indians
Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians
Quechan Indian Tribe
Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians
San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians
Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation
Tohono Obdham Nation
Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe
Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians
7sleta del Sur Pueblo
>ISTER CITIES ON THE
J.S.-MEXICO BORDER
an Diego — Tijuana
'alexico - Mexicali
(uma - San Luis
^ogales — Nogales
^aco - Naco
Douglas - Agua Prieta
Columbus — Puerto Palomas
^1 Paso — Sunland Park — Ciudad Juarez — Ysleta
del Sur Pueblo
^residio — Ojinaga
Del Rio - Ciudad Acufia
^agle Pass — Piedras Negras
^aredo — Nuevo Laredo
VlcAllen - Reynosa
Afeslaco - Rio Bravo
Brownsville — Matamoros
Geography
The U.S.-Mexico border region is one of the most dynamic
in the world. It spans an area of approximately 2,000 miles
(3,100 kilometers) from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific
Ocean, and 62.15 miles (100 km) on each side of the
international border. The region includes remarkable
biodiversity, including many endemic species of flora and
fauna. The natural beauty of the region and its unique
history can be seen in its vast deserts, coastal areas, national
parks and protected areas.
Demography
Today, the border region is home to more than 14 million
people, with about 7.3 million living in the United States
and 6.8 million in Mexico3. Some 90% of the population
resides in the 15 pairs of border "sister cities". The remaining
population lives in small towns and rural communities.
There are 26 U.S. federally-recognized Native American
tribes in the border region, many of which share extensive
cultural and familial ties with indigenous peoples in the
border region of Mexico.
Growth rates projected for the population in the border
region exceed anticipated national average growth rates in
some cases by more than 40 percent for each country. If
current trends continue, the border population is expected
to increase by an additional 4.6 million people by the year
2020 and by an additional 9.3 million by the year 2030
(based on population estimates for a high growth path)4.
The urban centers along the border have grown significantly
in the past several decades, due in part to the Maquiladora
Program in Mexico that began in 1965, which provided
economic incentives to open foreign assembly plants (mostly
U.S.-owned) in the border region. The rate of industrial
development increased further after enactment of the North
3Source: EPA/SEMARNAT, "State of the Border Region: Indicators Report", 1st edition, 2011.
4Source: EPA/SEMARNAT, "State of the Border Region: Indicators Report", 1st edition, 2011.
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BACKGROUND
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. In 1990, about 1,700 maquiladora plants were
operating in Mexico; by 2006, that figure more than doubled to 2,810, of which 2,289 were in the
Mexican Border States5.
While economic growth has contributed to greater employment, the environmental infrastructure of
the region has not kept pace. As a result, natural resources are strained and the environment and public
health are adversely affected on both sides of the border.
Environmental Degradation and Public Health
The rapid population growth in urban areas has often resulted in unplanned and/or hasty
development, increased the demand for land and energy; created traffic congestion; increased the
generation of waste; increased the frequency of chemical emergencies6; and has resulted in inadequate
and/or insufficient waste treatment and disposal facilities. Water and air quality have also been
adversely impacted.
Local communities along the border are affected by the degradation of ecosystems. Some residents
suffer health problems that may be closely linked to poor air and water quality, improper management
of pesticides, and illegal or inadequate disposal of solid and hazardous waste. The elderly and children
are especially at risk. Tribal communities, indigenous communities and the residents of settlements
lacking infrastructure are also at considerable risk, as they are more likely to have inadequate water
supply and treatment systems, and to lack mechanisms for the proper management of solid and
hazardous waste.
The Basis for Binational Cooperation - La Paz Agreement
To address environmental and health problems in the border region, the Governments of Mexico and
the United States signed the Agreement on Cooperation for the Protection and Improvement of the
Environment in the Border Area (the La Paz Agreement), in the city of La Paz, Baja California Sur,
Mexico, in 1983. This agreement is the foundational basis for cooperation in the border region
between the U.S. EPA and Mexico's SEMARNAT, which serve as National Coordinators for activities
undertaken in accordance with the Agreement.
Prior Binational Programs
Implementation of the La Paz Agreement and its priorities has been largely carried out through three
binationally-negotiated environmental programs, as follows:
1) Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexican-U.S. Border Area (IBEP)
The Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexican-U.S. Border Area (known as the Integrated
5Source: Institute Nacional de Estadistica y Geograffa (INEGI), Mexico.
6Source: EPA/PROFEPA, "EPA-PROFEPA Accidental Release Report 2011".
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BACKGROUND
Border Environmental Plan or IBEP), established in 1992 between the environmental authorities of
the United States and Mexico, was the first implementation program developed in the context of the
La Paz Agreement to address the most serious environmental problems in the border region.
The IBEP envisioned an integrated approach to implementation of numerous environmental
solutions. Its stated goals were to (1) continue media-specific and multimedia monitoring and
pollution control activities in the Border Area, including the performance of baseline and periodic
environmental health risk assessments; (2) strengthen environmental regulatory activities, as
appropriate, in the Border Area through new cooperative programs and projects supplementing the
La Paz Agreement; (3) mobilize additional resources for pollution prevention and control in the
Border Area; and (4) supplement current pollution control programs through pollution prevention
and voluntary action programs.
In accordance with Specific Implementation Plans included in the IBEP for 1992-1994, the
environmental authorities of the United States and Mexico took actions in the following areas:
Cooperative Enforcement Strategy; Industrial Multimedia Source Controls Requiring Government
and Private Sector Initiatives; Protection of Water Quality/Conservation of Water Resources; Border
Wastewater Control; Air Quality; Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste; Municipal Solid Waste;
Pesticides; Contingency Planning/Emergency Response; Regulation of Activities Impacting the
Environment; Pollution Prevention; Environmental Education; Conservation of Natural Resources;
and Urban Development.
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BACKGROUND
2) Border XXI Program
The Border XXI Program established a five-year bilateral effort to bring together government
institutions responsible for the border environment, primarily U.S. EPA and the Environment,
Natural Resources and Fisheries Secretariat (SEMARNAP) and the Social Development Secretariat
(SEDESOL) of Mexico. Unlike IBEP, Border XXI brought additional federal partners to achieve its
environmental goals, and welcomed the states and U.S. tribes into the workgroups.
To promote sustainable development in the region, protection of human health and the environment,
and properly manage shared natural resources, after extensive public participation along the
U.S.-Mexico border the Border XXI Program added three working groups — environmental
information, natural resources and environmental health — to those already established by the La Paz
Agreement — water, air, solid and hazardous waste, pollution prevention, planning and response to
emergencies, and environmental law enforcement.
Border XXI made significant contributions to the prevention of pollution and enhancing sustainable
development principles: creation of the U.S.-Mexico Consultative Mechanism to share information
on hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities; development of institutional
infrastructure and expertise on air quality through technical assistance, training, and information and
technology transfer; development of pollution prevention manuals for the textile, wood finishing,
metals and electronics industries; construction of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; and
development of sister city emergency response agreements for six border cities. Border XXI further
complemented its efforts to prevent pollution through capacity building (formal and informal
training), education sessions, workshops, and the production and distribution of a training video titled
"Environmental Auditing and Pollution Prevention: Strategies for Compliance in the Maquiladora
Industry".
The Border XXI Program, like the IBEP, led the way in the establishment of environmental issues as
a priority in the bilateral agenda between the United States and Mexico. At the same time, Border XXI
has served as the foundation for the establishment of the U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program: Border
2012.
