Border 2020:

U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program
EPA-160-R-12-001

e National Coordinators (EPA’s Oce of International 

and Tribal Aairs and SEMARNAT’s Oce of International 

Aairs) express appreciation to the local task forces, the 10 

Border States, the 26 U.S. Border Tribes, the co-chairs and 

sta of the former Border 2012 coordinating bodies, the 

EPA Regional and Border Oces, the SEMARNAT and 

PROFEPA Border Delegations, the U.S. Good Neighbor 

Environmental Board and SEMARNAT’s Advisory Council 

for Sustainable Development whose support was essential to 

the completion of this document. 

We give special thanks to the members of the Border 2020 

Advisory Committee, composed of U.S. and Mexican 

Border States, U.S. Border Tribes, EPA, and SEMARNAT. 
MISSION STATEMENT

BORDER 2020 GUIDING PRINCIPLES

BORDER 2020 FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIES

 I. INTRODUCTION

 II. BACKGROUND

 III. BORDER 2020 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 Goal 1: Reduce Air Pollution

 Goal 2: Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water

 Goal 3: Promote Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites 

 Goal 4: Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response

 Goal 5: Enhance Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship 

 IV. BORDER 2020 TOOLS

 Pollution Prevention Techniques

 Public Health Interventions

 Sustainable Management of Water Resources

 Environmental Information

 Regulation and Policy Development

 Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance Assistance

 Environmental Education and Training

 Infrastructure Planning and Development

 V. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

 National Coordinators

 Committees on Communication and Environmental Indicators

 Regional Workgroups

 Policy Fora 

 Task Forces 

 Responsibilities of the Coordinating Bodies 

 Communication 

 Operational Guidelines 

 Stakeholder Engagement and Participation

 Planning and Accountability

 Partnerships and Cooperation 

 Funding Sources

 VI. ACCOUNTABILITY/REPORTING RESULTS

 Highlight Reports

 Midterm Assessment Report

 Biennial Action Plans 

 Environmental Indicators

LIST OF ACRONYMS

CONTACTS

ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

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Table of Contents
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 sustainable development.1

1

1

In this program, sustainable development is dened as “conservation-oriented social and economic development that emphasizes the 

protection and sustainable use of resources while addressing both current and future needs and present and future impacts of human 

actions.” 

Mission Statement
e following Guiding Principles will support the mission statement, ensure consistency among 

all aspects of the Border 2020 Program, and continue successful elements of previous binational 

environmental programs.

• Reduce the highest public health risks, and preserve and restore the natural environment. 

• Adopt a bottom-up approach for setting priorities and making decisions through partnerships

 with local, state, U.S. tribal governments and Mexico’s indigenous communities. 

• Address disproportionate environmental impacts in border communities. 

• Improve stakeholder engagement and ensure broad-based representation from environment,

 public health, and other relevant sectors. 

• Foster transparency, public participation, and open dialogue through provision of accessible,

 accurate, and timely information. 

• Strengthen the capacity of local communities and stakeholders to learn about and manage

 environmental and environmentally-related public health issues. 

• Promote sustainable communities by improving social, economic, and environmental systems

 in the border regions. 

• Achieve concrete, measurable results while maintaining a long-term vision. 

• Measure program progress through development of environmental and public health-based

 indicators. 

• e United States recognizes that U.S. tribes are separate sovereign governments, and the

 equity issues aecting tribal governments must be addressed in the United States on a government-

 to-government basis. 

• Mexico recognizes the historical debt it has to its indigenous peoples. erefore, appropriate

 measures will be considered to address their specic concerns, as well as to protect and preserve

 their cultural integrity within the broader environmental purposes of this program.

2

Border 2020

Guiding Principles
As a companion to the ve strategic goals (and associated objectives), which outline the 

anticipated results to be achieved in the next eight years, the following six fundamental strategies 

set the expectation for how program partners will approach and consider complex and critical 

environmental challenges faced by communities along the U.S.-Mexico Border. e fundamental 

strategies will complement and inform the work undertaken to achieve the mission and goals of 

the Border 2020 Program.

