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BORDER 2020: UNITED STATES - MEXICO
ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM
HIGHLIGHTS REPORT
AUTUMN 2018
SEPA
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
SEMARNAT
SECRETARIA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE
Y RECURSOS NATURALES
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
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Cover photo:
Chisos Mountains, Texas, U.S.A.
Photographic Archive
National Commission for Protected Natural Areas of Mexico (CONANP)
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
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MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL COORDINATORS
The Border 2020 Program continues to provide a strong and dynamic basis for our bi-
national partnership providing solutions to environmental and public health challeng-
es in the border region. Collaboration is key to achieving successful, sustainable and
long-term results. As National Coordinators, we are committed to working together to
advance the mission of the Border 2020 Program: to protect the environment and
public health along the United States-Mexico border region.
Our collaborative efforts with the U.S. Border Tribes and United States and Mexican
federal, state, and local governments have proven to benefit our shared environment
and residents on both sides of the border. We have built partnerships and invested
our resources into projects that address topics such as air quality, water quality,
wastewater treatment, solid waste management, emergency response, and environ-
mental stewardship.
This report highlights the accomplishments of the Border 2020 Program during the
last two years. We present 22 projects that have been implemented and show the pro-
gress of our efforts to improve conditions for border communities and our shared en-
vironment. Through these projects, we have also been able to perform studies or ap-
ply best management practices to achieve successful outcomes of the Program's
goals.
Reaffirming our commitment to the Border 2020 Program, we, as National Coordina-
tors, support our partners including government at all levels, U.S. Border Tribes and
Mexican indigenous communities. We would like to take this opportunity to express
our gratitude to the devoted individuals, communities and organizations that support
and participate in Program activities to improve environmental and public health con-
ditions along the border region. We recognize the importance and value of our part-
ners' dedication, commitment, and contribution to the success of the Program.
The United States-Mexico environmental cooperation in our border region is without
a doubt a success story and sets an example to the world, which is certainly worth to
keep building upon. We welcome you to reflect on our recent accomplishments and
ask that you continue to support and engage in finding solutions to the challenges
that still exist in the border region.
Thank you!
Jane Nishida
National Coordinator
United States of America
Enrique Lendo
National Coordinator
Mexico
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
Reaffirming our commitment, 2017-2018
The United States-Mexico border is a dynamic and unique geographic region facing
many environmental challenges including poor air quality, unsafe drinking water and
wastewater treatment, and inadequate waste management programs and services.
The border is home to over 15 million people where approximately 90% of the popula-
tion resides in cities, while the remaining population is found in small towns or rural
communities. The Border 2020 Program is the latest United States-Mexico environ-
mental program implemented under the 1983 La Paz Agreement, focusing on commu-
nities 62 miles on either side of the 2000-mile border. The Border 2020 Program en-
compasses a regional, bottom-up approach for decision making, priority setting, and
project implementation to address the environmental and public health challenges in
the border region.
The Program is designed to draw from communities and local stakeholders, as well as
work directly with federal, state, tribal and international partners to implement envi-
ronmental projects and solutions. Specifically, the framework goals focus on improv-
ing air and water quality, promoting clean land, strengthening preparedness and re-
sponse, fostering environmental stewardship and advocating for environmental health
initiatives along the border. This Accomplishments Report shares a snapshot of our
Program successes in the last couple of years (2016-2018) to improve the quality of
life and enhance our shared environment.
For more information on the details of the goals and objectives of the Border 2020
Program, we invite you to read the Border 2020 Framework document or if you are
interested to know more accomplishments of the Program, please visit its homepage
at EPA and/or SEMARNAT internet sites to see past reports and other information of
interest.
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
IMPROVING AIR QUALITY
Poor air quality can have significant community economic and social impacts, including increased ill-
ness, premature death, and lower quality of life. The United States-Mexico border region is vulnerable
to the transboundary movement of pollutants, including inhalable particulate matter (soot and dust),
ozone (smog), and carbon monoxide. Contributing binational sources include dust from unpaved
roads and open areas, smoke from illicit burning of trash and tires, and mobile sources such as heavy
freight vehicles, private owned cars, and trucks idling at border crossings. The Border 2020 Program
has supported improving air quality by expanding monitoring networks with increased data access,
improvement of air quality through State Implementation Plans (U.S. and Mexico) and indoor air
quality educational programs.
Energy Efficiency Workshop in Tamaulipas
Participants of the first training workshop on energy efficiency.
Increasing energy efficiency in Mexico has be-
come a strategy at all levels of government to
improve and build long-term sustainability
within their public buildings and enhance secu-
rity of their energy supply while minimizing the
impact to the environment. The operation and
installations of public lighting systems and the
consumption of energy in public buildings rep-
resents one of the greatest expenses faced by
municipalities, sometimes reaching up to 40%
of their costs. This factor limits the ability for
local governments to focus on other priorities
and efforts. Through a Border 2020 Program
grant, the State of Tamaulipas' Ministry of Ur-
ban Development and Environment held two
training workshops on energy efficiency to 10
border municipalities within the state. The
workshops' materials provided information on
the basic tools needed to achieve greater ener-
gy efficiency in lighting public spaces, thus in-
creasing their economic savings.
The workshops were part of a series of actions
to improve energy efficiency in the state, in-
cluding two energy forums: "First State Energy
Forum: Tamaulipas, Energy that moves to Mexi-
co" and the third International Congress on Re-
newable Energies: "Perspectives of Energy in
Mexico." Coinciding with the Border project,
the State launched a demonstration wind pro-
ject, which included the start of operations of
four wind turbines with the aim to promote the
use of renewable energies within the State.
The State also distributed over 10,000 booklets,
"Practical Guidelines for Energy Savings," to
help raise awareness in communities on the
benefits of installing environmentally friendly
technologies in their homes. As a result of
these workshops, 10 municipalities committed
to carrying out an energy audit in their build-
ings, benefitting 1.7 million residents.
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
IMPROVING AIR QUALITY
Healthy arid Resilient Housing in Ciudad Juarez
Low-income families often have limited re-
sources to implement energy and water saving
measures in their homes. This is often due to
either a lack of knowledge, technical assistance,
or financial resources. The lack of access to fi-
nancing to help meet their economic needs,
limits access to clean energy technologies and
services. The Mexican not-for-profit Federation
of Private Associations of Health and Communi-
ty Development (Salud y Desarrollo Comunitario
de Ciudad Juarez, A.C. [FEMAP]), has been oper-
ating a Micro-Credit Program in the region for
more than 30 years, during which time it has
granted more than 40,000 small loans to low-
income residents for home improvements.
With the support of the Border 2020 Program,
FEMAP developed a project to identify and im-
plement green infrastructure and energy saving
elements to low-income families looking to im-
prove their homes within a rapidly growing area
of Ciudad Juarez. The project offered technical
and financial assistance to 50 homes (over 200
persons) implementing these energy efficient
materials and strategies. In coordination with
academic, non-profit and private business, the
residents had access to technical experts who
guided and educated them on green infrastruc-
ture elements that could be incorporated and
adopted by them, as well as, access to eco-
friendly materials.
The project resulted in an energy cost savings
of $630 or 11.249 Kw/hr and water savings of
140,000 gallons of water or $500 following im-
provements to 45 of 50 homes by installing:
~ over 250 LED light bulbs
~ 200 windows sealing
~ 50 low-flow shower heads
~ 50 drinking water filters
~ roof and wall insulations
In addition to the improvements made directly
to their homes, a catalog of eco-materials was
developed with the support from the Architec-
ture Program from the Autonomous University
of Ciudad Juarez. This catalog includes infor-
mation on best practices and an evaluation of
each of the selected Eco technologies, identify-
ing those that are viable for implementation in
marginalized communities with older housing
since the existing catalogs are mainly focused
on new housing.
ENERGY
o ©
Lampara
Beneficio: ALTO
Ahorro del 75 % en el gasto
energetico en comparation
con un bulbo incandescente,
ademas de una duration
mayor (hasta 10 veces mis).
Concientizacion sobre el uso
responsable de la energia, en
pro del ambiente y el ahorro
energetico.
Illustration: Description of types of light bulbs in the catalog.
