# Presentation: 294361

## February 16, 2006 • San Diego, California

**Border 2012—Emergency Preparedness and Response Border-Wide Workgroup**
**U.S.-Mexico Inland JRT Meeting**

**Notes:**
The last JRT meeting was held in 2003 in El Paso, Texas.

In 2004, the US EPA and our Mexican counterparts were re-organized.

In 2005 we met with our new counterparts and initiated workgroup activities.

## Border 2012 Emergency Preparedness & Response Border-Wide Workgroup (BWWG)

- BWWG works on federal border-wide issues
- Border 2012 created the Emergency Preparedness and Response Border-Wide Workgroup (BWWG) to coordinate and implement Border 2012’s Goal #5 and its three objectives
- Emergency Preparedness and Response Border-Wide Workgroup (BWWG) created as the steering committee of Joint Response Team (JRT):
- JRT established by Annex II of the 1983 La Paz Agreement
- JRT co-chaired by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (PROFEPA)

**Notes:**
Border 2012 created the Emergency Preparedness and Response Border-Wide Workgroup (BWWG) to coordinate and implement Border 2012’s Goal #5 and its three objectives (which will be addressed on another slide).  

The BWWG essentially functions as the Steering Committee of the Joint Response Team (JRT), which is currently co-chaired by (myself) Dana Tulis, from the U.S EPA Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the Procuradoria Federal de Proteccion al Ambiente, PROFEPA, within the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources, SERMANAT, in partnership with the Secretariat of the Government, Office of Civil Protection or Protección Civil and representatives from U.S. and Mexico federal, state and local agencies responsible for emergency prevention, preparedness, and response in the border area. 

## Border 2012 Emergency Preparedness and Response JRT Partners

**Notes:**
The Border 2012 approach emphasizes a bottom up approach, anticipating that local-decision-making, priority setting, and project implementation will best address environmental issues in the border region.  
There are 14 binational Emergency Response Plans (Sister City Plans) signed and five established binational Task Forces. The most recent Sister City Plan signed was the Imperial County/Mexicali, last May 2005.  The local task forces are largely comprised of the key response agencies of the Sister City Plans.   

## Goal and Objectives of BWWG(Border 2012 Goal #5)

**Reduce exposure to chemicals as a result of accidental chemical releases and/or acts of terrorism**
**Objective 1**:  By 2004, a chemical emergency advisory/ notification mechanism between Mexico and the U.S. will be clearly established
**Objective 2**:  By 2008, all 14 sister cities’ joint contingency plans will be in place and operating (including exercises), with the establishment of bi-national committees for chemical emergency prevention
**Objective 3**:  By 2012, 50% of sister city joint contingency plans will be supplemented with preparedness and prevention related efforts, such as risk and consequence analysis, risk reduction, and counter-terrorism

**Notes:**
We are working towards meeting our objectives

We are currently updating our notification mechanism as our Mexican counterparts offices have re-organized and contact numbers have changed.  

14 pairs of sister city plans have been signed and are currently being implemented.

Under objective 3, we have started supplementing the Sister City Joint Contingency Plans with exercises, training, commodity flow studies (risk reduction and consequence analyses).

## BWWG 2006 Priorities

- Finalize the proposed revisions to the U.S-Mexico Joint Contingency Plan
- Successfully conduct JCP notification drills with updated notification system
- Finalize our U.S. proposed expedited cross border response protocol initiated in 2005 with DHS Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. EPA and U.S. Coast Guard
- Identify next steps for Mexico’s cross-border response
- Continue to expand opportunities for training and exercises
- Invigorate the JRT by working in strengthened partnerships with US and Mexico federal, state and local offices
- Work with USCG, DHS CBP, Northcom and all other JRT members
- Mexico will work in partnership with Proteccion Civil, CENACOM, and Aduanas

## Action Items from Inland U.S.-Mexico JRT Meeting

- Revisions to the U.S.-Mexico Joint Contingency Plan (JCP)
- Mexican and other U.S. Federal agencies within our workgroup will be reviewing the proposed changes to the JCP
- Comments due by March 1 from the JRT meeting participants
- Incorporate PROFEPA/SEMARNAT new emergency notification protocol for Appendix A
- U.S. and Mexico are aiming to finalize the JCP by the end of April 2006 for the National Coordinator’s Meeting
- Expediting cross-border emergency responses
- EPA will identify the broad categories of response equipment and likely personnel (EPA and contractors) that may respond to a cross-border emergency by utilizing the revised ICS 204a form
- Procedures for notifying Mexico will be established with the National Response Center
- U.S. and Mexico customs officials, PROFEPA, and EPA will set up a meeting in March 2006 to identify next steps with Aduanas
- Establish a coordinated schedule of Mexico and US cross border exercises/drills
- Provide support in establishing an emergency training academy in Region VI
- Location for next JRT meeting

## Emergency Preparedness & Response BWWG Contact Information

**México****	**
- Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente (PROFEPA):
- Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, Subprocurador de Inspeccion Industrial, Co-Chair, jelvira@profepa.gob.mx
- Ing. Enrique Ortiz, Director de Emergencias Ambientales, _[eortiz](mailto:eortiz@correo.profepa.gob.mx)__[@correo.profepa.gob.mx](mailto:eortiz@correo.profepa.gob.mx)_
- Secretaria de Gobernación, Coordinación General de Protección Civil:
- Ing. José León Arturo Vilchis, Coordinador General, _[jlvilchis@segob.gob.mx](mailto:jlvilchis@segob.gob.mx)_
- Ing. Raul Rivera Palacios, Director de Administración de Emergencias, _[rpalacios@segob.gob.mx ](mailto:rpalacios@segob.gob.mx)_

## Emergency Preparedness & Response BWWG Contact Information

**United States****	**
- USEPA Headquarters (Washington DC):
- Dana Tulis, Co-Chair, Tulis.Dana@epa.gov
- Mark Mjoness, Mjoness.Mark@epa.gov
- Beatriz Oliveira, Oliveira.Beatriz@epa.gov
- USEPA Region 6:
- Ragan Broyles, Broyles.Ragan@epa.gov
- Valmichael Leos, Leos.Valmichael@epa.gov
- USEPA Region 9:
- Dan Meer, Meer.Daniel@epa.gov
- Kay Lawrence, Lawrence.Kathryn@epa.gov
- Barbara Maco, Maco.Barbara@epa.gov