Working to Improve Children’s Health

As a result of environmental degradation in the border region, some residents, especially children, are 

exposed to environmental conditions that are detrimental to their health. Compared to adults, 

children are uniquely aected by environmental stressors. Children's exposure patterns and resulting 

health outcomes are dierent from those of adults. For this reason, programs for protection and 

exposure reductions are needed. Research has demonstrated that prenatal and early life exposure to 

environmental hazards can cause lifelong diseases, medical conditions, and disabilities. ese health 

problems can be related to air pollution, inadequate water supply or poorly managed sewer systems, 

improper management of pesticides, chemical exposures and waste disposal issues. 

e Border 2020 Program will use a variety of approaches to protect children from environmental and 

human health hazards, including: outreach, building capacity of local health care providers 

(Promotoras), community-based programs, and state, tribal, and local children’s health partnerships. 

Success in advancing children's health protection along the border will result from fully integrating 

this priority into all Border 2020 goals. is may include engaging communities to address critical 

issues aecting children's health by working with environmental health experts specically considering 

women of child bearing age, infants, children and adolescents.

Building Capacity towards Climate Change Resiliency

e risks posed from climate change are well-documented and vast. ese risks may include increases 

in smog levels, rising sea levels, increased precipitation intensity and droughts, which can also pose 

signicant economic, environmental and public health challenges to border communities. e Border 

2020 climate change eorts will focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and on actions to 

help border communities become more resilient to the eects of climate change.

Prior binational eorts to create GHG emissions inventories in border states have helped to identify 

sources of GHG emissions, and more eectively forecast GHG emissions. Such eorts have provided 

governments with the data necessary to support GHG emissions reductions, through climate change 

action planning. 

3

Border 2020

Fundamental Strategies
Energy eciency is one of the primary means of reducing GHGs, and a key component in state 

climate change action plans or strategies to address climate variability. Sharing information on energy 

eciency technologies throughout the Border 2020 Program will build institutional capacity to 

achieve reductions, as well as realize cost savings over the long-term. Anticipated energy eciency and 

renewable energy eorts in Border 2020 may include energy ecient indoor and outdoor lighting, 

elements of green building, regional solar energy projects, methane recovery, and training on 

renewable and energy eciency technologies. 

Protecting Disadvantaged and Underserved Communities

For the past two decades, the U.S. and Mexican governments have implemented domestic2 and 

binational eorts to improve environmental and public health conditions for communities along the 

2,000-mile border. While signicant progress has been made, many border communities still face dire 

economic and health disparities, disproportionate environmental impacts, lack of access to resources 

and environmental information, and are at a higher risk of poor health outcomes. 

e Border 2020 Program acknowledges these disparities and is committed to addressing these 

through a combination of approaches, including:

• Improving access to bilingual environmental information, promoting transparent decision-

 making and embracing a “bottom-up” approach in decision-making.

• Improving access to environmental data sources and right-to-know tools for the border region.

• Facilitating access to federal funding and encouraging border communities to participate in

 funding opportunities and binational dialogue via Regional Workgroups and other fora.

• Establishing partnerships with local, state, tribal, and federal governments and stakeholders to

 achieve healthy and sustainable communities. 

• Developing and using environmental indicators to measure improvements in environmental

 conditions and to identify health disparities in underserved communities.

4

2

U.S. Executive Order 12898, signed in February 11, 1994, identies federal actions that address environmental justice in minority and 

low income populations. 

Border 2020 Fundamental Strategies
Promoting Environmental Awareness 

Environmental Awareness is an important component to the success of the Border 2020 Program. e 

goal of environmental education along the U.S.-Mexico border is to increase public awareness and 

knowledge about environmental issues. Border 2020 will also support stakeholders by providing them 

with as much environmental information as possible to make informed decisions and take responsible 

actions toward the environment.

e Border 2020 Program will promote diverse measures to enhance the environmental culture in the 

border region, such as: developing strategies to provide educational information; strengthening 

capacities of strategic partners, such as the health service providers; community programs; and forming 

partnerships between state, municipal and tribal entities to protect children and other vulnerable 

populations from risks to environmental and human health. By integrating this strategy into the 

Border 2020 goals, the sense of environmental advocacy can be instilled in future generations 

throughout the border region.

Promoting Environmental Health

Since the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the U.S.-Mexico border 

region is bustling with a growing and transient population, diverse industry, and agriculture. is 

rapid growth has placed increased burdens on public health and the environment along the border. 