3) United States-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2012
In 2003, the Border 2012 Program was negotiated and began with the active participation of 10
Border States, 26 U.S. tribal nations of the border region, EPA, SEMARNAT, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services Ministry and the Mexican Secretariat of Health.
Border 2012, a 10-year program, emphasized a regional bottom-up approach incorporating local
decision-making, priority setting, and project implementation as the basis for addressing
environmental issues in the border region. The Border 2012 Program brought together a wide range
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BACKGROUND
of stakeholders to generate sustained and priority actions that met the environmental needs of the
various border communities.
The Border 2012 Program also incorporated a significant participation process in which
representatives from industry, non-governmental organizations (NGO's), academia, state and local
governments, federal agencies and the general public could contribute their ideas and
recommendations. The adoption of this inclusive approach allowed Border 2012 to more effectively
address environmental and health problems in the border region.
In accordance with the La Paz Agreement, Border 2012 established six structural goals to address
environmental challenges and public health:
Goal 1: Reduce water contamination;
Goal 2: Reduce air pollution;
Goal 3: Reduce land contamination;
Goal 4: Improve environmental health;
Goal 5: Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response7; and
Goal 6: Improve environmental performance through compliance, enforcement,
pollution prevention, and promotion of environmental stewardship.
Under Border 2012, water quality and environmental health in the U.S.-Mexico border region were
significantly improved by completing infrastructure projects that benefited more than 7 million
residents. These projects provided greater access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment.
Air quality and the public's understanding of air pollution impacts were significantly improved
through implementation of diesel truck/bus retrofitting programs and road paving projects,
establishment of air monitoring networks and increasing accessibility to ambient air quality data,
which contributed to public awareness and advocacy for the attainment of National Ambient Air
Quality Standards.
Reduced land contamination was achieved through clean-up, proper disposal and improved waste
management of used electronics and more than 12 million scrap tires, collection events for obsolete
pesticides, and cleanup and revitalization of hazardous waste sites. Progress in joint readiness for
environmental response in the U.S.-Mexico Border area was enhanced through training and
knowledge/equipment exchanges that allowed local responders to prepare for border incidents.
Finally, Border 2012 supported community health workers (Promotoras) to educate underserved
communities about potential environmental health risks associated with exposure to chemicals and
7The original title of this goal (Reduce Exposure to Chemicals as a Result of Accidental Chemical Releases and/or Acts of Terrorism) was
modified in 2007 since "responding to acts of terrorism" was not in the purview of SEMARNAT.
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BACKGROUND
pesticides. Additional efforts to improve environmental health resulted in the removal of obsolete
agricultural pesticides and projects to remove mercury waste from hospitals in the border region.
A New Approach
Prior to developing the Border 2020 Program, EPA and SEMARNAT held working meetings with
program partners to define the scope of the new binational agreement, building on Border 2012 and
its structure. Both institutions initiated a public consultation process to gather input and suggestions
from border stakeholders as well as co-chairs of the Border 2012 coordinating bodies.
The comments received from this effort supported the continuation of the bottom-up structure, the
five main goal areas, the inclusion of overarching fundamental strategies, and more ambitious
environmental and public health goals.
An Advisory Committee representing the U.S. and Mexican Border States, U.S. Tribes, EPA and
SEMARNAT was established to help shape the new binational program. The Advisory Committee was
responsible for providing guidance on the key elements of the new program, and circulated draft
documents for additional comments and input.
The United States-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2020 is a binational continuing effort
that aims to address environmental and public health issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Border
2020 supports the principle that decision-making, priority-setting and project implementation are
best done at the local level to better address environmental issues in the border region. The program
integrates six fundamental strategies: working to improve children's health; building capacity towards
climate change resiliency; protecting disadvantaged and underserved communities; promoting
environmental awareness; promoting environmental health; and strengthening tribal, state, federal,
and international partnerships, to complement its mission and goals.
A Stronger Focus on Sustainability
Border Communities are comprised of interdependent social, economic, and environmental systems
that require meaningful attention and investment to make them sustainable. When sustainability is
achieved, these systems work together to improve the quality of life for border residents while reducing
impacts on the environment. The Border 2020 Program aims to support these systems through its
Guiding Principles, Fundamental Strategies, and Goals by promoting substantive public engagement
(especially in underserved communities), increasing institutional capacity to address environmental
problems, and contributing to a more sustainable development model.
Future Border Program efforts will focus on the area's many underserved communities to support
sustainable environmental and economic development in the U.S. and Mexico. Examples of some of
these future efforts include: operation and maintenance of air quality monitoring networks and
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BACKGROUND
real-time access to air quality data; supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy projects along
the border; enhancing operational and managerial efficiency of drinking water and wastewater utilities;
and increasing recycling capacity and materials recovery by developing markets and institutional waste
management capacity. The Border 2020 Program will leverage institutional, technological, and
financial capacity from numerous local, state, federal, and multi-national organizations to promote
these activities.
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III. BORDER 2020
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Border 2020 has identified five long-term strategic goals to address serious environmental and
environmentally-related public health challenges in the border region. Within the five goals are
specific objectives that identify priority areas and activities that program partners will undertake for the
duration of the program. The goals and objectives were carefully written based on extensive input
from program partners, border stakeholders, and ongoing environmental challenges that remain.
Biennial action plans will be developed for these goals and objectives which will outline priorities and
implementation strategies to accomplish the various goals and objectives, based on available resources,
emerging issues, and community or regional priorities.
Border 2020 recognizes that there are other critical issues such as energy, smart growth planning,
transportation, housing, and biodiversity that go beyond the scope of the La Paz Agreement and
associated binational environmental programs. However, the EPA and SEMARNAT are committed to
engaging with the relevant government agencies in order to address these issues in a coordinated and
collaborative way.
GOAL 1: REDUCE AIR POLLUTION
Economic and population growth in the U.S.-Mexico border region has had a significant impact on
urban and rural air quality. Today, air pollution presents a substantial environmental risk in some
border communities that are frequently exposed to elevated concentrations of particulate matter PM10
and PM2 5, ozone, and toxic air pollutants. Emissions from electrical generation and other industrial
sources, unpaved roads, diesel trucks, buses and cars, including those idling for long periods of time at
ports-of-entry, are significant contributors to poor air quality along the border.
The border region includes a number of cities that share common airsheds; thus, activities in one city
can directly affect the other, whether in the same country or across the border. As such, strategies and
solutions to address air pollution along the border need to be developed and implemented binationally,
with active engagement from the community, as well as local, state, federal, and Tribal authorities.
Objective 1: By 2020, in accordance with the NAFTA, promote the reduction of the number of
vehicles operating in the border region that do not comply with the respective vehicle emissions
standards, and reduce vehicle emissions at ports-of-entry through anti-idling and other feasible
reduction measures.
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Vehicles are a significant source of atmospheric emissions impacting border communities. Under this
objective, the U.S. and Mexico seek to develop mutually benefitting strategies to reduce vehicle
emissions (criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases) in the border region, including, but not limited to:
improved fuels availability, improved engine standards, establishment of emissions standards, ensuring
compliance with applicable emissions standards, vehicle inspection and maintenance efforts, used cars
and reduced idling while waiting at ports-of-entry.