Grado de mantenimlento: BAJO
£\
No requiere de manteni- w
miento. No hay necesidad
de especialista.
$ 187.00 Pesos.
Unidad: 5 piezas
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
IMPROVING AIR QUALITY
Quantifying Emission Reduction from Reduced
Wait Times at Mariposa Port of Entry
The Mariposa Port of Entry (POE) in Nogales,
Arizona is an important land port in the United
States-Mexico border with over 7 million vehi-
cle crossings per year, including 350,000 truck
crossings. The POE is piloting an innovative pro-
gram to conduct joint inspections in order to
reduce commercial truck wait times at the Ari-
zona-Sonora border. This pilot program is ex-
pected to significantly reduce wait times, from
8 hours to 1 hour, for northbound cargo trucks.
This reduction in wait times will reduce emis-
sions from idling vehicles and accelerate com-
merce. According to United States regulations
Nogales, Arizona, is in non-attainment for PM10
and PM2 5. These pollutants can cause respira-
tory and cardiac effects in older adults and
young children. The emissions reductions from
these mobile sources are expected to improve
air quality and public health in the region.
The Border 2020 Program has funded the North
American Research Partnership (NARP) to study
the amount of emission reduction benefits from
this pilot project. Over 400 vehicles were sur-
veyed for information about wait times and ve-
hicle make and model, which allowed research-
ers to calculate emissions.
Survey of a truck driver after inspection.
EPA's Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator
(MOVES), a modeling system that estimates
emissions for mobile sources at the national,
county and project level for criteria air pollu-
tants, is being used by researchers to quantify
emission reductions from border wait times.
Preliminary data shows that decreased wait
times have reduced emissions from idling. In
addition, reductions are occurring because ve-
hicles processed through the Unified Cargo Pro-
cessing Facility tend to be newer and are built
with more emission reduction technologies. The
NARP is currently working on data analysis of
the surveys and emission reduction quantifica-
tion and the final report will be available in late
2018.
Trucks waiting for processing through the Nogales Unified Cargo Facility.
I
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
IMPROVING AIR QUALITY
Reducing Asthma Triggers for Children
through In-home Interventions
The children of Imperial County, California, are
living with high concentrations of asthma trig-
gers in the indoor and outdoor environment,
including cross border air pollution. These fac-
tors have contributed to Imperial County expe-
riencing some of the highest rates of asthma
emergency room (ER) visits in California.
To address this issue, the Border 2020 Program
has partnered with and funded the Imperial Val-
ley Child Asthma Program (IVCAP) from 2015-
2017 to conduct in-home asthma interventions
and work with housing maintenance workers on
implementing healthy homes strategies. During
this period, 94% of participants enrolled in the
program reported no ER visits or hospitaliza-
tions. In addition, IVCAP reached over 2,000
people through outreach and education, pro-
gram enrollment, and other community engage-
ment activities.
enjoy educating parents of asthmatics
on what they can do to improve their
home environment, such as introducing
them to non-toxic cleaning products, j y
Rubi Alvarez
Community Health Worker (Promotora)
families and children 17 and under. These home
environmental observations will be carried out
by promotoras, or community health workers.
To date, IVCAP has enrolled almost 90 addition-
al asthmatics into their program with 80% of
them reducing, avoiding, and/or eliminating
two or more triggers identified after IVCAP's
home environmental assessment. Families re-
ceived tailored interventions for their unique
set of triggers in their homes.
Nurse Aide Fulton doing community outreach at a health fair held at the
Seeley Elementary School.
By the end of this 2017-18 effort, IVCAP hopes
to reach up to 70 families and to conduct in-
home asthma interventions. These interven-
tions will decrease ER visits and hospitaliza-
tions. In addition to in-home visits, IVCAP will
raise awareness by conducting outreach and
educating residents living with asthma on the
benefits of improving the indoor home environ-
ment to maintain long term control of asthma.
For more information on asthma and environ-
mental triggers, please visit EPA's asthma web
Page-
EPA continues to support and positively impact
low-income families by funding in-home asthma
interventions to IVCAP by a Clean Air Act asth-
ma grant. The 2017 funding has a goal to pro-
vide in-home environmental asthma assess-
ments and tools to manage asthma triggers for
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ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
Rivers and watersheds know no boundaries and, in some areas, define the United States-Mexico bor-
der. Polluted stormwater and sewage from deteriorated infrastructure and extreme weather events
can contaminate transboundary waterways, causing health concerns along the border region. The
Border 2020 Program has improved water quality through the financing of stormwater mitigation or
management demonstration projects, such as green infrastructure, solid waste reduction programs
and research. Funds from the related Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP) have been used
both to rehabilitate and to build water and wastewater infrastructure.
United States-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program
The Environmental Protection Agency's United
States-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Pro-
gram (BWIP, also known as Border Environment
Infrastructure Fund or BEIF) funds the planning,
design, and construction of high priority water
and wastewater infrastructure along the border
region. BWIP assists disadvantaged communi-
ties in identifying and securing available fund-
ing sources and addressing funding gaps to en-
sure access to safe drinking water and adequate
sanitation, often for the first time.
BWIP provides hands-on management and tech-
nical oversight for communities lacking tech-
nical and managerial capacity that can then
complete project planning and design require-
ments, increasing funding opportunities for
construction assistance from other programs,
2017 PROJECTS PRIORITIZATION BREAK DOWN
BY BORDER STATE (USD)
such as Texas' Economically Distressed Areas
Program, the State Revolving Fund, United
States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural
Development Water and Environmental Pro-
grams, and the North American Development
Bank (NADB).
Rivers along the United States-Mexico border
sometimes naturally define the international
boundary like the Rio Grande or flow from Mex-
ico into the United States such as the Tijuana
River. Projects funded under the BWIP address
transboundary sewage discharges between the
two countries. Treating raw sewage at the
source before it enters shared border water
bodies is the most technically feasible and fi-
nancially viable option to prevent transbounda-
ry contamination. As part of this partnership,
Mexico matches EPA's project's investments
dollar for dollar, which helps protect public
health and the environment.
Sonora
3 projects
$12.25 Million
Arizona
3 projects
$16.62 Million
Chihuahua
7 projects
$42.40 Million
Tamaulipas
17 projects
$43.93 Million
Program Accomplishments
Since 2003, through 108 projects funded, the
program has provided access to safe drinking
water to 70,000 homes and first-time
wastewater collection and treatment to
673,000 homes. In 2017, through the NADB,
EPA announced a new project application cycle
for BWIP funding. This identified over 60 eligi-
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ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
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ble drinking water and wastewater projects
with a total estimated construction cost of $296
miliion dollars that address public health and
environmental conditions along the border.
Building technical and managerial capacity at
Sunland Park, New Mexico through partnerships
The construction of a new treatment plant in
Sunland Park, a small and disadvantaged com-
munity in New Mexico, started in August 2017.
Camino Reai Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA),
the local wastewater utility, struggled with in-
adequate and aging infrastructure, environmen-
tal compliance, and lack of managerial capacity
and resources. For close to two years, EPA, New
Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and
NADB, worked closely with CRRUA to implement
a capacity building plan to ensure CRRUA could
effectively manage a new wastewater treat-
ment plant. EPA provided more than $816,000
dollars to implement this plan and technical as-
sistance for project planning and design. The
plan was successfully implemented; EPA and
NMED then funded the construction of a $12.7
million dollars treatment plant. EPA contributed
with $9 million and NMED provided the addi-
tional $3.7 million in state funding. The treat-
ment plant will improve access to sustainable
wastewater treatment services to approximate-
ly 6,440 residents of Sunland Park and Santa
Teresa and will greatly reduce the risks of un-
treated or inadequately treated wastewater dis-
charges.
CRRUA's board chair, Josh Orozco, stressed the
importance of finally being able to provide ade-
quate wastewater treatment capacity in the
community. During the July 2017 groundbreak-
ing ceremony, he said this new plant "...will not
only allow more homes and more businesses to
be helped, but wili also improve the health of
our community."
