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 communiqué

– 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 Secretaría 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 Juárez

• 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 statefederal 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!