Objective 2: By 2020, reduce pollutant emissions in order to approach attainment of respective
national ambient air quality standards in the following airsheds:
San Diego/Tijuana
Imperial County/Mexicali
Ambos Nogales
Paso del Norte (El Paso/Juarez/Sunland Park)
Border areas that do not yet meet health-based air quality standards, with negative effects on public
health, especially for particulate matter and/or ozone, include San Diego/Tijuana, Imperial
County/Mexicali, Ambos Nogales, and El Paso/Juarez and the lower valley of the Rio Bravo. Sources
of air emissions are diverse, but often include passenger vehicles, buses, diesel trucks, manufacturing
and electricity generation, dust from unpaved roads, and agricultural practices, including open
burning. Strategies and responsibilities for reducing these emissions vary. For example, road paving to
control dust is generally a local or state responsibility (although financing could potentially be available
from the North American Development Bank, NADBank), while vehicle emissions are generally
reduced largely through vehicle admission standards better fuel quality.
Objective 3: By 2018, maintain effective air monitoring networks and provide real-time access
to air quality data in:
California/Baja California
Arizona/Sonora
Paso del Norte Airshed
Any additional binational airshed that is designated as non-attainment for U.S. or Mexican air
quality standards prior to 2015.
Air quality monitoring networks provide data essential to developing plans and assessing progress in
reducing air pollution. This objective focuses on development and operation of air quality monitoring
networks to inform the public and air quality planners about current conditions and trends. The
purpose of this objective is to ensure that these monitoring networks provide real-time reliable data to
AirNow and to the National Information System on Air Quality (SINAICA, in Spanish), as well as
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
historical data to air quality databases, such as EPA's Air Quality System, consistent with national
policies on data quality.
Objective 4: By 2015, support completion of climate action plans in each of the six northern
Mexican Border States (as appropriate), and build the necessary capacity to guarantee sustained
implementation.
Along the U.S. border, California, Arizona, and New Mexico have completed Climate Change Action
Plans. Along the Mexican border, greenhouse gas emissions inventories and forecasts have been
completed for all six Mexican Border States. Using this information, climate change action plans have
been completed in Nuevo Leon and have been initiated in Baja California, Sonora and Coahuila. As
a result, the purpose of this objective is to complete climate change action plans for all six Mexican
states. When the climate change action plans are completed, capacity building (training,
demonstration projects, etc.) will be needed as states begin implementing their respective climate
change action plans.
Objective 5: By 2020, reduce emissions and associated impacts through energy efficiency and/or
alternative/renewable energy projects.
Possible projects could include: Border-wide training for border stakeholders in instituting and
sustaining urban energy efficiency measures; green building training/workshops; forums in which
states, localities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry can share program
information and technologies; and energy efficiency co-benefits through reduction of criteria air
contaminant emissions (stationary and vehicle sources).
Projects could also include financing of solar energy projects or other alternative sources of energy in
the various border regions. It is envisioned that the primary vehicle for achieving such large-scale
potential projects under this objective would be the Border Environment Cooperation Commission
(BECC) through its project certification and subsequent NADBank financing.
GOAL 2: IMPROVE ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER
Watersheds in the U.S.-Mexico border region are shared bi-nationally, with rivers flowing from one
country to the other or forming the international boundary. Protecting and restoring watersheds and
water quality in these rivers and providing adequate drinking water and basic sanitation services
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
requires collaborative bi-national, multi-jurisdictional planning efforts. The border region faces
significant challenges in shared watersheds that are exacerbated by high population growth rates and
impacts from climate change.
The Border 2020 Water Goal builds upon the successes and lessons learned from the Border 2012
Program. Under the Water Goal, the United States and Mexico will work together to address the
following challenges:
Lack of access to safe drinking water, which poses a significant threat to public health in border
communities.
Inadequate collection and treatment of wastewater, which contaminates surface waters and
aquifers and threatens public health and the environment.
Inadequate management of stormwater pollution that contributes significantly to water
pollution problems and the potential for floods.
Inadequate public access to water quality data, which decreases the public's ability to know
whether a waterbody is safe for recreational use.
Impacts of climate change that affect precipitation patterns and duration of droughts, making
water availability even more challenging in an already arid region, and making wastewater
infrastructure more vulnerable to damage from floods.
Objective 1: Promote the increase in the number of homes connected to safe drinking water and
adequate wastewater treatment.
Objective la: By 2015, promote access to safe drinking water to at least 5,000 households.
Revise target every two years.
Objective Ib: By 2015, promote access to adequate wastewater sanitation 42,000 households.
Revise target every two years.
In alignment with Goal 7c of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which recognizes
safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right essential to the full enjoyment of other
human rights, the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program, which, in Mexico, is
implemented through the EPA-CONAGUA Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Joint
Grant Contributions for Drinking Water Supply andWastewater Infrastructure Projects for Communities in
the United States - Mexico Border Area, continues to provide under-served border communities with
first-time safe drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities.
Targets under objectives la and Ib of this Goal are based on projects funded by the U.S.-Mexico
Border Water Infrastructure Program, which, in Mexico, is implemented through the
EPA-CONAGUA Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Joint Grant Contributions for
Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects for Communities in the United States -
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Mexico Border Area, and will be accomplished through the program's existing mechanisms8. Targets are
based on the completion of projects currently in the development or construction phase. Once every
two years, EPA and CONAGUA will jointly revise the connections targets based on expected project
completions. Decentralized wastewater treatment facilities may be funded in the future if identified as
technically feasible and as the best option to meet community needs.
Objective 2: Help drinking water and wastewater service providers in the border region to
implement sustainable infrastructure practices to reduce operating costs, improve energy
efficiency, use water efficiently and adapt to climate change.
Objective 2a: Incorporate sustainable infrastructure elements, as feasible and appropriate, into
U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program-supported BECC-certified projects, which,
in Mexico, are implemented through the EPA-CONAGUA Memorandum of
Understanding Concerning the Joint Grant Contributions for Drinking Water Supply and
Wastewater Infrastructure Projects for Communities in the United States - Mexico Border Area.
Objective 2b: Improve energy efficiency and efficient water use provided by drinking water and
wastewater service providers in the border region.
Objective 2c: Build operational, managerial and financial capacity through training of drinking
water and wastewater service providers in the border region.
Providing safe drinking water and properly treating wastewater requires a substantial amount of energy
and is a major cost to service providers. The above three objectives will promote the incorporation of
effective utility management practices and the concept of sustainability into the planning, design,
operation, and maintenance of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Examples of
sustainable infrastructure practices/components include, but are not limited to, the use of water
conservation, solar power, anaerobic digestion/cogeneration, high-efficiency equipment such as
variable speed pumps, re-use of treated wastewater to reduce demand for potable water or to restore
ecosystems, leak detection equipment, tiered rate structures, and green building materials.
Objective 3: Work bi-nationally to identify and reduce surface water contamination in
transboundary waterbodies and watersheds.
Objective 3a: Develop a binational watershed protection plan in the Lower Rio Grande below
Falcon International Dam. Initial activities could include partnership building, watershed
characterization, definition of goals/identification of solutions, determination of waste load,
load allocations for each country, and development of an implementation plan.
Objective 3b: Every two years, identify and implement at least one project to reduce the level of
heavy metals, sediment, and/or bacteria entering the Santa Cruz River and/or the Nogales
Creek. Examples of potential projects include industrial source control (pretreatment), inspector
8In Mexico, all matters related to water have to fall under the National Waters Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales).
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
training, and construction of stormwater regulation and water harvesting/storage devices.
Objective 3c: Every two years, identify and implement at least one project to reduce the levels
of bacteria, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), trash, and/or phosphates entering the New
River. Examples of potential projects include assessment and control of slaughterhouse
discharges, phosphate detergent bans, and trash prevention and cleanup activities.