Residents, many of them young families with children, workers, as well as tribal and indigenous 

communities, are exposed to a variety of environmental health hazards including: air pollution from 

autos and diesel trucks at ports-of-entry, emissions from maquiladoras and domestic manufacturing, 

agricultural impacts such as smoke from burning, and air and water contamination from pesticide use; 

and inadequate and overburdened infrastructure for wastewater, drinking water and chemical and 

solid waste disposal. Border 2020 will aim to increase awareness of these issues and oer safer best 

management practices to improve human health and the environment. 

Environmental health education and outreach is essential along the U.S.-Mexico border, where 

vulnerable populations, especially farmworkers and their families, have insucient knowledge about 

worker and chemical safety and the links between chemical exposure, asthma triggers, and other 

negative health outcomes. Continuous education and outreach focused on families, schools and 

especially farmworkers will demonstrate and encourage safer alternatives such as integrated pest 

management for insect and rodent control; chemical and pesticide safety and proper storage; and 

identication and avoidance of household and work-related items that contain lead and mercury (such 

as home remedies, toys, candy, glazed pottery, homemade facial creams, traditional stained glass, and 

some home repair/construction materials such as copper pipe solder).

5

Border 2020 Fundamental Strategies
e Border 2020 Program will coordinate with partners and focus on:

• Identifying and promoting best practices for handling and disposal of excess pesticides and other

 chemicals used to control insect and rodent pests. 

• Promoting the safe storage and handling of pesticides and other chemicals.

• Reducing exposure to hazardous chemicals and asthma triggers in and around the home by

 educating families on the proper use of integrated pest management, the identication and

 dangers of lead, mercury and other heavy metals, other environmental hazards, and open waste

 dumps.

• Developing pilot projects to foster the adoption of integrated pest management in the school

 environment to reduce children’s exposures to pesticides and asthma triggers while achieving

 eective pest control on school property.

• Training health care providers, practitioners, physicians, and/or Promotoras on the recognition

 and reporting of illnesses and poisonings caused by lead, pesticides, and other chemical

 exposure.

• Providing information and outreach to agricultural workers and their families. 

• Compiling existing border environmental health information from credible sources (such as

 local and state health statistics from public health authorities) to better document

 environmental health issues along the U.S.-Mexico border.

In addition, the Border 2020 Program will adopt a variety of capacity building tools and 

communication methods, including sharing information via the Internet, printed materials, and 

educational materials; collaboration between the Policy Foras and Regional Workgroups with school 

administrators and heads of household.

e U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission (BHC), created in 2000 by the U.S. and Mexico 

Secretaries of Health, is undertaking a number of binational public health eorts, including 

Environmental Health objectives, in their Healthy Border 2010-2020 Initiative. e U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mexico’s Secretariat for the Environment and Natural 

Resources (SEMARNAT) are committed to collaborating with the BHC to identify and support 

future environmental health objectives that complement the U.S.-Mexico Border Environmental 

Program (Border 2020). e BHC will launch a new Healthy Border 2020 initiative in the fall of 

2013.

Strengthening Tribal, State, Federal, and International Communications and Partnerships

A central component of the Border 2020 Program is to ensure strong and eective tribal, local, state, 

federal, and international communications and partnerships. rough strong partnerships and 

interagency cooperation, available resources can be better leveraged and maximized while waste and 

duplication of eorts can be minimized.

6

Border 2020 Fundamental Strategies
e Border 2020 Program is committed to strengthening tribal, local, state, federal, and international 

partnerships through a combination of approaches, including:

• Encouraging and enabling full participation by tribal, state, and local governments in the eort

 of the Regional Workgroup and Task Forces.

• Encouraging and enabling full participation in Policy Foras by tribal or indigenous communities,

 and state governments. 

• Frequent and eective communication on progress to border communities and program

 partners. 

• Developing joint action plans, strategies, and priorities to address program goals, objectives, and

 emerging issues such as sustainable urban growth models for border cities. 

• Engaging with relevant tribal, local, state, and federal agencies to help with technical assistance,

 resources, and/or appropriate expertise to address the challenges contained in the various goals

 and objectives of the program.

• Strengthening our cross-cultural sensitivity with tribes, recognizing that tribes have cultural,

 jurisdictional, and legal aspects that must be considered when coordinating and implementing

 environmental projects on tribal lands.