Protecting the Tijuana River watershed
The Tijuana River, originating in Baja California,
Mexico, crosses the United States-Mexico bor-
der in San Ysidro, California, and empties into
the Pacific Ocean just south of Imperial Beach,
California. Discharges of raw and poorly treated
sewage in this river can impact the economy,
health, and environment of the border commu-
nities. As part of a long-term effort to address
these transboundary spills, a BWIP project is
underway to repair one of the deteriorating
wastewater collectors. These collectors carry
sewage from households to the Tijuana
wastewater treatment plant. The existing part-
nership between EPA and Mexico's water agen-
cies, provided $7 million dollars for the repair
of more than 6 miles of sewage collectors and
rehabilitated 30 manholes. A second phase for
the construction of 2.5 miles of additional sew-
age lines is underway. The estimated cost of
this project is $3 million dollars with a project-
ed EPA contribution of $1.4 million.
The governments of the United States and
Mexico have classified this concern as a high
priority. The International Boundary and Water
Commission (IBWC) coordinates the actions of
the various agencies involved and at different
levels of government to resolve the possible
risks that may arise. The advances are pub-
lished in the IBWC news bulletins.
Construction activities for the new Sunland Park treatment plant.
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ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
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Fat, Oil and Grease Public Outreach
Campaign in Brownsville
The Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB)
was awarded a grant of $25,000 dollars from
the Border 2020 Program in February, 2016, to
provide outreach and education on the impact
of Fat, Oil and Grease (FOG) pollution on water
quality to the communities in Brownsville, Tex-
as; and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. Historically, at
the BPUB, FOG residential and commercial ser-
vice calls occurred on average five times a
week, with increased occurrences during the
month of December.
BPUB entered a voluntary reduction program
with the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality (TCEQ), Sanitary Sewer Overflow Initia-
tive. This voluntary program requires BPUB to
work on reducing unauthorized discharge of un-
treated or partially treated wastewater from
the collection system or its components (e.g.
manhole, lift station, or cleanout) before reach-
ing a wastewater treatment facility as a result
of FOG issues. Through educational campaign
efforts to both the general public and to com-
mercial establishments, the BPUB aimed to re-
duce the number of FOG related service calls
and bring awareness about the proper disposal
techniques in dealing with Fat, Oil and Grease.
Marketing and Education efforts
On March 16, 2016, the BPUB officially kicked-
off its "Fat, Oil and Grease" public outreach
campaign at its monthly public meeting in
Brownsville. During the public meeting, they
announced their collaboration with the City of
Matamoros on the new FOG outreach program.
BPUB reached communities from both sides of
the border through a number of activities that
included advertisements, educational fliers, ad
videos, workshops, and press coverage. Social
media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube were also utilized to target younger
audiences and share the educational video and
audio campaigns that were developed. Through-
out the project period, over 80 public outreach
events and trainings with over 1,700 partici-
pants were conducted to the public in apart-
ment and housing complexes, churches and ed-
ucational institutions, as well as, commercial
business.
Public outreach event in Brownsville.
More importantly, the BPUB through its out-
reach efforts has consistently been reducing
the number of FOG service calls from 731 in
2013 to 417 in 2016, a 43% reduction in just
four years. During the project period, in 2015
and 2016, the BPUB received 477 and 417 ser-
vices calls related to FOG pollutants, respec-
tively. Overall, the project met its objectives,
including reducing the number of FOG related
calls 13% or 60 calls. To continue to learn more
about BPUB's FOG efforts please visit its web
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
Building Green Infrastructure for Rainwater Collection
in the Valle del Sol Avenue Public Space
The World Health Organization (WHO) estab-
lished a sustainability indicator of 9 m of green
area per inhabitant. The border region of El
Paso and Ciudad Juarez lacks urban green spac-
es, especially in Ciudad Juarez where an esti-
mated 4.5 m2 of green area per inhabitant exist.
Since 2013, Ciudad Juarez has actively been
partnering with various organizations to in-
crease green infrastructure and expand green
spaces throughout the city. These projects not
only can be cost-effective but can address
flooding issues associated with a lack of storm-
water infrastructure and beautify areas that see
high pedestrian traffic.
In 2016, the Border 2020 Program helped fund
the rehabilitation of a park situated on Valle del
Sol Avenue and Solares Street. Located over a
half a mile from the border, the park is the only
green space in the area available to the commu-
nity. Over many years, the park had heavily de-
graded due to a lack of maintenance and no
longer served as an area where the community
members could gather. The Institute Tecnologi-
co de Ciudad Juarez (ITCJ, by its acronym in
Spanish), the promoter of the project, trans-
formed the park back to a usable space for
community members, but also addressed flood-
ing issues that this area experienced during rain
events.
With funds granted by the Border 2020 Pro-
gram, the ITCJ developed this project with the
following objectives:
~ Establish passive rainwater harvesting
systems;
~ Conserve water used for watering;
~ Protect the soil from wind erosion; and
~ Incorporate and take advantage of the
existing urban infrastructure.
The project began in June 2016 with the clean-
ing of the site and the reconditioning of the
sidewalk, the construction of passive systems
for rainwater collection, as well as the recovery
and reconfiguration of existing vegetation. The
amount of rainfall monitored from July 2016 to
November 2017 (17 months) captured a total
volume of 472, 502 U.S. gallons of rainwater.
Presently, the passive water collection systems
continue to function effectively and the vegeta-
tion is thriving. The park is supported almost
entirely with rainwater except in cases of ex-
treme water stress or for the initial support of
some new plant seedlings.
Thanks to a donation from the municipal au-
thority, the park soil is protected from wind
erosion by a walnut shell cover which allows
any moisture in the soil to be conserved.
Finally, surveys conducted in the area showed
that the social value of the park increased sub-
stantially. Before the project, the space was
viewed as a negative area within the community
and is now seen as a usable social gathering
park.
Passive rainwater harvesting systems at the park.
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
Studying Low Impact Development Methods
for South Texas Stormwater Management
A number of communities in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley in southern Texas have been
evaluating various Low Impact Development
(LID) methods to incorporate into their commu-
nities. LID provides several advantages over tra-
ditional stormwater management practices such
as: reducing or eliminating the need for large
retention ponds; decreasing pollution to receiv-
ing waters; lessening erosion; more visually ap-
pealing within the community; flexibility in the
layout of projects; and lowering cost. A re-
search team under the direction of Dr. Jungseok
Ho, of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
(UTRGV), evaluated the use of bioswales in
parking lots to determine the best performing
locally available bioswale porous media materi-
al as well as design a standard that could be
used by communities in the region. Bioswales
are generally designed to manage runoff from
large impervious surfaces such as parking lots
and incorporate engineered porous soils and/or
other landscape elements to remove debris and
pollution from surface runoff.
BIOSWALE POROUS MEDIA MATERIALS AND PARKING LOT
DRAINAGE SIZE
Sampling
Sites
Bioswale
Porous Materials
Drainage
Size
(acres)
Site 1
No bioswale
No bioswale
.237
Site 2
Bioswale 1
Pumice
.216
Site 3
Bioswale 2
Manufactured sand
.218
Site 4
Bioswale 3
Recycled crushed
glass
.209
Site 5
Bioswale 4
Natural Sand
.206
Building on previous studies Dr. Ho conducted,
his team evaluated five testing sites that uti-
lized various bioswale porous media (no bios-
wale, pumice, manufactured sand, recycled
crushed glass and natural sand) in parking lots
on the UTRGV Edinburg campus.
j
Site 1
Site 4
Existing MS4
Site 2
1
Van Week
Vf
Parking lots located north of Van Week Street in UTRGV campus.
The project evaluated the hydrological perfor-
mance of the four different materials used at
the five testing sites. Field testing indicated
Site 2 with the Pumice material showed the
best hydrologic performance taking into ac-
count four decision criteria: 1) runoff volume
reduction; 2) peak flowrate reduction; 3) peak-
time attenuation; and 4) runoff solids filtration.
Pumice showed the highest filtration of the ma-
terials with 58% and a peaktime attenuation of
64%.
The soil test results show that any mixtures
containing pumice more than 40% of the vol-
ume produced promising results. Three 40%
pumice mixtures (with manufactured sand, nat-
ural sand, and recycled crushed glass) achieved
30% of specific retention and 52% of filtration
on average.