Objective 3d: Every two years, identify and implement at least one project to reduce the level of
bacteria, sediment, and/or trash that enters the Tijuana River. Examples of potential projects
include demarcation of federal land in floodplains to prevent irregular settlements,
establishment of conservation easements, use of sediment control best management practices,
and trash prevention and cleanup programs.
Transboundary water quality impairments are common throughout the border region, as evidenced by
the U.S. Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of "impaired waterbodies". These water quality problems
cannot be addressed through the increase of wastewater treatment and infrastructure alone.
This objective will focus on specific pollutants in high priority waterbodies and watersheds,
recognizing the importance of community involvement, pollution prevention, urban planning and
stormwater-control Best Management Practices on both sides of the border. Regional Workgroups,
with input from Border 2020 Task Forces, will identify actions to be taken in each watershed to
address pollutant(s) of major concern. Regional Workgroups may also identify activities to be taken in
other transboundary watersheds not specifically mentioned in the above objectives.
Objective 4: Provide the public with timely access to water quality data in binational
waterbodies and watersheds in a readily understandable, web-based format.
Objective 4a: Develop a binational website that displays timely information on beach
advisories on both sides of the border in the Brownsville/Matamoros area, and ensure its
operation through 2020.
Objective 4b: Develop a binational website that displays timely information on beach advisories
on both sides of the border in the San Diego/Tijuana area, and ensure its operation through
2020.
Objective 4c: Develop a binational website that displays timely information on water quality
in high-priority watersheds including the Lower Rio Grande, the New River, and the Tijuana
River and ensure its operation through 2020.
Access to timely and accurate information on the water quality of waterbodies used for recreation can
help individuals make informed decisions about whether to enter the water. Beaches in the area are
important recreationally and economically, and providing timely and accurate information on water
quality at beaches will protect public health and encourage their use during appropriate times.
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
These water quality data can also help show long-term and seasonal trends in water quality, and help
governments determine the efficacy of wastewater and stormwater treatment projects. Existing water
quality data will be accessible to the general public in an easy-to-understand and timely manner via the
Internet and via water quality postings and advisories, where appropriate.
GOAL 3: PROMOTE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT AND WASTE
MANAGEMENT, AND CLEAN SITES
The border region faces significant challenges that threaten its ability to achieve clean, sustainable
communities. Waste management programs and services have not kept pace with border communities'
needs and the current waste management structure is not adequate to meet these increasing needs. It
is necessary to collaborate at all levels to ensure that limited resources are applied in a way that limits
additional threats of land contamination and prevents adding to legacy land contamination in the
region. Increasing trade and manufacturing in the border region has resulted in exponential
population growth and these industries should be engaged to ensure that they are an active part of the
solution. Future regional success will be defined by those who shift from an end-of-life waste
management to a sustainable materials management practice.
Achieving future sustainability requires new solutions that can be explored through better tools such
as life cycle analysis. Optimizing material design and packaging, making better use of natural
resources, and avoiding waste and toxic materials will result in more sustainable products. Improving
collection to recover, reuse, and recycle materials will lessen or eliminate end-of-life discards that end
up in landfills or indiscriminately dumped. Addressing these issues is more challenging given that they
require a coordinated approach across environmental program sectors, at the multi-government level
and the private sector. Over the next eight years and through Biennial Action Plans, the U.S. and
Mexico will work collaboratively to address the following challenges:
Lack of adequate planning programs in the U.S. and Mexico that establish strategies to
minimize waste, maximize collections systems, support secondary materials markets, and
reduce overall disposal in landfills and open dumps;
Limited knowledge and experience on how to apply a material life cycle approach to existing
international policies to implement sustainable materials management programs;
Increase in amounts of U.S. and Mexican E-waste, used cars, household appliances, tires
and green waste predominantly imported into Mexico combined with inadequate infrastructure
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
and services to manage discarded materials;
Trash, especially plastic materials, eventually reaching shared waters contributing to river or
marine debris;
Lack of conditions favorable to secondary markets for materials, especially when compounded
by U.S. sourced used tires, used cars, electronics, and household appliances; and
Environmental, social and economic impacts of indiscriminate dumping and contaminated sites,
and high remedial cost.
Objective 1: By 2020, increase local and state-level institutional knowledge and experience in
the area of sustainable material management practices.
Increasing institutional capacity for material and waste management in the border region will facilitate
incorporating these practices into existing or new regulations. Strategies should consider traditional
and social-media communication, community-based outreach, webinar-based workshops, and pilot
projects through public-private partnerships. Activities will focus on priority waste streams, especially
E-waste, used cars, household appliances, tires and green matter. These activities will support and
leverage respective national and international efforts to minimize waste through better collection and
recycling and also efforts that increase more efficient use of resources and avoid discards to landfills.
Objective 2: By 2014, identify priority waste streams and by 2020 develop sustainable material
management practices that strengthen their respective market value.
Each region of the northern border presents different economic, social and cultural situations,
bringing as a result the generation of waste and management of materials. In many cases, the
management is inadequate, and what is a priority for a region is not for another, therefore, it is
convenient to identify priority waste streams by region and develop sustainable practices enabling the
proper management of materials through the development of their respective markets. This goal can
be achieved by creating or increasing institutional capabilities through technical assistance, thus
enabling the development of programs, projects or actions taking into account the life cycle analysis
and the support recycling markets for the materials contained in the waste that would otherwise be lost
in landfills. Demonstration projects with sustainable goals can be developed to improve collection of
materials such as plastic bottles through public-private partnership programs and infrastructure
investments in the border region to avoid costly cleanup efforts. Scrap tires could be among the
regional priorities and state and national regulatory efforts should be leveraged to support local scrap
tire management initiatives.
Objective 3: By 2020, improve knowledge at every level of government (federal, state, local) to
characterize and remediate contaminated sites.
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Efforts under this objective provide for binational training on public health and environmental risk
management, site characterization, identification of cleanup alternatives, site-specific technical
assistance, and cost-effective remedial action practices applicable to either hazardous waste
contaminated sites or former solid waste dumps, or both.
Objective 4: On an annual basis, implement the Binational Consultative Mechanism on sharing
information on border area hazardous waste facilities.
The Consultative Mechanism is a binational notification mechanism that has been in practice for more
than a decade. It is being included as a priority under Border 2020 to affirm its value to both countries
and interest in maintaining this notification mechanism. The only modification from previous practice
is that the notification will occur once per year, given that changes in the status of hazardous waste
management facilities on the border are typically limited and thus two notifications per year are
considered unnecessary.
GOAL 4: ENHANCE JOINT PREPAREDNESS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL
RESPONSE
The 1985 Annex II of the La Paz Agreement establishes cooperative measures for preparing and
responding to oil and hazardous substance incidents along the Mexico-United States (U.S.) inland
border. The agreement also requires a Joint Contingency Plan (JCP) which was developed in 1988 and
signed in 1999. An updated version was finalized and signed in 2008. The Mexico-U.S. JCP has
provided the foundation for the 15 Sister Cities Bi-national Emergency Response Plans that have been
developed over the last several years. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Policy Fora is
co-chaired by U.S. EPA's Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Mexico's Procuraduria Federal de
Proteccion al Ambiente (PROFEPA), and Secretaria de Gobernacion, Coordination General de
Proteccion Civil (Mexico's Office of Civil Protection).
