Border 2012
Accomplishments Report (2010-2012)
U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program


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Message from the National Coordinators
In April 2003, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and
Mexico's Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT)
initiated the third bi-national agreement to protect the environment and public
health in their shared border region through the signing of the United States-
Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2012.
Over the past ten years, the Border 2012 program has brought together federal,
state, and local governments; United States border tribes; Mexico's indigenous
communities; and stakeholders and border communities of both countries, to
address the most pressing environmental issues along our shared border.
Through the Border 2012 Program, we have promoted and fostered a strong
bi-national partnership that has allowed us to achieve concrete and measurable
results and adopt an effective bottom up approach for decision making and priority
setting. The Border 2012 Program has also been instrumental in developing and
strengthening the capacity of border communities to become more sustainable and
to better address environmental and public health issues.
We are very proud of the achievements made in protecting and improving
environmental conditions for millions of residents along the United States-Mexico
border, which could not have been possible without the support and commitment
of all of our partners. As National Program Coordinators, we acknowledge and
celebrate your work, dedication, and commitment, which has been an essential
ingredient in the successful accomplishment of our ambitious goals and objectives.
This report highlights key results achieved in the past two years and is also the
last report of the Border 2012 Program, which reaches its conclusion this year.
Though we are closing the Program, we are excited about the new bi-national
border program, Border 2020, which was developed through extensive public input
and participation. The new Program, signed in mid-2012, will continue the long
standing collaboration and cooperation among the United States and Mexico to
improve the environment in our shared border region.
Michelle J. DePass
National Coordinator, United States
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Enrique Lendo Fuentes
National Coordinator, Mexico
SEMARNAT
#
SECRETARIA DE
MEDIO AM B 1 E NTE V
RECUftSOS NATUWALES

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CONTENTS
Introduction.	2.
Reduce Water Contamination.	4.
Reduce Air Contamination.	6.
Reduce Land Contamination.	10
Improve Environmental Health.	14
Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response.	18
Improve Environmental Compliance, Performance and Stewardship.	20
Tribal and Indigenous Communities Initiatives.	22