Overall, based on the field testing, pumice per-
formed the best of the bioswale porous medias,
with testing showing that at least 40% pumice
material mix is the ideal material for this re-
gion. However, it should be noted that further
studies need to be conducted to consider the
local availability, cost of the material and pro-
ject construction to determine the overall prac-
ticality to be used by the communities.
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ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
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Green Infrastructure for Sediment Control
and Flood Protection in Ambos Nogales
The International Outfall Interceptor (101) is an
aging pipeline that conveys untreated sewage
from Nogales, Sonora, and Nogales, Arizona
(Ambos Nogales) to the Nogales International
Wastewater Treatment Plant nine miles north
of the border in Rio Rico, Arizona. Since the
wastewater collection system in Sonora acts as
a combined sanitary-stormwater conveyance,
over the years sediment inflows and infiltration
of stormwater in Sonora have caused failure of
the 101 in Arizona. Erosion (scouring) from the
sediment has weakened the conveyance system
resulting in breaks in the 101, most recently in
July 2017, leading to sewage spills into the
Nogales Wash. Repeated failure of the 101 could
result in contamination of Arizona groundwater
resources.
Rain park designed to harvest rainfall and prevent flood events.
The Watershed Management Group (WMG), a
Tucson-based non-profit, led a Border 2020
Program funded project to demonstrate the po-
tential of green infrastructure (Gl) to diminish
the amount of sediment during flood events
that is scouring the 101. Green infrastructure,
according to EPA, uses vegetation, soils, and
other elements and practices to restore some
of the natural processes required to manage
water and create healthier urban environments.
The project used a three-pronged approach in-
cluding:
~ Capacity building (community trainings in
planning, design and implementation ac-
tivities);
~ Demonstration sites (two projects for
sediment control); and
~ Policy development (resolution to expand
and strengthen Gl practices in Nogales,
Sonora).
Working with local government and residents of
Nogales, Sonora, WMG completed two demon-
stration sites covering close to 10,000 m2, simi-
lar to the area of a large soccer field. In addi-
tion, 88 residents attended a training and over
500 community members were informed about
green infrastructure concepts via community
events and project participation. One demon-
stration site is a rain park that now harvests a
volume of 50,000-70,000 liters of rainfall per
rain event. These Gl modifications will nearly
eliminate the park's contribution to flood
events downstream in the Ambos Nogales area.
The project attracted support from a Nogales
member of the Sonora Congress, who is also on
the State of Sonora Commission for Energy, En-
vironment and Climate Change. This project
moved beyond the local level, spurring the So-
nora Congress to adopt a green infrastructure
law in April of 2017, the first of its kind ap-
proved in Mexico.
This project increased community capacity to
use green infrastructure to reduce flooding in
the Ambos Nogales area and prompted the local
government to support future green infrastruc-
ture development.
Page 14
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ENHANCING WATER QUALITY
f
Protecting the City of Holtville's Water
Resources in Imperial County
Located in Imperial County, California, the City
of Holtville's wastewater treatment plant
(WWTP) was not meeting discharge require-
ments for ammonia and other pollutants that
were flowing into the Pear Drain, which feeds
the Alamo River and ultimately the Salton Sea
in southern California. Thanks to funding from
EPA's United States-Mexico Border Water Infra-
structure Program (BWIP, also known as BEIF)
and the State of California Clean Water State
Revolving Fund, the existing WWTP was upgrad-
ed and now provides wastewater service to
100% of the service area or 6,594 residents of
Holtville.
Already considered an impaired water body, the
polluted discharges from Holtville exacerbated
the treacherous conditions faced by wildlife
and plant communities living in the Salton Sea.
Over the years, water levels in the Salton Sea
have dropped rapidly due to evaporation and
have increased salinity and pollutant concentra-
tions. The exposed lakebed has succumbed to
desert winds that now carry polluted dust onto
the surrounding communities. These dust parti-
cles may contribute to asthma attacks through-
out Imperial Valley. The Holtville WWTP that
now meets discharge requirements will not only
increase the chances of survival for the various
organisms dependent on the sea, but the influx
of properly treated water will keep dust from
%
PA is committed to helping communi-
ties across Imperial Valley protect the
state's vital water resources. Our invest-
ments renew aging infrastructure, which
can be costly for smaller communities
like
Holtville^rj
Tomas Torres
Water Division Director
U.S. EPA Region 9 Office
Building a stormwater pump station.
being exposed to the wind and away from vul-
nerable urban residents.
Some of the new components installed in the
Holtville WWTP include an automatic bar screen
that maximizes the removal of large objects and
an activated sludge system enhancing treat-
ment effectiveness and improving the quality of
the effluent. A rehabilitated operations building
within the treatment plant was also equipped
with modern lab equipment, ensuring that test-
ed effluent meets discharge requirements.
Page 15
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
J
PROMOTING CLEAN LAND
In the United States-Mexico border region, solid waste management has not kept pace with increas-
ing population, resulting in unmanaged trash and overburdened waste services and infrastructure; as
well as potential valuable materials being lost in landfills or illegally dumped. Poorly managed waste
contaminates land and water, and adversely impacts public health such as creating fire hazards and
contributing to poor air quality or serving as breeding habitats for mosquitos and the potentially
spreading of vector-borne diseases such as Zika. Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) pro-
motes a life cycle approach which begins by optimizing design to final production of goods and ser-
vices to reduce waste, eliminate toxicity, and maximize reuse. The Border 2020 Program partners
have advanced SMM through clean-ups and projects to recycle household hazardous waste, electron-
ics and scrap tires.
Addressing the Binational Challenges of Electronic Waste in
Texas and Coahuila
Rapid advancements in technology and the use
of electronics by consumers mean that elec-
tronic products quickly become obsolete and
are disposed. Unlike other recyclable materials,
electronic waste (e-waste) is not as easily recy-
clable due to the toxic metals (lead, mercury,
cadmium and arsenic) found in them. The chal-
lenge with recycling e-waste is often improper
disposal in local landfills and the lack of infra-
structure in communities to properly support
handling and recycling.
In 2016, through two Border 2020 Program
grants, one to the Secretary of Environment of
the State of Coahuila (Secretarfa de Medio Am-
biente [SEMA]) and the other to Green Tec-osos,
an environmental group within the Technologi-
cal Institute of Piedras Negras (Instituto Tecno-
logico de Piedras Negras), e-waste recycling
projects were launched in the communities of
Ciudad Acuna, Piedras Negras and Guerrero, in
the state of Coahuila and Eagle Pass, Texas.
These projects aimed to prevent the e-waste
generated in the municipalities from being ille-
gally dumped in the Rio Grande riverbed,
around the Amistad Dam, as well as in streams,
vacant lots and sanitary landfills of the region.
They also informed and educated the communi-
ty about the benefits of reusing electronic
products.
To improve sustainable practices, 10 permanent
e-waste collection centers were established
among the four communities. Through commu-
nity events, the projects yielded the collection
of over 113 tons of e-waste. In addition, with
the assistance of over 60 partners through
workshops, trainings and media outlets, resi-
dents were educated on the positive impacts of
recycling electronic waste has on the environ-
ment.
COLLECTION COMMUNITY EVENTS AT TEXAS AND COAHUILA
FEBRUARY, 2016 - MARCH, 2017
Type of Location
E-waste Collected
(tons)
Residents
Served
22 neighborhoods of Piedras
32.22
45,000-
Negras
50,000
Schools from Piedras Negras
and Nava del Estado munici-
8.83
5,500
palities
Businesses and others
5.56
2,500
Eagle Pass
14.83
28,765
r
Page 16
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
PROMOTING CLEAN LAND
f
Scrap Tires and Solid Waste Management
along the United States-Mexico Border
The Border 2020 Program has aimed at building
a more sustainable, integrated approach to
waste materials management in order to mini-
mize and reduce the impact to the environment
and improve public health. However, in a geo-
graphic region where population, socio-
economic conditions and environmental regula-
tions can vary significantly, different border
communities have had to take varying and crea-
tive approaches to build sustainable communi-
ties.