The Joint Response Team (JRT), another La Paz Agreement requirement, is also co-chaired by
Mexico's PROFEPA, Proteccion Civil, and U.S. EPA's OEM. Additional JRT partners include
representatives from other U.S. and Mexican federal agencies, including state, Tribal and local offices
responsible for emergency prevention, preparedness, and response in the border region. The
workgroup essentially functions as the steering committee of the Joint Response Team (JRT). The
work of the JRT is supported by a notification system for the binational reporting of emergency
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
response incidents, drills, and threats; local Emergency Response Plans developed jointly by sister cities
along the border; certified training courses; and analyses of potential risks in the border region.
Both countries have increased coordination with their federal, state and local partners and thanks to
this collaboration many of the millions of residents within the border region will benefit from
improved training, state-of-the-art equipment, and enhanced emergency response capabilities for both
countries. These actions fulfill numerous U.S. and Mexican objectives, the U.S.-Mexico Border 2012
Goal 4 to "Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response." In addition, EPA, PROFEPA and
Proteccion Civil agreed to jointly enhance border notification and agency communication protocols to
expand participation of all stakeholders in the Policy Fora and Task Forces.
Objective 1: Update as necessary, the current Mexico-U.S. Joint Contingency Plan and on an
annual basis, continue to evaluate and update the emergency notification mechanism between
Mexico and the United States.
A notification mechanism was established as part of the 2008 United States-Mexico Joint Contingency
Plan. However, it must be further revised, updated, and exercised in order to reflect changes in
technology and protocol.
Objective 2: By 2020, at least eight (8) of the sister city joint contingency plans will be
supplemented with preparedness and prevention related activities such as certified training, risk
analysis, and/or capacity building.
With the completion of 15 sister city plans, the JRT is working to expand preparedness efforts. While
some risk identification has been completed by both Mexico and the United States, such as commodity
flow studies and hazard analysis, the JRT is working on a more coordinated plan of action for risk
identification and reduction in order to better protect border communities from chemical accidents.
Objective 3: By 2016, the US-Mexico JRT will make available technical outreach and training
materials for distribution and dissemination along the border.
As we enhance coordination with federal, state and local partners as well as with border residents we
encourage improved training, the use of state-of-the-art equipment, and enhanced emergency response
capabilities of our border partners by providing capacity building materials that will enhance response
readiness, cross-border coordination, and training continuance for responders and counterparts.
Objective 4: By 2016, the US-Mexico JRT will analyze existing agreements (including sister city
plans) that allow trans-boundary movement of equipment and personnel for comparison
purposes.
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Based on the La Paz Agreement, the U.S. and Mexico support each other during incidents that may
occur along the shared international borders. U.S and Mexican personnel and equipment may cross
the borders to respond to border environmental emergencies. EPA and local responders also work with
Mexican counterparts to perform joint exercises of contingency plans and discuss preparedness and
response issues. These preparedness activities as well as responses to real world incidents necessitate
liability coverage and expediting cross-border travel of personnel and equipment for both countries.
GOALS: ENHANCE COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP
Environmental stewardship compliance assurance and enforcement efforts are essential in any
successful environmental regulatory program. Achieving these goals is made more difficult in a
transboundary context, such as the U.S.-Mexico border, where laws and requirements may be
significantly different and the ability to exercise domestic enforcement authority across a national
border is limited. Despite this challenge, both the United States and Mexico share a common goal of
ensuring compliance with respective environmental laws at the border. For this reason, policing the
movement of waste, and especially hazardous waste, across the border is a high priority for the Border
2020 Program. For instance, it is important for inspectors to understand the patterns of movement of
hazardous waste along each side of the border and across the border at the ports of entry, and how that
waste is ultimately disposed of or treated, and the Border 2020 Program will seek to promote this
important information sharing.
The rapid industrial growth along the border region from maquiladoras, their suppliers, and other
industries also presents environmental impact concerns of this growing industrial base, while also
providing an opportunity to better engage industry to promote greener business practices. To this end,
the United States and Mexico are committed to supporting the development of environmental
stewardship recognition programs, where appropriate, and extending them throughout the border
region. Additional focus will be placed on public education, outreach, and information dissemination
to help citizens and companies better understand and comply with environmental laws and adopt
more environmentally friendly practices, including environmental self-audit programs.
Objective 1: By 2020, strengthen effective information sharing between U.S. and Mexican
agencies regarding the movement of hazardous waste across the border and its ultimate treatment
or disposal. In addition, ensure that land ports-of-entry have sufficient inspection capacity to
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BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
police hazardous waste shipments.
Ensuring compliance and protection of cross-border movement of hazardous waste, and the
appropriateness of the waste's ultimate treatment or disposal, remains a high concern of the various
agencies that have jurisdiction at the border. Effective information sharing greatly enhances the
compliance efforts of these agencies.
Objective 2: By 2020, in Mexico, increase by 25 percent the number of businesses in the border
region enrolled in the National Program for Environmental Auditing (PNAA) and/or similar
programs at the state level for facilities not regulated by the federal government, using 2012 as a
baseline.
The National Program for Environmental Auditing (PNAA) has been very successful at obtaining
positive environmental results at industrial facilities along the Mexican side of the border. Mexico's
commitment to expanding the implementation of this program in the border region should increase
these positive results.
Objective 3: Using the U.S. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and the Mexican Registry of
Emissions and Transfers of Pollutants (RETC), along with other sources of environmental
information, share information regarding activities contributing pollution to transboundary air
and/or water basins along the border.
Identifying releases of toxic chemicals along the border should help regulatory agencies on both sides
of the border focus their compliance and pollution prevention efforts. These efforts will aim to focus
available resources on identifying pollution loading to transboundary air basins or watersheds that may
receive a disproportionate amount of pollution. Examples may include identifying sources of
pollutant discharges into the priority watersheds in Goal 2 and implementing regulatory and/or
voluntary measures to reduce water and air pollution.
Objective 4: By 2020, implement at least five (5) binational workshops targeted to
environmental enforcement professionals, including port-of-entry customs professionals, to
promote the exchange of information and improve understanding of each country's respective
compliance and enforcement programs and tools, including field inspection and case studies.
Training workshops help ensure that inspectors, prosecutors, police and other enforcement personnel
on both sides of the border have the minimum level of expertise and skills necessary to perform their
jobs efficiently and effectively, as well as understand applicable laws and regulations in the U.S. and
Mexico. Such an understanding is crucial when making a determination as to whether a hazardous
waste being exported across the border is being sent for legal disposal.
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IV. BORDER 2020 TOOLS
Border 2020 encourages the use of the following tools to complement and support the goals and
objectives. The tools are not intended to be all-inclusive:
Pollution Prevention Techniques
Pollution prevention should be a key component of all environmental media programs (i.e., air, water,
hazardous and solid waste). Pollution prevention techniques can include:
Capacity Building: Identification of training needs and support for training efforts to address
these needs. For example, training could be provided to industrial enterprises on efficient and
cost-effective methods to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from process
operations.
Technical Assistance: Site-specific technical assistance could be provided to conduct voluntary
multi-media site assessments to identify cost-effective pollution prevention opportunities.
Environmental Stewardship: Projects are encouraged to promote good stewardship and
responsibility, such as conducting and promoting Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
training for industry, governments, and others.
Public Health Interventions
Infrastructure projects providing safe drinking water and wastewater treatment, as well as reductions
of criteria pollutant emissions, appropriate disposal of chemical waste, and enhanced readiness to
respond to chemical emergencies, will be implemented to reduce associated health risks and exposures,
as well as to contain the potential effects of natural and chemical disasters. Community-based
education and training programs will be used as outreach tools to reduce exposure to pesticides and
chemicals by promoting safe storage and disposal of pesticides and household chemicals, create
awareness of the public health hazards of electronic-waste, and encourage the use of safer/greener
products.