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Introduction
Border 2012 Wraps up
Remarkable 10-Year Effort
The Border 2012 Environmental Program has proved itself a model for bi-national programs
aimed at improving conditions at the U.S. Mexico border. Since its inception in 2003, the
program has used a community-based approach that focuses on the environmental needs
expressed by people who live and work in the border region. Projects funded by Border 2012
have covered a range of activities including scrap tire removals, watershed cleanups, air quality
monitoring, storm water harvesting, soil sampling and community health worker training.
The following pages describe projects that were completed or were near completion by the close
of the Border 2012 program. Hie report is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all
projects, but rather a snapshot of notable achievements during the final years of the program,
2010-2012. Project summaries are categorized under each of the program's six environmental
goals. A separate section describes the program's tribal and indigenous communities initiatives.
To view additional Border 2012 accomplishments, please visit the program website at:
www.epa.gov/border2012/.
A volunteer removes bags of trash
during a Border 2012-sponsored
cleanup near Tecate in Baja
California.
BORDER 2012 GOALS
Cover Photo
Chisos Mountains, Big Bend
National Park, Texas.
1.	Reduce Water Contamination.
2.	Reduce Air Contamination.
3.	Reduce Land Contamination.
4.	Improve Environmental Health.
5.	Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response.
6.	Improve Environmental Performance, Compliance and Stewardship.
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Introduction
Program Takes Full Measure
of B orderwide Needs
Since its signing in 2003, the Border 2012 U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program has
successfully completed more than 400 projects. Most projects were designed to address
environmental or public health issu es specific to a community. A smaller number of projects
were applied to environmental issues that were deemed significant to communities throughout
the border region. Under these borderwide projects, Border 2012 posted some of its most
noteworthy achievements:
•	More than 12 million scrap tires were removed from clandestine dump sites in the U.S.
and Mexico.
•	Under the EPA's Border Environment Infrastructure Fund and with assistance from agencies
in the U.S. and Mexico, an estimated 54,000 homes were connected to safe drinking
water systems and more than 500,000 homes were connected to wastewater collection and
treatment services.
•	Federal and state officials in the U.S. and Mexico collected more than 73 metric tons of
unused pesticides and agro-chemicals from rural collection sites on both sides of the border.
•	Border 2012 collaborated with the U.S. Department of Defense's Northern Command
(USNORTHCOM) to enhance readiness and improve emergency response in the event
of a border environmental disaster. The effort resulted in a series of knowledge exchanges,
technical trainings, table top exercises and hazardous material equipment transfers in nine
sister cities along the U.S.-Mexico border.
•	Fifteen (15) sister city emergency-contingency plans were created ensuring a coordinated bi-
national response in the event of a border emergency.
•	A series of community cleanups resulted in the removal of an estimated 673,300 tons of
solid waste from illegal dump sites, watersheds, estuaries and public drain systems in the
U.S. and Mexico.
•	Approximately 570 tons of e-waste were properly disposed or recycled in communities on
both sides of the border.
•	Greenhouse gas emissions (GHE) inventories were completed for each Mexican border state.
A Border 2012 project to remove
scrap tires from illegal dump
sites resulted in the development
of regional plans for long-term,
sustainable management of waste
tires throughout the border region
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Reduce Water Contamination
Matamoros Eliminates Tons of
Trash ( logging City Drains
With funding from Border
2012, the Water and
Sewer Board of the city of
Matamoros successfully
The city of Matamoros suffered
from clogged and polluted drains
prior to a citywide cleanup and
educational campaign sponsored
by Border 2012.
eliminated 3,341 tons of
municipal garbage and 1,426
scrap tires clogging the city's
sewer and drain systems. The
unsightly problem promoted
a culture of environmental
degradation and raised the
specter of disease from the
standing pools of polluted
water. As part of the project,
utility crews cleared 32.1
kilometers (about 20 miles)
of public drains and sewage
canals. Meanwhile, 440
school students enlisted in
the Community Sanitation
Brigade to educate residents
living near the drains in the
importance of maintaining
a clean community with
sanitary drains. Throughout
Matamoros, colorful murals
were painted on public walls
emphasizing respect for
the city's sewer and drain
systems. To sustain the
program, the city government
adopted new regulations
for policing the drains to
discourage illegal dumping.
Partners Remove Garbage
Flowing to Tijuana Estuary
Border 2012 teamed with
the nonprofit WiLDCOAST
and a partnership of
community and government
organizations to organize
a series of workshops to
improve residential waste
disposal in Tijuana's Los
Laureles Canyon. The canyon
suffers from inadequate
collection and disposal of
residential solid waste, posing
a health risk to the 48,000
residents and polluting the
Tijuana Estuary downstream
in San Diego. Fundamental
to the project was an effort to
strengthen the community's
Community partners discuss
plans for a long-term solution to
inadequate waste management
in Tijuana's Los Laureles Canyon,
thereby reducing the risk of disease
and the threat of polluting the
Tijuana Estuary downstream.
capacity for long-term waste
management. The partners
improved the community's
access to waste collection
by installing 100 trash bins
and trained six community
health workers in promoting
behavioral change. The
project was part of a long-
term effort by Border
2012 that has resulted in
the removal of more than
3,800 cubic yards of trash
and garbage from the
canyon, reducing the risks
to residents and removing
a standing threat to the
estuary on the U.S. side of
the border.
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Reduce Water Contamination
Border 2012 Invests in
Infrastructure, Storm Water
Harvesting in Arizona
With, funding from
Border 2012, the nonprofit
Watershed Management
Group (WMG) of Tucson
has launched an ambitious
project to improve the quality
of storm water runoff at
three locations along the
Arizona-Sonora border.
The project uses "green
infrastructure" landscaping
and rain water harvesting
to capture polluted runoff
from roads and rooftops,
allowing for seepage or
storage of the water to
support gardening or natural
vegetation. WMG estimates
the project will allow for
capture of 63,500 cubic feet
of water annu ally, reducing
runoff into the Nogales Wash
and Santa Cruz River. The
project includes a series of
commu nity education and
training workshops to foster
use of storm water harvesting
and to ensure long-term
maintenance of the installed
landscaping. The project
is part of a Border 2012
regional effort to promote the
capture and reuse of storm
water runoff.
Laredo Group Revives
Dta del Rio Celebration
A raised, meandering path acts
as a berrn to retain storm water
runoff near the Santa Cruz River in
southern Arizona,
With support and
encouragement from Border
2012, the Rio Grande
International Study Center
(RGISC) in Laredo, Texas,
successfully revived the Dili
del Rio celebration, which
had suffered from several
years of falling participation.
On Oct. 16, 2010, the 16th
annu al Dia del Rio kicked off
with hundreds of activities,
attracting thousands of
participants to the bi-national
event held along the banks
of the Rio Grande. Students,
educators, environmentalists,
Native Americans, and state
and federal officials in the
U.S. and Mexico participated
in festivities in Colorado,
New Mexico, and Texas
and the Mexican states of
Durango, Coahuila, Nuevo
Leon, and Tamaulipas. An
estimated 175 schools, clubs,
foundations, governments
and environmental
organizations in the U.S. and
Mexico organized activities
that included river cleanups,
tree plantings, lectures, art
exhibits, kayaking races
and street parties. To
maintain interest in the
event, organizers formed a
watershed network that has
served to promote the event
each year since.
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The Rio Grande International Study
Center in Laredo, Texas, engaged
in a campaign to promote the 2010
Dfa del Rio celebration, reviving
participation in the annual event.
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Reduce Air Contamination
Baja California Initiates Vehicle
Inspections to Reduce Smog
On-road vehicles in Baja California
emit approximately 180,000 tons of
airborne pollutants annually.
Air quality studies have
found that motorized vehicles
account for 54% of nitrous
oxide and 92% of carbon
monoxide emissions in
Tijuana, and 30% and 69%
of the same emissions in
Mexicali. Beginning in 2012,
the state of Baja California
with support from Border
2012 instituted a mandatory
vehicle smog-check program.
The program requires owners
of the state's 1.4 million
cars, pickups and vans to
have their vehicles inspected
annually and, if necessary, to
complete any required repairs.
Once fully implemented, the
program is expected to reduce
statewide vehicle emissions
by 12-24% annually.
Juarez Combats Air Pollution
with 'Green' Paint Sprayers
A "green" paint sprayer is
demonstrated to auto body
workers in Ciudad Juarez.
With funding from Border
2012, students and faculty at
the Autonomous University
of Ciudad Juarez distributed
60 low-volume, low-pressure
( LV LP) paint sprayers to city
auto body workers and urged
the operators to retire their
older spray guns, a source
of high concentrations of
volatile organic compounds
(VOCs). As part of the
project, 28 auto body
workers, representing 20%
of the city's body shops,
participated in a one-
day training event that
demonstrated how to use the
newer, more efficient LVLP
sprayers. University students
visited other shop operators
in person to promote use of
the new sprayers. As part of
the project, the researchers
measured levels of VOCs
released from paints and
solvents used in the auto
painting process. Using
digital maps, the researchers
identified the potential
for exposure to benzene
and toluene, chemical by-
products of paint spraying,
in several areas of the city
where auto shops are located
near residential homes.
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Reduce Air Contamination
Border 2012 Moves Arizona
Gas-to-Energy Project Forward
Santa Cruz County, Arizona,
teamed with Border 2012 to
complete the second stage
of a long-term project to
construct an energy recovery
platform at the county's
Rio Rico Landfill. Design,
engineering and construction
specifications were completed
for the gas-to-energy project,
which is estimated to recover
as much as 500 standard
cubic feet per minute in
landfill gases, an amount
sufficient to sustain electric
generation of more than
7,000,000 kW hours annually
for 30 years. The plans
were deemed essential to
beginning negotiations with
the local electric company
for a power purchase and
interconnection agreement,
both necessary to obtain
construction financing.
Once built, the recovery
facility will improve the
environmental performance
of the landfill by reducing
10,377 tons of carbon dioxide
from escaping annually into
the atmosphere and putting
electricity back into the
grid to facilitate the utility
company's renewable energy
portfolio. The Border 2012
effort followed an earlier
project that identified the
feasibility of recovering
methane gas at the landfill in
amounts sufficient for power
generation.
Landfill gases from the Rio Rico
Landfill, a 60-acre facility located
14 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico
border, are deemed sufficient to
generate electricity for 30 years.
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Reduce Air Contamination
Viva Verde Shows Homeowners
How to Save Energy, Money
A.Viva.Verde.contractor.installs
weather.stripping.to.the.door.fr ame
of.a.southern.New.Mexico.home.
In 2010, Border 2012
partnered with the Gila
Resources Information
Project of Silver City, New
Mexico, in a targeted effort
to raise awareness about
climate change and help
low-income homeowners
save money by reducing
their energy bills. Using
the Viva Verde Residential
Energy Efficiency Program,
contractors conducted free
in-home audits to determine
cost-effective measures
for reducing energy use.
Sixty-two homes in the
communities 01 Deming and
Columbus were weatherized,
resulting in estimated
annual savings of $106 to
the occupants. The homes
were sealed with caulking
and weather stripping, and
families were introduced
to the energy advantages of
the new compact fluorescent
light bulbs. In addition,
project members installed
low-flow showerheads and
faucet aerators, and checked
for silent leaks from toilet
tanks. As part of the project,
the partners educated
homeowners about climate
change and identified actions
family members could take
to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. At the end of
the project, team members
estimated their measures
had resulted in total savings
of 227,710 gallons of water
(3,672 gallons per household)
and 18,192 kilowatt hours
(293 kilowatt hours per
household) per year. Team
members calculated an
overall reduction of 75.6 tons
of carbon dioxide emissions
annually.
The on-line version of the Viva
Verde Guide in both English
and Spanish can be accessed
by visiting vivaverdenrn.com
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Reduce Air Contamination
Mexicali Media Campaign
Targets Seasonal Fireworks,
Open Burning
For years, Imperial County,
California, has been
designed "serious" in non-
attainment for particulate
matter (PM10). Air quality
monitoring in Mexicali, just
across the border, indicates
that it too likely suffers from
non-attainment. A known
contributor to the region's
air pollution is the winter
holiday tradition in Mexicali
of lighting fireworks and
the open-air burning of
fuels such as scrap tires and
wood. To address this issue,
the Imperial County Air
Pollution Control District
together with the Secretariat
for the Environment of the
State of Baja California
developed a media campaign
to educate residents about
the environmental and
health impacts of fireworks
and open burning. Over a
two-year period during the
holiday weeks of December
and January, more than 2,600
television and radio spots
were broadcast. Many of the
messages were targeted to
the region's youth, both in
the U.S. and Mexico.The
project was deemed a success
in taking the first step toward
raising awareness of seasonal
air quality and educating the
bi-national community about
the risks of exposure to high
concentrations of airborne
particulates.
Seasonal contaminants pollute the
air in Mexicali, Baja California.
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Reduce Land Contamination
Students from the Piedras Negras
Technology Institute perform under
the name of the Green Tec Osos,
staging environmental skits for the
city's elementary schools.
Eagle Pass, Piedras Negras
Remove 323 Tons of e-Waste
In a joint effort, the border
communities of Eagle Pass,
Texas, and Piedras Negras,
Coahuila, removed 323
tons of scrap computers,
appliances and electronics
from illegal dump sites on
both sides of the border.
The cleanup was part of a
larger effort to highlight the
hazards of illegal dumping
of electronics or e-waste,
a major environmental
problem in both cities, and
to develop free collection
sites to encourage recycling
and proper disposal. To
support the project, the
Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality
donated funds for the
purchase of two kid-size
robots used for in elementary
school presentations,
while students from the
Technology Institute in
Piedras Negras staged
environmental skits,
performing as the Green
Tec Osos. To sustain
the program, the city
of Eagle Pass created a
waste diversion education
program and committed
to budgeting annually for
citywide cleanup events. In
Piedras Negras, students
at the Technological
Institute agreed to continue
performing as the Green Tec
Osos. In a written report,
the cities invited other
border communities to use
their project as a model for
undertaking similar efforts.
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Reduce Land Contamination
Researchers Trace Lead,
Arsenic to Abandoned Smelter
MUESTREO DE SUELOS A CADA 500 M