City of Pharr, Texas
Over the years, the city of Pharr has implement-
ed greater sustainability tools within the Public
Works Department to make the city one of the
cleanest in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. In
2016, Pharr received a Border 2020 Program
grant for $36,000 dollars to continue improving
their recycling and education efforts within the
community to reduce the city's dependency on
landfills and build a healthier community. Over
a 14-month period, the city collected:
~ Over 5,700 scrap tires;
~ 60 tons of mixed waste (Figure); and
~ 1,023,353 lbs. of recycled material divert-
ed from the landfill.
Staff launched a bilingual public education cam-
paign of the city's recycling and sustainability
efforts, stormwater pollution and illegal dump-
ing of scrap tires, through social media, bro-
chures, public service announcements and over
100 outreach activities (20 meetings, 40 events,
50 presentations). The project also increased
recycling efforts in some Pharr schools by pro-
moting an environmental education contest and
providing 75 recycling bins for school class-
rooms and dozens of 95-gallon recycling bins
within the school district. To learn more about
Pharr's Public Work Department and their ef-
forts, please visit its web page.
RECYCLABLE MATERIAL COLLECTED AND DIVERTED FROM LANDFILL AT PHARR, TEXAS.
(lbs/month)
70000
60000
50000
-b 40000
o 30000
20 000
10000
0 4
m
m
'unMFinniflim
Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2017 2017
Mar
2017
¦ Cardboard {397,390 lbs total)
I Mix Paper (340,942 total)
Glass (49,684 lbs total)
¦ Plastic (63,970 lbs total)
] E-waste (90,498 lbs total)
Metal (80,869 lbs total)
Page 17
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
PROMOTING CLEAN LAND
i
r
place over a two-month period, looked at:
Valle Hermoso and Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas
In 2014, the state of Tamaulipas passed legisla-
tion that outlined its Program for Integrated
Waste Management and Prevention. Within this
program, based on factors such as population
growth and solid waste generated per capita,
the state prioritized municipalities where it was
vital to establish a municipal integrated waste
management and prevention program. It also
outlined specific strategies and actions that
these municipal plans should address including
short, medium and long-term implementation
as well as associated costs. The implementation
of the municipal plans is done in three phases:
conducting a diagnostic of current conditions;
adoption by the municipality of their plan; and
finally implementation, monitoring and evalua-
tion of the municipal program.
The State Secretariat for Urban Development
and Environment in Tamaulipas (Secretarfa de
Desarrollo Urbano y Medio Ambiente
[SEDUMA]) received a $20,000 dollars grant
from the Border 2020 Program to assist the mu-
nicipalities of Valle Hermoso and Rio Bravo
complete their diagnostic study on local waste
~ Current operations, staff, equipment, sol-
id waste collected and classification of
waste;
~ Specific strategies recommended to be
implemented over a short, medium, long-
term period;
~ Costs associated with implementation of
strategies (Table);
~ Monitoring program parameters; and
~ Potential funding mechanisms.
On August 22, 2016, SEDUMA presented both
municipalities with the diagnostic assessment
of their current waste management system. In
March, 2017, Valle Hermoso officially published
and registered the diagnostic assessment with
the State, moving into the third phase. Next
steps include the municipality of Rio Bravo's
city council approval of the assessment and reg-
istration of the program.
TOTAL COSTS TO IMPLEMENT SHORT, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM STRATEGIES IN
VALLE HERMOSO AND RIO BRAVO, TAMAULIPAS.
Total Cost for Municipality to Implement over short, medium and long term
Strategy Considered for Municipality (USD)
Rio Bravo Valle Hermoso
Management/Operations
$4,776,923.00
$1,296,428.00
Recycling
$1,648.00
Not Considered / Not Applicable for Community
General Services
Not Considered / Not Applicable for
Community
$10,989.00
Public Outreach & Education
$16,373.63
$17,032.00
Private Industry Participation/
Partnerships
No cost to municipality
Not Considered / Not Applicable for Community
Institutional Building Capacity
$155,495.00
$122,527.00
Finance/Legislative
No cost to municipality
Not Considered / Not Applicable for Community
management. The diagnostic study, which took
r
Page 18
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
PROMOTING CLEAN LAND
Supporting Auto Recyclers
Every year vehicles are stockpiled along the
United States-Mexico border when they reach
the end of their useful lives. Often, these stock-
piled vehicles have not been processed properly
to recover the reusable or recyclable materials
nor dispose of hazardous materials these vehi-
cles have. As the discarded vehicles are piled
up, they become an eyesore to the local com-
munities and pose a risk to human health and
the environment. The vehicles often contain
hazardous materials like antifreeze, used oil, or
lead and when abandoned, they become a lia-
bility to local governments.
In response to address the needs of auto recy-
clers in the border region, EPA and SEMARNAT
have produced an "End-of-life Vehicle
Guide" (Guide). The Guide was created to share
effective practices for preparing an end-of-life
vehicle so that the vehicle can be recycled
properly and contribute to the Border 2020 Pro-
gram's goal to reduce waste through the safe
and responsible recovery of materials.
The Guide and other materials form a packet
comprising of the guide, a set of quick refer-
ence waste cards, and a poster can be used to
inform handling facilities and technicians on
prepping the vehicles for processing in an envi-
ronmentally sound manner. Additionally, the
Guide discusses responsible disposal, cost re-
covery, health, safety and security, industry
standards, and a listing of vehicles containing
mercury switches.
Specific waste streams that pose a high risk to
workers and the environment are highlighted in
the Guide and on a set of waste cards complete
with diagrams. The waste streams included are:
lead, mercury switches, refrigerants, waste bat-
teries, waste fluids and waste fuel. Overall, the
Guide provides materials that technicians can
use to dispose of old vehicles using environ-
mentally sound management practices.
Processing End-of-Life Vehicles: A Guide for Vehicle Salvage
Profit and Safety in the U.S.-Mexico Border Area
Important Waste Components
Always remove these three waste components first.
Waste Batteries Refrigerants Waste Fuel
rplywood
Poster designed to provide quick access to basic information on the proper
preparation of vehicles before disassembly.
EPA and SEMARNAT will work together to dis-
seminate the folders to the relevant stakehold-
ers along the border region in fall 2018. Printed
copies of the materials are available in Spanish
while both English and Spanish versions can be
found on EPA's website.
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
PROMOTING CLEAN LAND
Campo Band Advances Zero Waste Practices
In the border region, unmanaged trash causes
potential transboundary impacts such as im-
pairing water quality, clogging streamfiow, and
creating habitat for disease vectors. In 2015,
the Campo Band Tribe, located in California,
raised concerns about transboundary solid
waste issues to representatives implementing
the Border 2020: U.S.-Mexico Environmental
Program. In 2016, the Program provided funds
to conduct a solid waste assessment and pre-
pare a zero-waste plan. The zero-waste plan
lays the foundation for developing a zero-waste
program, setting a goal to significantly reduce
waste and establish diversion practices to even-
tually eliminate waste sent to the landfill.
The zero-waste plan was completed in January
2018. Along with the recommendations in this
plan, the Campo Band is actively exploring oth-
er materials management activities including
short and long-term goals to develop a self-
sustaining waste and recycling program and
transfer station. This plan was an important
first-step/tool for the Tribe to accomplish their
solid waste goals and improve the Tribe's and
border region's health. The Campo Band contin-
ues to leverage other resources such as EPA's
General Assistance Program (GAP) to address
their solid waste goals, creating practices that
makes sense for their community, and using the
zero-waste plan as a valuable tool to accom-
plish their needs. The Campo Band Tribe is esti-
mated to be funded by GAP for $18,000 USD for
the Fiscal Year 2019 to continue to move for-
ward with the zero-waste plan.
Campo Band Tribe members weighing types of waste.
Campo Band Tribe members sorting and identifying types of waste.
Page 20
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
PROMOTING CLEAN LAND
i
f
Composting Diverts Valuable
Compost donated to Ecoparque program participants.
Compost is a valuable resource made from food
waste, landscape cuttings or other organic ma-
terial. However, based on the 2018 study
"Characterization and Management of Organic
Waste" released by the Commission on Environ-
mental Cooperation (CEC), organics in the Unit-
ed States and Mexico are predominantly sent to
landfills. The Border 2020 Program has worked
to increase diversion rates, estimated to be
32% for the United States and 7% for Mexico,
by working with government, academic, non-
profits, and industry stakeholders to improve
the management of organic waste through com-
post practices and EPA's food recovery hierar-
chy practices.