Mechanisms to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants and to alert residents to possible
exposure will be developed and/or coordinated among federal, state, local and U.S. tribal agencies.
Examples of these include developing air quality monitoring networks, providing accurate and timely
water quality information such as beach advisories, increasing accessibility to real-time information
and facilitating its interpretation, and developing indicators to identify public health problems and/or
disparities, as well as to measure progress achieved. Capacity building for health care providers will be
used to increase recognition, treatment and reporting of illnesses related to pesticides and chemical
poisoning.
Sustainable Management of Water Resources
Given the importance of water in the border region, water resources must be managed in a sustainable
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BORDER 2020 TOOLS
manner. Some tools available to promote this approach include: publication and decrees to forbid,
regulate and reserve water use through the councils of river basin and auxiliary entities; analysis of the
links between water quality and quantity, studies of groundwater availability, improved measurement of
surface flows, removal of invasive species, and increased efficiency measures. In many cases, promotion
of this approach requires coordination between organizations having complementary jurisdictions. For
example, regulation of water quality is the responsibility of the respective national environmental
agencies, EPA and SEMARNAT through the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), while
regulation of water quantity (i.e., source development and allocation) in Mexico is CONAGUAs
responsibility, whereas in the United States it is the responsibility of state agencies. In the U.S., source
development falls under the Department of the Interior and allocation is done within the framework of
state law. In Mexico, source development and allocation are overseen by the CONAGUA.
Environmental Information
Collection, management and exchange of environmental data are essential to effective environmental
management. Comprehensive examples of tools to promote the sharing of environmental information
include harmonizing binational environmental protocols or information management systems (e.g.,
hazardous waste tracking systems) and developing effective data collection and information exchange
mechanisms between Border 2020 partners and border stakeholders. Under Border 2020, gathering
and improving accessibility to real-time air quality data, right-to-know tools, and timely and accurate
water quality data to beachgoers will be priorities given the value of this information for risk
assessment, public health and ultimately enforcement and compliance regarding industrial emissions
and/or discharges.
Likewise, implementation of the Binational Consultative Mechanism allows the sharing of
information on hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Border 2020 will also create
and/or refine indicators to measure environmental pressures, needs, outputs or outcomes related to its
goals and objectives. Indicators will be used to identify areas where comparable binational data is
missing, foster binational collaboration on data gathering, and develop programs or alternative
mechanisms to address environmental and public health priorities.
Regulation and Policy Development
Complex environmental problems sometimes require regulation and/or policy development.
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BORDER 2020 TOOLS
Examples include the development of domestic or binational policies to address sustainable utility
management practices, reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs), and the reduction of waste streams
through recycling. Border 2020 will encourage water and wastewater infrastructure projects along the
border to incorporate sustainable elements (less energy, lower GHG emissions, and increased water use
efficiency), annual water and energy audits, and the subsequent implementation of audit
recommendations. To further reduce conventional air pollutants and GHG emissions, Border 2020
will aim to establish diesel emission reduction measures, concrete strategies to reduce sales of old
polluting cars into the Mexican markets, and the completion of climate change action plans and State
Programs for Prevention and Integral Management of Waste for at least six border states.
Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
Effective enforcement and compliance assistance requires constant and sustained coordination among
governmental agencies on both sides of the border. One important tool is capacity building to establish
and implement effective enforcement and compliance programs. Examples include training of
Customs officials to spot suspect shipments of transboundary waste, and providing assistance to
importers and exporters of hazardous waste to ensure compliance with federal and state waste
management regulations.
Environmental Education and Training
Capacity building through environmental education and training is critical to long-term
environmental protection. Environmental education programs and training efforts are integrated
within the Border 2020 framework to foster greater community awareness and engagement on
environmental issues at regional and local levels. Tools to accomplish this include development of pilot
programs to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in homes and schools to reduce exposure to
pesticides; training of manufacturers and chemical suppliers on how to adopt clean manufacturing
approaches; improving the technical capacity to clean and remediate contaminated sites; and
increasing the collection and recycling of materials for targeted waste streams. The ultimate goal of the
tools used in environmental education and training is to increase engagement and participation by the
community and stakeholders, to better manage the complex environmental and public health issues
along the border.
Infrastructure Planning and Development
Important environmental infrastructure projects can be advanced from the planning stages to full
implementation by optimizing the use of resources from state, federal, and local agencies, and from the
BECC and NADB. More specifically, BECC and NADB support the management, development, and
financing of environmental infrastructure projects under their existing programs. The BECC helps
facilitate the funding of Border 2020 pilot projects, plays a role in training Border 2020 participants,
and supports program implementation.
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V. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The EPA and SEMARNAT National Coordinators provide guidance and oversight to the Border
2020: Policy Fora and Regional Workgroups (coordinating bodies). Each of the coordinating
bodies work on border issues bringing to bear their diverse and complementary perspectives. The
function and role of the coordinating bodies is further explained in this section.
BORDER 2020 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
NATIONAL COORDINATORS (EPA-SEMARNAT)
ADVISORY COMMITTEES ON COMMUNICATIONS AND INDICATORS
REGIONAL WORKGROUPS
Arizona/Sonora
California/Raja California
New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua
Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-Tamaulipas
POLICY FORA
Air
Water
Material Management & Clean Sites
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Cooperative Enforcement & Compliance
TASK FORCES
Created and managed by the Regional Workgroups
Identify priority issues and help facilitate pilot proj ects by
convening local, state, and tribal governments, academia,
NGOs and the public.
National Coordinators
Consistent with the terms of the La Paz Agreement, federal-level National Coordinators from the
United States and Mexico, respectively, manage overall program implementation, and ensure
cooperation, coordination and communication among all coordinating bodies. Although the
coordinating bodies have autonomy, the National Coordinators ensure overall progress toward
program goals. They assist the coordinating bodies in maintaining focus on binational and
transboundary environmental and public health issues and adherence to the program's mission,
fundamental strategies, guiding principles, and tools.
The biennial National Coordinators meeting provides an opportunity for the Policy Fora and Regional
Workgroups to present ongoing progress and identify priority projects and efforts with program
partners. They also encourage participation from other relevant agencies, as appropriate, and assist in
identifying and leveraging funding sources for binational efforts and projects.
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Committees on Communication and Environmental Indicators
Border 2020 will aim to strengthen its ability to communicate program successes, outputs and
outcomes while seeking input from stakeholders and communities on pressing issues. To accomplish
this, the National Coordinators will seek input and recommendations from two committees: a
Committee on Communications and a Committee on Environmental Indicators. The Communication
committee is expected to provide input and recommendations to the National Coordinators on the
development, implementation, and revision of effective communication strategies and the
Environmental Indicators Committee on the selection, refinement and use of environmental and
performance indicators that accurately identify program needs, outputs and outcomes for the border
region. In order to provide this guidance, the committees are expected to closely collaborate with
program partners and coordinating bodies to summarize their recommendations and devise the
strategies needed to incorporate them into the program's operations.
The Committees on Environmental Indicators and Communication will be led by representatives
designated by the National Coordinators of the Program and will include representatives of the
regional offices of SEMARNAT and EPA, as well representatives designated by the co-chairs of each
one of the specified goals of Border 2020.