A map shows the location
of concentric rings placed at
500-meter distances from the main
chimney of the ASARCO smelter.
The rings were used to organize the
sampling of soils on the Mexican
side of the Rio Grande.
For more than 100 years,
the ASARCO smelter
on the banks of the Rio
Grande in El Paso pumped
contaminants into the air
from a firing process that
separated copper, zinc and
lead from raw ore. In the late
1990s, the smelter's owners
suspended operations and
agreed to pay $19 million
for environmental cleanup
on the U.S. side of the
border. At the time, little
was known about the extent
of contamination in Mexico.
With funding from Border
2012, engineers from the
Autonomous University of
Ciudad Juarez and experts
from Chihuahua's Centro de
Investigation de Materiales
Avanzados tested 320 soil
samples taken from the
Mexican side of the Rio
Grande just across the
border from ASARCO's
abandoned smokestacks.
To plot their findings, the
researchers drew concentric
rings at 500-meter distances
from the smelter's main
chimney and displayed the
results on digital maps and
satellite images. The study
found that concentrations of
arsenic and lead generated
by the smelter remain in the
soil on the Mexican side of
the river in Ciudad Juarez.
In some samples, arsenic
and lead were measured in
higher concentrations at
depths below the topsoil,
raising concerns about the
potential for groundwater
contamination. The study
prompted public discussions
about the best measures to
remediate the contaminated
areas on the Mexican side
of the river and how to limit
exposure to residents on both
sides of the bi-national border.
360000
	,	
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Reduce Land Contamination
Border 2012 Partners
Stymie Illegal Dumping
in Tecate Colonia
An organic produce garden is
cultivated in Tecate's Colonia Luis
Donaldo Colosio to discourage
illegal dumping at the site.
In 1999, residents of Colonia
Luis Donaldo Colosio near
Tecate, Baja California,
organized a committee
known as Las Mujeres Lluvia
del Sur (Women from the
Southern Rain) to clean
up an illegal dump site. At
the time, the committee
cleared the land and planted
an orchard and an organic
garden to discourage future
dumping at the site. In
2011, Border 2012 awarded
funding to the Fundacion La
Puerta, a Tecate nonprofit,
to strengthen the colonia's
existing waste management
effort. The Fundacion and
its colonia partners propose
to develop a business plan
for sustainable operation of
the orchard and plan to sow
950 square meters (a quarter
acre) of crops, harvesting 720
kilograms (1,587 pounds)
of produce for the colonia's
15 families. As part of the
project, colonia residents
have started a small business
collecting waste paper and
plastics from local businesses
and selling the materials
to recycling companies.
Meanwhile, members of
the Mujeres Lluvia del Sur
have organized community
cleanups of a 2-kilometer
stretch of the Tecate River.
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Reduce Land Contamination
Researchers Divert Waste Paper
from Nogales (Sonora) Landfill
'Hie University of Arizona,
through a project funded
by Border 2012, is
demonstrating the feasibility
of using waste paper intended
for the Nogales, Sonora,
landfill in the production of
fibrous concrete. The purpose
of the project is to reroute
waste paper, a significant
problem at the landfill, for
use in the production of
a mixture that dries into
fibrous blocks, walls and roof
panels. The project team has
opened a collection station in
central Nogales for donated
paper. Satellite stations
around the city provide
facilities for educational
workshops and for testing
different types of paper and
other inputs in the mixing
and drying of fibrous blocks.
The project team is tracking
the costs of materials to
estimate the savings in
building a typical, one-room
structure. The team hopes to
increase acceptance among
regional builders, engineers
and architects for using
fibrous blocks in small-scale
home construction, avoiding
the need to dispose and
transfer waste paper to the
landfill.
Workshop participants learn how to
make fibrous concrete blocks using
a mixture of waste paper, cement
and sand.
To date, the most structurally
resistant mixture is a ratio of
1 kilogram paper> 0.5 kilogram
cement, and 0.5 kilogram sand.
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Improve Environmental Health
Tijuana Colonia Reroutes
Commercial Trucks
to Bypass School
With support from Border
2012, the Environmental
Health Coalition, a
bi-national nonprofit,
partnered with a team of
Tijuana community groups
to organize an effort to
reduce exposure to diesel
truck emissions at schools
in the city's low-income
neighborhoods. The coalition
and its partners met with
public officials, distributed
written materials, and
held press conferences
to raise awareness of the
health dangers from diesel
exhaust and to advocate
for restrictions on semi-
trucks passing in front
of schools. The partners
achieved success when
traffic signs were placed at
six locations prohibiting
semi-trailers from driving
past an elementary school
and entering Colonia
C-hilpancingo, a community
of 15,000 residents adjacent
to the city's largest industrial
park. As a follow up to the
project, the partners plan
to monitor enforcement of
the truck restricted zone
in Colonia Chilpancingo.
Ultimately, the coalition and
its partners hope to advance
a city ordinance that will
protect all Tijuana school
children and residential
neighborhoods from diesel
emissions.
A street map shows areas near
Tijuana's Colonia Chilpancingo that
are now prohibited to commercial
diesel traffic.