In 2012, the Border 2020 Program awarded the
organization "Tijuana Calidad de Vida" a grant
resulting in the first border municipal landscape
compost pilot program that produces compost
and educates future composters. In 2016, EPA
Region 9's Environmental Finance Center fund-
ed a grant to identify compost niche markets in
Tijuana for businesses needing to achieve waste
reduction goals for their corporate social re-
sponsibility ratings. In 2017, the Colegio de la
Frontera Norte (COLEF, by its acronym in Span-
ish) conducted a pilot program working with
nearly 120 households in Tijuana and training
them in a total of 27 workshops. This resulted
in the diversion of 10,067 kg of household food
scraps. The compost created was used at
Ecoparque, a campus program to model and
Organic Materials from Landfills
teach sustainable practices and 107 sacks of
compost were donated to household partici-
pants. The findings of these grants were includ-
ed in the CEC's 2018 report.
On June 13, 2018, the University of Arizona
(UA) Compost Cats celebrated the award of a
$91,000 dollars grant from the Border 2020
Program to establish the Santa Cruz County
(SCC) Compost Center, a much-needed alterna-
tive to landfilling waste produce. Nearly
3,000,000 tons of produce crosses the nearby
Mariposa-Nogales Port of Entry, one of the bus-
iest land crossings along the U.S.-Mexico bor-
der, bound for markets across the United States
each year. About 8,000 tons of waste produce
are generated yearly, equivalent to two dump
trucks per day for an entire year, and is then
disposed of in the Rio Rico Landfill, so the new
SCC compost center is expected to offer both
environmental and economic benefits to the
region (Press release for compost-center). In its
first year, SCC Compost Center will compost
3,000 tons of waste produce, creating 9,000 cu-
bic yards of compost. This is equivalent to 4.3
football fields covered with one foot of com-
post. The goal is to compost the 8,000 tons pro-
duced annually.
The SCC Compost Center will be modeled after
the successful UA Compost Cats program in Tuc-
son, which not only composts but works with
local food banks to divert good food from cam-
pus to hungry people. In 2015, their work was
acknowledged with EPA's "Food Recovery Chal-
lenge" award for reducing food waste on the UA
main campus and in the City of Tucson. Similar-
ly, the SCC Compost Center will serve as an ag-
ricultural learning center for high school and
college students and recover this valuable re-
source from taking up space in the landfill.
r
Page 21
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
STRENGTHENING EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
Recognizing that chemical hazardous events and other environmental emergencies, regardless of an
international border; can threaten both local and binational communities, the United States and
Mexico continue to work together to enhance preparedness and response for international emergen-
cies. The Border 2020 Program and partners support binational training, exercises, essential equip-
ment and emergency plan updates, which have increased communication and response capability.
Together; we have reduced the magnitude of incidents and enhanced safety in the border region.
Binational Training Reduces Danger and
Impacts to Border Communities
The Border 2020 Program had allowed to
strengthen the cooperation between federal,
state and local agencies on both sides of the
border to provide exercises and training as well
as to ensure that first responders have proper
personal protective gear to respond safely and
effectively. Since its inception, over 10,500 fire-
fighters, emergency management officials, po-
lice, military, industry representatives, medical
staff and other relevant community leaders
have received training through: 153 training
courses, 32 binational exercises and 245 drill
notifications between the U.S. and Mexico
throughout the Arizona-Sonora and California-
Baja California border region.
m
hanks to EPA, as well as the firefighters
of the city of Douglas, Arizona, who
have participated as instructors to en-
rich our HAZMAT knowledge. With this
we are prepared for any emergency. Our
aim is to protect the communities in our
sister cities. Thanks to EPA for providing
us with the equipment since, due to its
high cost, it is out of our reach. Thanks
for trusting and believing in the fire-
fighters of Agua Prieta^j q
Lieutenant Jose Romero
H. Fire Department of Agua Prieta
JSC ¦
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• I . as »^i
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Firefighters from both countries responding to the December fire.
Getting equipment and personnel in a timely
manner across an international border crossing
to help respond to fires has always been a chal-
lenge. It requires a coordinated effort among a
wide range of agencies and organizations. Bi-
national training and exercises with first re-
sponders, customs officials, other government
agencies, military, industry and the public have
laid the groundwork for efficient responses in
real-life emergencies.
Binational Fire Response in Winter 2017
When a major tire fire sent dangerous billows
of smoke from Agua Prieta, Sonora, into Doug-
las, Arizona, in December 2017; Douglas fire-
fighters crossed the border and helped put it
f
Page 22
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
i
f
[primer Response!**
I Concientiiacion
Participants in the HAZMAT Tech training.
out in four hours. Binational training and tab-
letop exercises conducted four months prior to
the fire greatly assisted in increasing the effi-
ciency of the response and reducing the scale
and impact of the incident. Additionally, border
patrol at the port of entry on both sides provid-
ed timely crossings to the binational firefight-
ers.
The binational collaboration with the addition
of the Douglas firefighters prevented the fire
from growing larger and potentially crossing
into the U.S. and reduced the amount of smoke
that can cause respiratory problems for sensi-
tive populations such as children, elders and
those with asthma along the border.
Training Tested by a Tire Fire
A 200-hour HAZMAT1 Tech training for Douglas
and Agua Prieta firefighters has been ongoing
on weekends and will finish up by Fall 2018. As
a result of this training, the Fire Department of
Douglas will have additional HAZMAT techs and
the Fire Department of Agua Prieta will have its
first full HAZMAT Tech team. This firefighters
will be better trained and equipped to respond
to incidents and assist each other in cross bor-
der emergencies.
On May 26th, 2018, the training course was in-
i
HAZMAT: technologies and procedures for the management: of
hazardous waste and emergencies.
terrupted and postponed due to a binational
response to a tire fire in Agua Prieta. The re-
cently updated Sister City Contingency Plan was
activated and utilized for the response where
the Douglas Fire Department assisted in getting
the fire under control in under three hours.
Gerardo Romo, a firefighter of the Douglas Fire
Department, commented: "Thanks to the bi-
national efforts and the HAZMAT class being
presented to Agua Prieta Firefighters, they have
been able to respond to incidents in a more
prompt and efficient way. In the past, Agua Pri-
eta Fire Department had willingly attended to
fire emergencies and showed their best efforts;
however, now that they are receiving the HAZ-
MAT training by Douglas Fire Department, they
understand the need of proper personal protec-
tive equipment to respond and face the risk of
each event such as the tire fires. I personally
saw the firefighters using the proper respirato-
ry protection equipment during the tire fire
that occurred on May 261"".
J
Page 23
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental
Response under the Border 2020 Program
Chemical and other hazardous substances
emergencies do not respect international
boundaries, so maintaining an adequate prepa-
ration for a possible emergency in the border
region is essential to improve the ability to re-
spond to incidents and protect the environment
and public from hazards that could result in se-
rious environmental and health impacts.
Annex II of the 1983 La Paz Agreement estab-
lished the United States-Mexico Joint Contin-
gency Plan (JCP). The JCP provides a binational
coordination mechanism for protecting human
health and the environment and responding to
significant chemical and oil contingencies or
emergencies that affect the inland border area
between both countries. Two previous versions
of the JCP have been revised and updated. Most
recently, on November 17, 2017, in Mexico City,
the most up-to-date version of the JCP was
signed by the Secretariat of Environment and
Natural Resources (Secretarial de Medio Ambi-
ente y Recursos Naturales [SEMARNAT]),
through the Office of the Federal Deputy Attor-
ney of Industrial Inspection (Procuraduria Fed-
eral de Proteccion al Ambiente [PROFEPA]) and
the National Coordination for Civil Protection
within the Secretariat of Interior (Secretaria de
Gobernacion [SEGOB]). Previously, for the Unit-
ed States, EPA's Office of Emergency Manage-
ment (OEM) signed the updated JCP.