The Environmental Indicators Committee will define in coordination with the policy fora and the
regional workgroups a binational set of indicators that measure program progress and assess trends and
changes in the border region's environmental conditions. In addition, the committee will develop
appropriate protocols for the collection, analysis, and quality control of data necessary to calculate and
interpret the environmental indicators. Ongoing review of indicators will provide partners and
decision-makers with an informative tool that can help shape research and public health and
environmental policy priorities.
The Committee on Communications will devise a communication strategy that assures effective
exchange and sharing of information and collaboration among coordinating bodies, and timely
requests and feedback to and from the National Coordinators.
Regional Workgroups
Regional Workgroups are multi-media and geographically-focused, and emphasize regional public health
and environmental issues. They plan and coordinate activities at the regional level and support the
efforts of local Task Forces. Each Regional Workgroup, at a minimum, should have one state and one
federal co-chair from each country.
Regional Workgroups will determine what additional mechanisms will be necessary to coordinate with
U.S. tribes and indigenous communities in Mexico within their respective regions. Where adopted
binationally, these mechanisms should ensure that interested U.S. tribes and indigenous communities
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
in Mexico are fully informed and allowed full participation, including leadership opportunities in
Border 2020 efforts within their communities.
Four Regional workgroups have been established in the following regions:
California-Baja California
Arizona-Sonora
New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua
Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo Leon-Tamaulipas
In addition to general roles and responsibilities described in the Coordinating Bodies Section,
Regional Workgroups:
Identify and prioritize regional environmental issues and recommend issues beyond regional
scope to be addressed by Policy Fora; and
Develop biennial Action Plans to advance the Goals and Objectives of Border 2020.
The Regional Workgroups should include participation from local representatives of both sides of the
border, as well as from binational organizations such as the BECC, the NADB, and the IBWC;
community organizations and civil society, academic institutions and the private sector. In addition,
the Regional Workgroups should include representatives of federal, state, local and tribal governments,
among them representatives of organizations responsible for the environment, health, natural
resources and emergency response.
In the case that the regional workgroup is made up of more than one border state, each will be
represented in the structure as co-chairs, as in the case of the Three States and the Four States Regional
Workgroups, with the possibility of the coordinating leader rotating his function annually.
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Policy Fora
Policy Fora concentrate on issues that are border-wide and multi-regional (identified as a priority by two
or more regional workgroups), primarily federal in nature (requiring direct, high-level, and sustained
leadership by federal program partners in the United States and Mexico) and that require broad policy
considerations. For example, cross-border emergency response requires the consistent application of a
common protocol (the Joint Contingency Plan) to ensure that effective actions are taken.
Policy Fora identify priority border-wide policy issues and programs that can most effectively be
addressed through a federally-led effort, relying on input from Regional Workgroups. The goal of this
dialogue is to ensure that federal policy for the U.S.-Mexico border is implemented or administered
with opportunity for review and comment by state and tribal governments, in addition to providing
an opportunity for input, advice and support from NGOs and the public.
Policy Fora pursue consensus with input provided by federal agencies, state governments, local and
tribal governments, NGOs, the private sector, academia and the public. Each coordinating body will
strive to have representation from a variety of border stakeholders.
Each of the five Policy Fora has a federal co-chair from the United States and Mexico, respectively, and
addresses the following topics:
Reduce Air Pollution
Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water
Promote Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites
Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response
Enhance Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship
In addition to the general roles and responsibilities described in the Coordinating Bodies Section,
Policy Fora will:
Identify and prioritize policy and technical issues of border-wide/transboundary binational and
federal importance;
Develop biennial Action Plans to advance the border-wide objectives in their respective goals;
Address and resolve border-wide policy and technical issues;
Identify and target resources for regionally-based projects.
Policy Fora meetings will have broad-based stakeholder participation and include non-governmental
and community-based organizations, academic institutions, local, state, and tribal representatives, and
binational organizations from both countries with expertise in the given subject area.
However, the confidential nature of enforcement investigations may require that some meetings of the
Forum on Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship shall not be open to the public
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Task Forces
The Regional Workgroups may create Task Forces to identify priority issues and help facilitate Pilot
Projects by engaging with local, state, and tribal governments; academia; NGOs; and the public. Task
forces serve as a mechanism for border stakeholders to collaborate on studies and projects, share
information, raise concerns to government officials, and learn about ongoing efforts in the border
region. Task Force leaders will be selected by the Regional Workgroups co-chairs and will be as
representational as possible, including interested local communities; relevant local, state, federal and
tribal governments; binational organizations; non-governmental and community-based organizations;
academic institutions; and the private sector as appropriate. However, regional enforcement Task
Forces may not be as representative or open in their meetings due to the confidential nature of
discussions of enforcement investigations.
Responsibilities of the Coordinating Bodies
In support of the Border 2020 Guiding Principles, the coordinating bodies will:
Identify and build consensus on respective priorities;
Identify Task Forces, including leadership through Regional Workgroups;
Ensure adequate representation of stakeholders in order to plan and implement projects;
Develop budgets and identify potential funding sources for project efforts;
Support development of indicators given the availability of adequate resources;
Collect data to monitor progress of activities;
Leverage resources to achieve program goals;
Meet a minimum of once per calendar year;
Manage organizational and logistical aspects of meetings (e.g., develop agendas and schedules,
secure meeting venues, provide translation services, etc.);
Facilitate communication among coordinating bodies to avoid duplication of efforts;
Develop respective Action Plans every two (2) years; and
Report on progress to the National Coordinators.
Communication
Strategic communication is an essential element of past and present U.S.-Mexico Border
Environmental Programs. In order to ensure effective and timely communication, and engagement
with the public, program partners and stakeholders, a communication strategy will be developed and
updated regularly to ensure that efforts are streamlined and effective. Staff from EPA and
SEMARNAT will organize these efforts, taking into consideration input from Border partners.
The National Coordinators from EPA and SEMARNAT will play a prominent role, ensuring that
communication among partners is sustained and promoted throughout the duration of the Border
2020 Program.
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
At a minimum, communication efforts will support:
Developing and implementing a detailed communication strategy with guidelines that are
evaluated and revised as needed.
Identifying dedicated team members within the lead agencies that will guide communication
and ensure that the communication strategy is implemented, including, but not limited to, the
following:
o Establishing and maintaining a border-wide electronic communication database/listserv
service as an outreach resource;
o Developing Border 2020 Program report(s) on achievements and accomplishments on a
triennial basis (i.e. Highlight Report); and
o Maintaining regular communication with program partners to identify unmet
communication needs, and identifying next steps.
Border 2020 is committed to promote the program's achievements and progress and will ensure that
communication is binational, consistent and uniform.
Operational Guidelines
The following Operational Guidelines designate minimum standard operating and reporting
procedures for coordinating bodies under Border 2020 to ensure maximum transparency and
accountability. In addition to these minimum operational guidelines, more detailed procedures
may be created by Regional Workgroups to specify guidelines pertaining to Regional and Task
Force operations.
The mechanisms identified in the Operational Guidelines are intended to optimize the use of limited
resources, promote and enhance information-sharing, and improve overall coordination and
teamwork among the federal governments, the border states, U.S. tribes and Mexican indigenous
communities, and other border stakeholders.
To ensure transparency and foster information exchange, the coordinating bodies disseminate
information regarding their activities and progress on specific projects by posting information to
websites and listservs, through print media and public meetings, as well as by participating in
environmental fairs and environmental education programs, as appropriate.