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Improve Environmental Health
Arizona Delivers Health
Training, Targeting
Vulnerable Communities
University of Arizona researchers
test Spanish-language moduiar
training courses with the help
of regional community health
workers, or promotoras
With funding from Border
2012, researchers with the
University of Arizona's Bi-
national Center designed,
developed and tested
modular training courses
on environmental science
topics for community health
workers, or promotoras, in
the Arizona-Sonora border
region. The purpose of the
project was to improve
the lack of access to
information by vulnerable
or difficult-to-reach border
populations traditionally
served by promotoras. To
initiate the project, the
university researchers met
with the health workers to
determine their training
needs. The workers identified
gaps in Spanish-language
information on pesticides,
arsenic, environmental
toxicology and contaminants.
With this information, the
university team developed
courses on the four topics
and then tested the content
seeking input from more
than 70 promotoras during
scheduled pilot sessions. The
university team plans to
refine the training modules,
which are designed to be
used by health workers to
train other border health
workers, eventually reaching
out to hundreds of families
throughout the U.S.-Mexico
border region. Once the
modules are distributed, the
researchers estimate the
potential for informing more
than two million individu als
from vulnerable populations
throughout the border.
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Improve Environmental Health
Aqua XXI Improves Health,
Sanitation in Rural Colonias
A puppet theater presentation for
children living on the outskirts
of Ciudad Juarez highlights
the benefits of sanitation and
personal hygiene.
From 2009 through 2010,
the Aqua XXI program of
Ciudad Juarez collaborated
with Border 2012 to organize
workshops, lectures, home
visits and children's puppet
performances to educate
rural residents on the risks
of exposure to pesticides and
household chemicals. As
part of the effort, Aqua XXI
highlighted the advantages
of drinking purified water,
increasing hand washing
and improving personal
hygiene to address a high
incidence of gastrointestinal
infection among the
participants. At the end
of the project, participant
surveys found improvements
in knowledge of water
purification methods with
36.6% of the 150 participants
citing an increase in how
often they washed their
hands. Notably, 11.5% of
participants reported they no
longer suffered from stomach
illnesses.
The Aqua XXI project conducted
three puppet theater presentations
for 150 children and adults.
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Improve Environmental Health
Border 2012 Partners Collect
73 Tons of Unused Pesticides
In a bi-national effort,
federal and state officials
in the U.S. and Mexico
partnered with Border 2012
to collect 73 metric tons
of unused pesticides and
agro-chemicals from rural
locations at the I .S. Mexico
border. In some areas, the
border partners declared
"amnesty" days for farm
operators to dispose of their
unused or obsolete pesticides.
In other areas, officials
developed collection centers
for farmers and ranchers to
drop off unu sed chemicals
and pesticide containers. The
borderwide effort is credited
with significantly reducing the
risk to human health and the
environment from accidental
exposure or release of
pesticides and agro-chemicals
into the soil or water.
Barrels of bulk liquid pesticide are
collected at a drop-off site during
the Border 2012 collection drive in
San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.
Border 2012 Instructs
Families in Home Safety
The Ben Archer Health
Center of southern New
Mexico teamed up with
Border 2012 in an ambitious
project to conduct 500
in-home environmental
visits and educate families
on home safety. The project
was especially significant
given the findings of a
Home Safety Council
study that identified
southern New Mexico
as reporting the highest
incidents of deaths annually
in the United States from
unintentional home injuries
(13.03 deaths per 100,000
persons compared to the
lowest rate of 3.33 deaths
per 100,000 persons in
Massachusetts). The Border
2012 effort targeted low-
income families living in
four New Mexico counties.
Community health workers,
also known as promotoras,
visited the families in their
homes, offering handouts
and materials on topics such
as food storage, pesticide use
and home safety. The health
workers identified areas of a
home that needed attention
such as unsecured medicine
cabinets. Follow-up visits
were conducted to determine
changes in behavior and,
where necessary, to remove
barriers to improvement. An
evaluation of the project
found significant increases in
participant knowledge on a
variety of environmental and
home safety topics.
17