The updated JCP has a robust binational notifi-
cation system that has been restructured to re-
flect lessons learned from actual emergencies
and notification drills. The changes to the noti-
fication system were coordinated with the U.S.
National Response Center (NRC), Mexico's Na-
tional Communications Center / National Sys-
tem of Civil Protection (Centro Nacional de Co-
municaciones / Sistema Nacional de Proteccion
Civil [CENACOM]) and PROFEPA as well as with
EPA's Regional Offices 6 and 9. Extensive re-
views were conducted by EPA's Office of Gen-
Cover of the Joint Contingency Plan.
eral Counsel regulation experts, the Interna-
tional Law office and the Office of Internation-
al and Tribal Affairs, in addition to the Depart-
ment of State.
The ability to plan and prepare binationally im-
proves the probability of adequately responding
to incidents and protecting the environment
and public from exposure to harmful contami-
nants and possible serious environmental or
health impacts. This binational partnership is
also increasing emergency response capacity
through training events designed to enhance
cooperation, strengthen binational contingency
plans at the local, tribal, state, regional and na-
tional levels to reduce the risks of emergencies
and disasters throughout the border region
^errnosilio~~
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SEMARNAT
SEGOB
Mexico-United States
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Joint Contingency Plan
Preparedness for and Response to Emergencies
and Contingencies Associated with Chemical
Hazardous Substances in the Inland Border Area
-------
HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
i
FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP
The United States-Mexico Border is a vibrant economic region with daily cross-border movement of a
myriad of consumer goods and hazardous materials destined for recycling or disposal. When misman-
agedI the hazardous materials pose an immediate transboundary environmental health threat. In re-
sponse, federalstate, and local entities are partnering to conduct north and south-bound surveil-
lance, provide cross-border compliance assistance, and improve access to information about potential
industry sources of toxic substances through trainings and workshops. These actions increase trans-
boundary compliance, foster environmental stewardship, and reduce overall risks posed by hazardous
waste and materials.
Legislative Reform and Environmental
Education in Nuevo Laredo
The Autonomous University of Tamauiipas (UAT,
by its acronym in Spanish) received a Border
2020 Program grant to continue educating bor-
der communities on the environmental chal-
lenges (i.e. water pollution, urban solid waste,
fats-oils-grease) that persist in this geographic
region. The project focused on the following
objectives:
© IUAT
B55S53 Facultad de Comercio
Administracion y
k. Ciencias Sociales de
^ Nuevo Laredo
E-UAT
CORREO UNtVERSITARIO
CAMPUS EN Li
Reglamentos de Medio Ambiente Genericos para
tamauiipas y Nuevo Leon
UNIVERSIDAD
TAMA uL I PAS
CALENDARIO 2018
aOER 20
0/VTERl^
Ante la problematica de Falta de reglamantacion ambiental, el Programa Fionteia 2020 entre Mexico -
Estados Unidos y la Universidad Autorioma de TamauBpas ban desarrollado un Reglarnento generico
adaptable a los municipios de Tamauiipas y Nuevo Leon Ests Reglarnento puede ser descargado editado
y adaptado Conliene a juBo del 2017 los requerimientos de la legislation Federal y Estatal necesarios para
su Implementation, Induyendo lo Ultimo sobre la Ley General de Cambio Climatico
Si su Munlcipio necesitara actualizar su Reglarnento Ambiental. favor de solicitarlo con oflclo y envlario
via electronica a Mtro Luis Hernan Lope Diaz, Director de la Facultad de Comeicio, A
Ciencias Sociales (Hope@ual edu mx) y marcar copia del correo a derechointerr
Reglarnento Generico para Municipios en Tamauiipas
Reglarnento Generico para Municipios en Nuevo Leon
Mensuales
Enlaces Universitanos
Correo UAT
division de Posgrado
Portal Universltano
PROMEP
Servictos Escoiares
SUTAOAT
inscripciones
Periodo 2018-2
Web page of the UAT with the documents of the generic environmental
regulations that can be adapted by the municipalities of the states of Ta-
mauiipas and Nuevo Leon.
~ Educate school students and environmen-
tal municipal inspectors about the most
common environmental challenges in the
region.
~ Update the municipal environmental leg-
islation for environmental protection in
Nuevo Laredo and some of the surround-
ing municipalities and present it to the
city for adoption.
~ Create an online database with the exist-
ing environmental regulations or ordi-
nances of all the municipalities within Ta-
mauiipas' border region.
The project resulted in environmental conserva-
tion training to over 2,300 students, 50 public
school directors, and 20 environmental inspec-
tors of the city of Nuevo Laredo. Additionally,
the project aided in the development and deliv-
ery to municipal authorities a proposed new
ordinance of "Territorial Ecological Planning" of
the Municipality of Nuevo Laredo, Tamauiipas.
Lastly, the municipalities of Ciudad Mier, Ca-
margo, Jimenez and Jaumave in Tamauiipas
adopted environmental ordinances that will
benefit approximately 300,000 residents.
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
FOSTERING ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Port of Entry Inspectors Safeguarding Communities
Enforcing the Resource Conservation and Re-
covery Act's (RCRA) import/export regulations
protects public health and the environment by
providing safeguards against hazardous waste
and materials being mishandled and spilled. It
also reduces the amount of binational "scam"
businesses who implement illegal practices, cre-
ating unfair business competition. EPA funds
California's Department of Toxic Substances
(DTSC), a Border 2020 partner, to safeguard the
California-Mexico border.
DTSC and San Diego County inspectors work
closely with Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to
conduct surveillance and enforce compliance to
ensure hazardous materials and waste products
are safely transported across the Ports of Entry
(POE) and onward to their final destination be-
tween the United States and Mexico. These
HAZMAT trained inspectors work with U.S. Cus-
toms HAZMAT inspectors and serve as part of
the emergency response team, a first line of
defense in the event of a hazardous spill or ac-
cident at the POE. DTSC and the San Diego
County, upon request from CBP, also participate
in special operations such as inspections of car-
go outside of days and hours allowed for haz-
ardous materials. To increase compliance, the
two countries provide compliance assistance
outreach and training to facilitate both coun-
tries industries to understand regulatory re-
quirements.
On June 20, 2018, with funding from the Border
2020 Program and RCRA program, DTSC hosted
an import/export workshop in Tijuana, Baja Cal-
ifornia, in coordination with SEMARNAT,
PROFEPA, and Baja California's Secretariat of
Environmental Protection (SPA, by its acronym
in Spanish), for Mexican hazardous waste and
special waste industrial generators operating in
Baja California. The workshop focused on im-
port/export requirements including: transport,
new electronic manifest system and verifica-
tion, defining hazardous waste and materials,
and differences between federal and state re-
quirements. Nearly 200 people representing in-
dustry, government, and academia attended,
demonstrating the demand for this type of in-
formation and industry willingness to comply.
Attendees of the import/export workshop held in Tijuana.
Based on the last report of the United States-
Mexico Consultative Mechanism, 33 Mexican
businesses are permitted by SEMARNAT to
treat, store or dispose hazardous waste gener-
ated by the hundreds of businesses in the re-
gion. Offering these hazardous waste compli-
ance workshops in Tijuana assists industry and
informs key stakeholders on compliance re-
quirements for United States regulations, ulti-
mately protecting public health and the envi-
ronment.
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ADVOCATING ENVIRONMENTAL
HEALTH
Environmental health focuses on how the natural and built environment affect human health and
how it can be managed to improve quality of life. Our most vulnerable populations such as children,
the elderly and those with respiratory issues are often the most impacted by the combination of poor
indoor and outdoor air quality, contaminated water, unmanaged waste and other environmental
conditions. The Border 2020 Program and its partners have supported binational environmental
health conferences, train-the-trainer activities for promotoras (community health workers), interac-
tive mapping applications to identify environmental challenges and implement solutions and other
key media strategies to improve public health along the United States-Mexico border.
Teaming up to Address Zika
Disease in Brownsville
In 2016, the Zika outbreak in the continental
United States emerged as a significant threat to
the public. In November of that year, the City of
Brownsville, Texas, reported the first case of
the Zika virus transmitted by a mosquito within
the state. The City worked with the Center for
Disease Control (CDC), the Texas Department of
State Health Services (TDSHS), Cameron County
and Brownsville's Health Departments to learn
more about the transmission and precautions
for the public to take.