All Coordinating Bodies should conform to the following Operational Guidelines to maximize public
participation, public access to information, and to strengthen the overall program. Regional
Workgroups and Policy Fora facilitate participation of all interested border stakeholders. EPA and
SEMARNAT work with program partners to extend the use of existing information tools, including
regional newsletters and bulletins, the Border 2020 website, the e-mail information service
BECCNET, key project databases, and other means of disseminating information on Border 2020
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
progress to the public and border stakeholders.
Stakeholder Engagement and Participation
Meetings of coordinating bodies are held as often as necessary to meet their respective objectives, but
no less than once per calendar year. Meetings are held in communities within the U.S.-Mexico border
region, alternating as much as possible between the U.S. and Mexico and including simultaneous
interpretation services. All meetings are open, providing the public an opportunity to listen and
comment. However, the confidential nature of enforcement issues may require the Compliance
Assurance and Environmental Stewardship Forum and Task Forces to conduct additional sessions that
are closed to the public.
Public notice of these meetings, including agendas in both English and Spanish, will be widely
disseminated at least 15 calendar days prior to the meetings. Notification of meetings should be
comprehensive and could include, as resources allow, posting on the BECCNET listserv, written
notices (flyers, letters, etc.), radio announcements, newspapers and other publications, public service
announcements, community calendars, and press announcements.
Meeting agendas may include presentations on border-wide and regional efforts including status of
ongoing projects (as appropriate), identification of priorities, and leveraging of internal and external
resources to implement priorities.
Meeting minutes (summaries of key points) will be made available in English and Spanish for review
and approval by the co-chairs. Minutes in both languages will be made available on EPA and
SEMARNAT Border 2020 websites and the BECCNET (as appropriate).
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ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Planning and Accountability
Every two years, the National Coordinators will work with the Border 2020 Coordinating Bodies and
program partners to develop a biennial action plan that will outline respective priorities and
implementation strategy to accomplish the various goals and objectives of Border 2020. In addition,
EPA Regions 6 and 9 will work with their respective Regional Workgroups to advance completion of
the goals and objectives of Border 2020 via projects that include measurable results and that leverage
external resources.
In addition, each year, the National Coordinators will work with the Communications and Indicators
Committees to identify, document, and report on project results and outcomes.
Partnerships and Cooperation
Although Border 2020 is overseen and administered by EPA and SEMARNAT, all program activities
are selected and implemented by coordinating bodies with full consideration of relevant activities
implemented by other institutions (i.e. BECC and NADBank) and the advice provided by the Good
Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB), SEMARNAT's Advisory Council for Sustainable
Development (CCDS) and many other organizations. These organizations represent a broad spectrum
of programs and perspectives from governmental, non-governmental, academic, and private sectors.
Representatives of these organizations participate actively in the work of Border 2020 coordinating
bodies, and they provide valuable context for Border 2020 activities.
In addition, Border 2020 aims to maintain a close partnership with institutions such as BECC and
NADBank to more effectively maximize and leverage technical and institutional expertise towards
supporting the Border 2020 goals and objectives. Border 2020 Program partners may seek
BECC/NADBank project assistance covering a wide range of areas which may include: technical,
programmatic and implementation assistance.
Funding Sources
Achievement of the goals of Border 2020 will depend on continued availability and efficient use of
funding. Border 2020 coordinating bodies estimate on an ongoing basis the resources required and all
potential sources of funding needed to meet program objectives. In addition, it is essential that all
parties participate in leveraging resources to develop the projects, policies and programs required to
meet the objectives.
Federal resources and strategic investments from state and local governments and from the private
sector, as well as bilateral financing from the NADBank, will be necessary to support binational
environmental efforts. Together, these organizations will collaborate to identify a variety of grant and
program funding and lending sources to support Border 2020 activities.
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VI. ACCOUNTABILITY/ REPORTING RESULTS
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Highlight Reports
A report highlighting accomplishments and successes under Border 2020 will be prepared once every
three years (in 2015 and 2018).These reports will be available to the public through Internet postings
and/or other available media. The final report in 2020 will capture program accomplishments and will
be used as a basis for future development of environmental programs in the U.S.-Mexico border
region.
Midterm Assessment Report (Optional)
A mid-term assessment report may be considered in order to update and/or refine the program's
objectives to account for changing priorities and resource constraints. Should a midterm assessment
be necessary, based on consultation with program partners, it will be prepared in 2016.
Biennial Action Plans
Coordinating Bodies will develop action plans aligned with the program's strategic goals and objectives
on a biennial basis (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019). Action plans should summarize the
accomplishments of the previous two years, and consequently serve as a resource to evaluate program
effectiveness, and to identify priority projects and efforts. Action plans should provide concrete
activities, timeframes, outputs and outcomes that support and measure progress towards achieving the
program's goals and objectives.
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ACCOUNTABILITY/ REPORTING RESULTS
Environmental Indicators
To achieve Border 2020 goals and objectives, it is essential that all actions taken by the United States,
Mexico, their respective border states, U.S. tribes and residents have real, meaningful and measurable
results. Indicators of environmental progress will be developed and used to measure these results.
Based on the work done under prior binational programs, environment and health indicators will mea-
sure progress being made toward Border 2020 goals and objectives. These indicators will have specific
definitions and protocols for collection, analysis, interpretation and quality control. Border 2020 coor-
dinating bodies will participate in the development of these indicators with anticipated support from
key border partners and stakeholders. Two indicator reports will be developed on the third and sixth
year of Border 2020 (in 2015 and 2018), respectively. The National Coordinators will review the indi-
cators and report the results to the Policy Fora, Regional Workgroups, and the public. The results will
help guide future decisions on program accountability and effectiveness.
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
BECC
CCDS
CGPC
CONAGUA
DGPC
EPA
GNEB
IBWC
NADB
NAFTA
PROFEPA
SEGOB
SEMARNAT
UN
Border Environment Cooperation Commission
SEMARNAT's Advisory Council for Sustainable Development
Office of General Coordination of Civil Protection (Mexico)
Water National Commission (Mexico)
General Direction of Civil Protection (Mexico)
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Good Neighbor Environmental Board
International Boundary and Water Commission
North American Development Bank
North American Free Trade Agreement
Office of the Federal Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Mexico)
Secretariat of Government (Mexico)
Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (Mexico)
United Nations
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CONTACTS
For additional information on the Border 2020 Program please go to www.epa.gov/Border2020 and/or
www.semarnat.gob.mx/ or contact one of the following offices:
UNITED STATES
EPA OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS
U.S. National Coordinator
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W
Washington, D.C.
Telephone: (202) 564-6600
Fax: (202) 565-2411 or (202) 565-2408
Internet: http://www.epa.gov/international
MEXICO
SECRETARIA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES
Unidad Coordinadora de Asuntos Internationales
Oficina del Coordinator National de Mexico
Blvd. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines 4209, piso 1, ala A
Fracc. Jardines en la Montana, Del. Tlalpan, C.P 14210, Mexico, D.F.
Telephone: +52 (55) 5628 3907
Fax: +52 (55) 5628 0694
Internet: www.semarnat.gob.mx/
Email: ucai(S)semarnat.gob.mx
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP
United States: Lisa Almodovar, Gina Weber,Tomas Torres, Thomas Ruiz, William Luthans, Paula
Flores, Nate Lau, Michelle Cuero, Marlaine Bojorquez
Mexico: Armando Yanez, Paloma Sanchez, Tadzio Clavel, Saul Guzman, Ignacio Legarreta, Norma
Rangel, Monica Gonzalez
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