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Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response
Mexico and U.S. Practice Joint
Response to Border Disasters
Since 2007, Border 2012
has partnered with the U.S.
Department of Defense
Northern Command
(USNORTHCOM) to
strengthen emergency
Border 2012 partnered with the
U.S Department of Defense
Northern Command to practice
cross-border emergency response
to a mock exercise that simulated
an oil spill on the California-Baja
California coast.
SPILL
response and enhance
readiness along the border.
USORTHCOM has been
instrumental in supporting
numerous training,
knowledge exchanges
and equipment transfers
for emergency responders
throughout the border region.
The latest effort in this
important collaboration was a
two-day emergency response
exercise in San Diego with
participation from more than
100 individuals from U.S.
and Mexican federal agencies.
On the first day, officials
from the U.S. EPA, Mexico's
Procuraduria Federal de
Protection al Ambiente
(PROFEPA) and the U.S.
Coast Guard reviewed their
preparedness and the ability
to respond to a variety of
hazardous incidents. On
the second day, a mock
emergency was initiated in
which participants responded
to a simulated oil spill, both
at sea and on land.
Sonora Maquiladora Workers
Train for Emergency Response
In the event of a hazardous
materials incident at
the U.S.-Mexico border,
employees of Mexico's
manufacturing plants, or
maquiladoras, are likely to be
among the first on the scene.
With training, maquiladora
workers may also be in the
best position to minimize
the potential for loss of life
and reduce environmental
degradation. With funding
from Border 2012, Arizona
State University provided
four 3-day Emergency
Response courses for 167
workers at manufacturing
facilities in the Sonora-
Arizona border. Three
courses were held at facilities
in Nogales (Sonora); a fourth
course was conducted in
Agua Prieta. The curriculum,
which was delivered in
Spanish, included lectures,
videos and hands-on group
activities. The training
focused on hazard awareness,
personal protective
equipment, instrumentation,
emergency response planning
and included information on
relevant Mexican laws and
regulations. Emphasis was
placed on potential terrorist
activities and natural disasters.
Local firefighters participated
in the courses, demonstrating
their response capabilities
and coordinating with the
host maquiladoras in the case
of a future incident. All four
courses received positive
evaluations, and several
participants asked about the
possibility for additional
training in the future.
18

