# Priorities from the 2008 Border Governors Conference Stephen M. Niemeyer, P.E. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Good Neighbor Environmental Board Meeting Washington, D.C. March 10, 2009

### Border Governors Conference History
• Started in 1980 • Governor Bill Clements of Texas had the idea to start BGC • First one held in Chihuahua, Chihuahua • Alternate between a U.S. and Mexican border state from year to year

## BGC Background —Joint Declarations
• At each BGC, the governors issue a joint declaration or communiqu é

– Consensus document

– Developed by subject matter experts from all ten states—“Work Tables” 

### • Work Tables are grouped by subject area and are created as need arises— Agriculture, Bridges and Border Crossings, Education, etc., etc.

## Work Tables—Joint Declarations
• Work Tables develop Action Plans to implement declarations; have to report out at next BGC • Work tables communicate over the year by phone, meeting, videoconference, to produce declarations

## BGC Background —Joint Declarations
• Each state designates a BGC representative

– These governor’s representatives meet annually and decide policy and format of declarations, etc. • Work Tables have to present their declarations for vetting to the governor’s representatives • Once approved by governors representatives, they become part of consensus joint declaration • State Department and Secretar ía de Relaciones Exteriores also have representatives present at vetting

## BGC Background —Other

• BGC got so big in 1994 that it was scaled back— more than 400 attendees • Size of non -state officials and invitees fluctuates but has once again grown • 2008 BGC in Hollywood was well attended

– Theme: “Building Green Economies” • Governors have a private dinner at each BGC • Governors often add declarations themselves as “addenda”

## BGC Background —Other
• In 2007 President Calderón attended BGC

– First time in many years a president attended 

### • In 2008 border governors traveled to Mexico City and Washington • Governors met with President Calderón and cabinet- level officials

## BGC History— Environment Table
• In 1996 the Western Governors Association obtained a grant to host annual “Ten State Retreats” of the Secretaries/Commissioners of the ten U.S. - Mexico Border States • As George Bush was the lead WGA border governor

– the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission hosted the first Ten State Retreat

## BGC History— Environment Table

• With the November 1996 Ten State Retreat held in Austin, Texas, the environmental agencies started a new process

– Agreed to develop state to state strategic environmental plans

– Meet annually

– Began to act as a bloc on common issues, especially re EPA/SEMARNAP and U.S. - Mexico border environmental program • EPA, SEMARNAP, and Commission for Environmental Cooperation representatives invited **but only to listen**  !

– Allowed to provide comments on final day • Since that first meeting have invited special guests, especially from EPA, SEMARNAT, Border Environment Cooperation Commission and North American Development Bank

# 1996 “Ten State Retreat”

# 1996 “Ten State Retreat”

# 1996 “Ten State Retreat”

### BGC Environment Table Accomplishments
• In 1997, the BGC Environment Table agencies began planning to reorganize the US - Mexico Border environmental program (Border XXI) • The Ten States signed a declaration in Ensenada, Baja California, stating their intent, and submitted it to EPA & SEMARNAP • With subsequent efforts, a plan was presented to SEMARNAT Secretary Victor Lichtinger and EPA Administrator Gov. Christine Whitman in October 2001 in Ciudad Ju árez • The Environment Table agencies asked for a border plan based on regional work groups

# Border 2012
• Secretary Lichtinger and Governor Whitman agreed to the request from the states • June 2002—

joint EPA/SEMARNAT/Ten State meeting in Phoenix, parties agreed to form a binational committee • Binational committee composition

– U.S. and Mexican state representatives

– U.S. tribal representatives

– EPA and SEMARNAT representatives • Committee produced Border 2012 framework document • October 2003— Border 2012 program dedicated in Tijuana

# Water Table
• In 2004, Border Governors created a Water “ Sub Table” to the Environment Table • In 2006 the Water Table became its own Table

## 2008 Environment Table Declarations 1. Scrap tire declaration 1. Asked US states to pass legislation rendering scrap tires unusable 2. Asked Mexican authorities to establish “strict mechanisms” to prevent scrap tires from being illegally imported into Mexico with used tires 3. Have environmental agencies sign on to the EPA/SEMARNAT “Scrap tire integrated initiative”

## 2008 Environment Table Declarations 2. Request the federal governments 1. allocate “permanent and increasing budgets” for the Solid Waste Environmental Programs (SWEP) and the Border Environmental Infrastructure Fund (BEIF) 2. Allow BEIF to be used 300 km in Mexico

# 2008 Water Table Declarations 1. Urge federal governments to improve hydrometric and climatological monitoring network in border region 2. Ask federal government for joint state federal decision - making re **how** border infrastructure projects are funded 3. 2009 drought conference, to include climate variability

# 2007 Water Table Declaration

• In 2007 all Ten U.S. - Mexico border governors included a specific Water Table Declaration • The declaration states “...the Water Table will develop a definition of ‘extraordinary drought’ for the Rio Grande basin within two years” • The declaration will be presented to the two federal governments for their approval • San Diego, California -- March 26 -27 2009 drought conference to implement this declaration (hosted by California)**2009 Water and Environment Table Meetings** 


### • Environment Table: March 18 -20, San Francisco (a “Ten State Retreat”) • Water Table: March 26 at Drought Conference in San Diego

# Other 2008 BGC Declarations
• Combat “marginalization” in Mexican border municipalities & request federal funding to provide a better quality of life and combat:

– Illiteracy

– Housing lacking water, sewage disposal

– Housing lacking electricity

– Unpaved roads

# Other 2008 BGC Declarations
• “Strategic Action Plan for Competitive and Sustainable Development of the Border Region”

– To be presented at XXVII BGC

– Plan to have medium & long -term work plans

– To build upon previous BGCs: • Competitiveness • Sustainability • Building green economies

### Strategic Action Plan for Competitive and Sustainable Development of Border Region • Governors also asked for an immediate action plan

– To require participation of various tables, including Environment Table

– Also asked North American Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank to participate

– To include “essential issues”

### Strategic Action Plan for Competitive and Sustainable Development of Border Region
• Essential Issues:

– **Financing**

– **Information** (Border GIS to develop competitiveness)

– **Coordination** , including speeding up border crossing

– **Liaison** , with solutions to challenges posed by globalization • Food crises • High energy costs • Environmental protection • Sustainable use of natural resources

# ¡Fin!