In 2017, EPA partnered with the City of Browns-
ville Health Department to identify hotspots
and the factors that led to the spread of the
aedes aegypti mosquito. The project took a ho-
listic approach to identify the underlying condi-
tions that allow mosquito breeding and how to
prevent it. The project mapped the risk areas
within the city by looking at existing environ-
mental data coupled with socioeconomic and
mosquito data. To date, the city is using a
crowdsource application platform in which resi-
dents can report potential mosquito breeding
sites and upload georeferenced photos. The
website also provides recommended actions
that residents can take to combat mosquito
risk.
The City of Brownsville Health Department is
also working with promotoras, who serve as
public community liaisons, to educate residents
through a train-the-trainer model. The project
is ongoing and researchers at EPA have present-
ed their initial findings at a conference and re-
cently published a literature review.
e combined environmental data (land
cover, precipitation, and temperature)
with socioeconomic and mosquito activity
data in order to paint a more accurate pic-
ture of risk. To our knowledge, this is the
first vector mitigation study to take into
account both lxl meter land cover data
and socioeconomic determinants^
Pai-Yei Whung, Ph.D.
Project's lead and EPA senior scientist
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ADVOCATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
i
r
EPA Engages Communities to Target
Children's Environmental Health
Jacobo Sandoval at an environmental health outreach event in Nogales, Arizona.
amilies in Nogales, Arizona, are very
happy with the healthy homes evalua-
tion and especially with the smoke
alarms installed by Sonora Environmen-
tal Research Institute, Inc. (SERI) staff.
Many families mentioned that Nogales
does not have many children's environ-
mental health programs available to low
-income families, and they are grateful
for this opportunity to participate in the
program.
Jacobo Sandoval
SERI Program Manager
According to the World Health Organization, in
2012 it was estimated that 1.7 million children
under the age of five died due to environmental
factors. Children living along the United States-
Mexico border are particularly vulnerable due
to the region having higher than the United
States national average rates for children living
in poverty, being uninsured, and having chronic
diseases (Pan American Health Organization,
2014).
Over the past several years, partnerships be-
tween EPA's Office of Children's Environmental
Health, the Border 2020 Program, the United
States-Mexico Border Health Commission under
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser-
vices and local organizations, have worked on
collaborative projects to identify environmental
f
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ADVOCATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
i
f
health needs and provide opportunities for lo-
cal action to improve the lives of children living
along the border. These opportunities have in-
cluded three children's health symposiums from
south Texas to California, as well as federal
grants to educate families, community health
workers, educators and medical professionals
on how to address children's health needs.
In 2018, EPA awarded more than $214,000 dol-
lars to fund five projects aimed at addressing
children's environmental health in border com-
munities in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
These five projects addressed environmental
health issues related to lead-based paint, in-
door air quality, and integrated pest manage-
ment.
Many of these projects are establishing new
ways of improving current environmental health
programs and initiatives for agencies who work
within communities located in the border re-
gion. These projects will train nearly 350 spe-
cialists, including community health workers,
childcare givers and medical providers, and
reach over 2,000 community members on envi-
ronmental health topics such as improving in-
door air quality, reducing lead-based paint ex-
posure and implementing integrated pest man-
hronic diseases such as asthma, cardio-
vascular diseases, and diabetes are
linked to air pollution. We will provide
education on a variety of environmental
hazards to Promotoras, parents at ele-
mentary and middle schools, and preg-
nant women. The education will provide
participants the knowledge needed to
identify indoor and outdoor pollutants,
harmful chemicals in pesticides used at
home, and how they can change or con-
trol them without exposing their chil-
dren to the damaging effects^rj
Genny Carrillo, M.D.
Texas A&M University
School of Public Health
agement strategies. Through these projects,
and continued leadership from border commu-
nities, children's environmental health will con-
tinue to improve.
6S
Mariposa Community Health Center is
excited to have been awarded this fund-
ing. Protecting our children by ensuring
a healthy living environment is essential
to their long-term health and well-
being. These funds will provide educa-
tion to Community Health Workers along
the U.S.-Mexico border to assist them in
identifying environmental pollutants
and train parents and caregivers in ap-
propriate methods to reduce or elimi-
nate exposure within their homes^j [_j
Ed Sicurello
CEO, Mariposa Community Health Center
he Southwest Center for Pediatric Envi-
ronmental Health is very pleased to hear
that we have been awarded this grant.
It will serve to augment outreach to dis-
advantaged children on the border from
El Paso to Brownsville. Based at Texas
Tech University Health Sciences Center
in El Paso, we have partnered with col-
leagues from the University of Texas Rio
Grande Valley School of Medicine to ex-
tend our reach. The funds will go to pro-
duction of training guides for Promo-
toras,, as well as two Promotora work-
shops. It will likewise support the devel-
opment of e-learning modules to be used
in their new senior medical student elec-
tive on pediatric environmental healthy
W
Director Stephen Borron, M.D.
Southwest Center for Pediatric
Environmental Health
i
r
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
ADVOCATING ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
i
r
Responding to Zika
Besides the shared environment between the
United States and Mexico along the border, the
Border 2020 Program also recognizes that, "[t]
he movement of people and products between
the two countries creates a unique binationa!
environment for preventing and controlling dis-
eases spread through food and water, from in-
sects or animals, and between people" (Center
for Disease Control, 2018). In response to these
risks, the Border 2020 Program has supported
efforts to increase awareness and provide train-
ing on the use of integrated pest management
to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases,
like Zika transmitted by mosquitos.
In Fall 2016, two binational environmental
health conferences on vector-borne diseases
were held in Mexicali, Baja California, and
Nogales, Sonora. Partners included: the Auton-
omous University of Baja California (UABC, by
its acronym in Spanish), the Technical Institute
of Nogales (UN, by its acronym in Spanish), El
Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF), the Center
for Disease Control (CDC) and their Mexican
counterpart, the National Center for Preventive
Programs and Disease Control (CENAPRECE, by
its acronym in Spanish), among others.
Threat Along the Border
Over 360+ people attended, such as medical
students, faculty, health practitioners, govern-
ment officials, and 30 vector borne disease ex-
perts. Key topics included preventive measures
to combat Zika and other vector-borne diseas-
es, integrated pest management strategies, and
the appropriate usage of insect repellants.
In 2017, to confirm long-term impact of the
events, the venue hosts (UABC and UN) con-
tacted the attendees and learned three key
findings:
~ After the symposia, three out of four re-
spondents shared the environmental and
public health information they learned
with people they knew.
~ In addition, more than half of all respond-
ents reported they now read the label pri-
or to using insect repellents.
~ Of critical importance, nearly half of at-
tendees have started pouring standing
water out of flower pots to eliminate
mosquitos' eggs, thereby reducing breed-
ing habitats.
As seen by the evaluation, the conferences have
increased knowledge and influenced behavior.
To learn more about these events, please visit
the U.S.-Mexico Border 2020 webpage.
Participants commit to addressing sources of vectors by keeping their
homes and environment clean and free of trash and standing water.
f
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
f
COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE
Lisa Almodovar
U.S. EPA Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
General Coordinators
Armando Yanez Sandoval
SEMARNAT
Mexico City
Staff Members
Marta Jordan
U.S. EPA Headquarters
Washington, D.C.
Jordan.Marta@epa.gov
Tadzio Clavel Herrera
SEMARNAT
Mexico City
tadzio. clavel@semarnat.gob.mx
Maria Sisneros
U.S. EPA Region 6
El Paso, Texas
sisneros.maria@epa.gov
Miguel Fragoso Romero
SEMARNAT
Mexico City
miguel.fragoso@semarnat.gob.mx
Jessica Helgesen
U.S. EPA Region 9
San Diego, California
helgesen.jessica@epa.gov
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HIGHLIGHTS REPORT - AUTUMN 2018
«£>ER 2q
A/TER^
Visit our webpages!
www.epa.gov/border2020
www. gob.mx/semarnat
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 sustaina-
ble development.
HI
Rio Grande, Texas-Coahuila
Photo: CONANP
. ¦¦ M
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