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Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response
Border 2012 Updates Sister City
Plans in Texas- Coahuila
Hie Rio Grande Institute in
Austin, Texas, has served in a
variety of roles demonstrating
expertise in the areas of
emergency preparedness and
response. In 2011, the Border
2012 program contracted
with the Institute to update
and improve the Sister City
Emergency Preparedness and
Response Plans currently
in place for Eagle Pass-
Piedras Negras and Del
Rio-Ciudad Acuna. The
existing plans were cited
as outdated and in need of
revision to address changes in
demographics, transportation
and community services. In
preparing the new plans, the
Institute proposes to assess
the risk for disasters, both
natural and manmade, that
may impact each of the sister
city pairs. The new plans
will include digital maps
showing evacuation routes
and describing procedures for
response. Once completed,
the plans will be submitted to
each sister city for adoption.
This Border 2012 effort is a
direct response to the goals
of the U.S.-Mexico Border
Program and is designed
to reduce the risk to lives,
property and the natural
environment within the
boundaries of the sister cities.
A bridge over Amistad Dam,
upstream from the border sister
cities of Del Rio-Ciudad Acuna,
serves as an example of important
infrastructure for cross-border
emergency preparedness and
response.
There is a long list of risks, both
natural and manmade, that
have the potential to impact
lives and property on both sides
of the Texas-Mexico border.
19

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Improve Environmental Compliance, Performance and Stewardship
Border 2012 Sharpens Accuracy
of Tijuana GHG Emissions
Prior to assessing the risks
of air pollution on human
health and ecosystems, an
accurate measurement
is required of emissions,
pollutants and chemical
transfers. Border 2012
provided support to the city
of Tijuana to strengthen
reporting of GHG emissions
and update the city's existing
chemical registry (RETC).
The project provided a
written report explaining
how businesses and policy
makers might improve the
accuracy of their emission,
pollutant and transfer
measurements. To initiate the
project, the city supplied a list
of commercial firms under
its jurisdiction. Key to the
success of the project was the
development of a statistical
method for estimating
emissions and chemical
transfers by industry sector. A
project deliverable included
a guide with instructions
on how to prepare Tijuana's
annual Municipal Operation
Certificate, or COAM, a key
document required by the
Mexican federal government.
In addition to assisting the
city of Tijuana, the project
provided guidance to
businesses on how to identify
and reduce environmental
inefficiencies, thereby
minimizing releases and
lowering industrial costs.
Auto Businesses Offered
Compliance Training
With funding from
Border 2012, San Diego
County's Department of
Environmental Health
partnered with the
Environmental Training
Center at Cuyamaca College
to educate automotive shop
owners in environmental
laws and regulations and
introduce the shop owners
to pollution prevention
strategies. Going door
to door, two Cuyamaca
College student interns
canvassed more than 350
automotive businesses,
recruiting more than 100
operators for participation
in pollution prevention and
environmental management
workshops. As part of the
project, San Diego County
granted "no fault" hazardous
waste audits for businesses
identified as chronic
violators of California's
environmental or waste
regulations. To reward
businesses for participating
in the project, 37 operators
were offered free admission
to a 40-hour HAZWOPER
certification course, and a
subset of those received free
training and certification in
Environmental Management
Systems. The student interns,
in turn, earned college
credit toward completion
of their associate degrees
in Environmental Health
and Safety Management.
Of note, this Border 2012
project—titled Border
Area Development &
Growth of Environmental
Responsibility, or
BADGER—received
California's prestigious
Community Development
Award at the state's annual
environmental regulatory and
training conference.
20

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Improve Environmental Compliance, Performance and Stewardship
COLEF Examines Solutions
for Managing Mexico's e-Waste
In 2006, the Colegio de la
Frontera Norte (COLEF)
published the first inventory
of Mexico's electronic waste,
or e-waste. At the time,
COLEF identified the need
for disposal of between
180,000 and 250,000
tons of obsolete Mexican
electronics, based on market
and lifecycle trends for
appliances. As a follow up,
Mexico's National Institute of
Ecology (INE) developed an
inventory of electronic waste
in Mexico's northeastern
states, estimating the need
for proper disposal of 19,600
tons of e-waste in Nuevo
Leon, 11,914 in Coahuila
and 16,817 in Tamaulipas.
The INE report cited a
lack of infrastructure for
handling e-waste in Mexican
border communities. More
recently, Border 2012
teamed with COLEF to
update these estimates for
border towns in Tamaulipas,
Nuevo Leon and Coahuila
and to assess options for
improved management of
the region's e-waste. As
part of the project, COLEF
characterized and tracked
the current generation of
e-waste (computers, cell
phones, televisions, and audio
and video players). Outcomes
of the project included a
waste management guide for
border communities and an
assessment of infrastructure
needs for handling future
waste. The assessment is
intended to encourage private
sector investment in recycling
and waste management,
providing a long-term
solution for disposal of
Mexico's e-waste.
An image of the lifecycle of
electronic devices is pictured on
the cover of the "Municipal Guide
for Integrated Management of
Electronic Waste and Electronic
Equipment for Northeast Mexico,"
published by the Colegio de
la Frontera Norte and Mexico's
National Institute of Ecology under
a project sponsored by Border 2012.
Production
(extraccion,
slntesis,
formulacion,
reciclado)
Venta
Almacertamiento
21

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Tribal and Indigenous Communities Initiatives
Tarahumara Celebrate
Educational Workshops
in Song and Dance
With funding from Border
2012, the indigenous people
of Colonia Tarahumara
on the outskirts of Ciudad
Juarez conducted 26
environmental education and
health workshops. Some 160
individuals representing the
Tarahumara or Raramuri
culture attended educational
sessions on groundwater
contamination, soil
contamination and health
lectures on topics chosen by
the colonia residents. A public
ceremony was held at the
close of the workshops that
included songs written for the
occasion, dancing and food.
Women celebrated the event
wearing the colorful skirts
that are a hallmark of the
Tarahumara culture. A sign-
in sheet at the close-out event
identified 133 participants, a
number representing 38% of
the colonia's total population.
Tarahumara women—wearing the
brightly colored, billowing clothing
traditional to their culture—listen
during one of several environmental
education workshops sponsored by
Border 2012.
22

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Tribal and Indigenous Communities Initiatives
Border 2012 Pilots Water Filter
for Removing Arsenic, Nitrates
With support from
Border 2012, Arizona
State University (ASU) is
conducting an experiment to
determine whether a small,
inexpensive water treatment
system can successfully
remove high concentrations
of arsenic and nitrates from
groundwater found in the
U.S.-Mexico border region.
With approval from the
Tohono O'odham Nation,
the ASU team installed
a pilot test at a well site
in the Tohono O'odham
community of Sikul
Himatk, Arizona. The pilot
system uses inexpensive
synthetic media for
filtering contaminants from
drinking water. The ASU
researchers are conducting
tests to determine whether
the system can operate in
the realistic conditions of
the border. Many small
communities in the border
region lack the financial
and technical capabilities
to construct, maintain and
operate expensive water
treatment systems capable
of removing multiple
contaminants. A successful
outcome of this project could
improve environmental
health in small or poor
border communities by
reducing exposure to high
concentrations of arsenic and
nitrate from drinking water.
Researchers from Arizona State
University test a low-cost treatment
system for removing arsenic and
nitrates from groundwater on
Tohono O'odham lands near Sikul
Himatk, Arizona.
23

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Tribal and Indigenous Communities Initiatives
Tohono O'odham Tribe
Replaces Faulty Water Main
Utility workers in Sells, Arizona,
plot the location of a water main, a
practice known as "potholing."
The Tohono O'odham
Nation was awarded a grant
under the EPA's Border
Tribal Infrastructure Fund
to replace 6,500 feet of a
faulty water main in Sells,
Arizona. The old water
line suffered from frequent
breaks and several nearby
homes had never been
connected. Funding from
the grant allows the tribe
to replace the old line with
poly-vinyl chloride (PVC)
pipe and connect 38 new
homes and structures to the
new main. To improve the
delivery system, the grant
also provides for installation
of 33 water meters, 14
hydrants and 76 water
taps. Planning, design and
constru ction of the new main
and distribution system is
being conducted in phases
through an interagency
agreement with the Tucson
Area Indian Health Service.
The grant is an example of
the collaboration between
Border 2012 and the Border
Tribal Infrastructure Fund
to support the environmental
infrastructure needs of the
26 U.S. federally recognized
border tribes.
Tohono O'odham Nation
requested funding to replace
6,500 feet of a leaky water main
and install service lines to 38
underserved homes and buildings.
24

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1.	Auto Businesses Offered
Compliance Training
2.	Partners Remove Garbage
Flowing to Tijuana Estuary
3.	Tijuana Colonia Reroutes
Commercial Trucks to Bypass
School
4.	Border 2012 Sharpens
Accuracy of Tijuana
GHG Emissions
5.	Border 2012 Partners Stymie
Illegal Dumping in Tecate
Colonia
6.	Mexicali Media Campaign
Targets Seasonal Fireworks,
Open Burning
7.	Baja California Initiates Vehicle
Inspections to Reduce Smog
8.	Border 2012 Partners Collect
73 Tons of Unused Pesticides
9.	Border 2012 Pilots Water Filter
for Removing Arsenic, Nitrates
10.	Tohono O'odham Tribe
Replaces Faulty Water Main
11.	Border 2012 Moves Arizona
Gas-to-Energy Project Forward
12.	Researchers Divert
Waste Paper from
Nogales (Sonora) Landfill
13.	Sonora Maquiladora Workers
Train for Emergency Response
14.	Border 2012 Invests in
Infrastructure, Storm Water
Harvesting in Arizona
15.	Arizona Delivers Health
Training, Targeting
Vulnerable Communities
16.	Viva Verde Shows
Homeowners How to Save
Energy, Money
17.	Border 2012 Instructs
Families in Home Safety
18.	Researchers Trace Lead,
Arsenic to Abandoned
Smelter
19.	Tarahumara Celebrate
Educational Workshops
in Song and Dance
20.	Juarez Combats Air Pollution
with 'Green' Paint Sprayers
21.	Aqua XXI Improves Health,
Sanitation in Rural Colonias
22.	Mexico and U.S. Practice
Joint Response
to Border Disasters
23.	Border 2012 Updates
Sister City Plans in
Texas and Coahuila
24.	Eagle Pass, Piedras Negras
Remove 323 Tons of e-Waste
25.	COLEF Examines Solutions
for Managing Mexico's
e-Waste
26.	Laredo Group Revives
D/a del Rio Celebration
27.	Matamoros Eliminates Tons
of Trash Clogging City Drains

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Deming & Columbus
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New j (
Mexico

Rio Rico County Landfill I Reileno Sanitario
Santa Cruz County, AZ
1 >
San Diego County, CA
California, Baja California,
Arizona, Sonora & Tamaulipas
Nogales Wash & Santa
Cruz River, AZ
Rural Colonias I Colonias Rurales
Ciudad Juarez. Chih

Colonia Tarahumara
Ciudad Juarez. Chih
Ciudad Juarez. Chih
Sikul Himatk, AZ
13
Nogales & Agua Prieta, Son
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Tecate. BC
Del Rio, IX - Ciudad Acuna, Coah
23 Eagle Pass, TX - Piedras Negras, Coah
4
l ijuana, BC
*
Mexican, BC & Calexico, CA

Eagle Pass, TX
Piedras Negras, Coah
Baja California
Legend I Leyenda
Water/Agua
Air/Aire
Land / Tierra
8
\
Border Region /
Region Fronteriza
1
Environmental
Health / Salud
Ambiental
Emergency
Response/
Respueta a
Emergencias
Environmental
Stewardship /
Administracion
Ambiental
City or Municipality /
Ciudad o Municipio
Community Project I
Proyecto Comunitario
Regional or
Borderwide Project /
Proyecto Regional
o a lo largo
de la Frontera
•Mexic
unioosi
Tribe / Tnbu
United
Mexico -

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