7

Border 2020 Fundamental Strategies
e U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2020 is an eight-year (2013-2020) binational 

eort designed “to protect the environment and public health in the U.S.-Mexico Border region, 

consistent with the principles of sustainable development.” Its implementation will be accomplished 

within the framework of the respective laws and regulation of the U.S. and Mexico.

Border 2020 is the latest cooperative eort implemented under the 1983 La Paz Agreement. It builds 

on previous binational eorts, particularly Border 2012, which emphasized a regional bottom-up 

approach as the basis for decision making, priority setting, and project implementation to address the 

environmental and public health problems in the border region. In addition to adopting and 

incorporating this approach in its framework, Border 2020 has established six fundamental strategies 

that set expectations on how program partners will work along the border and achieve results. 

Border 2020 has identied ve long-term strategic goals to address environmental and environmental 

health challenges in the  border  region. Within the ve goals are specic objectives that identify 

priority areas and activities that program partners will undertake for the duration of the Border 2020 

Program. e goals and objectives were carefully written based on extensive input from program 

partners and border stakeholders about ongoing environmental challenges. Biennial Action Plans will 

outline priorities and implementation strategies to accomplish the various goals and objectives, based 

on available resources, emerging issues, and regional and community priorities. e Border 2020 

strategic goals are:

To achieve the long-term strategic goals and associated objectives, Border 2020 will track progress 

through Highlight Reports, a mid-term assessment, and a nal report. Border 2020 plans to build on 

the indicators developed in the Border 2012 Program to select, rene, and develop qualitative and 

quantitative environmental performance indicators and reports. ese will help measure program 

achievements, as well as integrate and identify additional needs and targets for near-term planning. 

In order to ensure eective program implementation, cooperation, and communication, the U.S. EPA 

and Mexico’s SEMARNAT, will provide guidance and oversight to Border 2020 coordinating bodies: 

Policy Fora and Regional Workgroups. Policy Fora will provide border-wide technical and policy 

support on issues that are primarily of a federal nature and border-wide scope. Regional Workgroups 

Goal 1: Reduce Air Pollution

Goal 2: Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water 

Goal 3: Promote Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites 

Goal 4: Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response

Goal 5: Enhance Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship 

8

I. Introduction
will prioritize and implement projects and eorts in the four geographic regions of the border: 

California-Baja California, Arizona-Sonora, New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua and Texas-CoahuilaNuevo León-Tamaulipas. e Workgroups will create and oversee local task forces. 

Border Regional Task Forces will engage and seek input from communities, governments, and 

stakeholders familiar with local and regional issues. In addition, Border 2020 will rely on 

Communication and Indicators Committees to support program implementation. e Committee on 

Communications will provide recommendations to the National Coordinators on the design, 

implementation, and maintenance of eective communication strategies. e Committee on Border 

Indicators will select, rene and use environmental and performance indicators to identify program 

needs, outputs and outcomes. 

Border 2020 aims to improve environmental conditions in underserved communities and sensitive 

populations by fullling its ve goals and associated objectives. Border 2020 also aims to provide 

stakeholders timely access to environmental data and will continue to promote training and capacity 

building that focuses on environmental and programmatic sustainability within border communities. 

9

Introduction
Geography

e U.S.-Mexico border region is one of the most dynamic 

in the world. It spans an area of approximately 2,000 miles 

(3,100 kilometers) from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacic 

Ocean, and 62.15 miles (100 km) on each side of the 

international border. e region includes remarkable 

biodiversity, including many endemic species of ora and 

fauna. e natural beauty of the region and its unique 

history can be seen in its vast deserts, coastal areas, national 

parks and protected areas.

Demography

Today, the border region is home to more than 14 million 

people, with about 7.3 million living in the United States 

and 6.8 million in Mexico3. Some 90% of the population 

resides in the 15 pairs of border “sister cities”. e remaining 

population lives in small towns and rural communities. 

ere are 26 U.S. federally-recognized Native American 

tribes in the border region, many of which share extensive 

cultural and familial ties with indigenous peoples in the 

border region of Mexico. 

Growth rates projected for the population in the border 

region exceed anticipated national average growth rates in 

some cases by more than 40% for each country. If current 

trends continue, the border population is expected to 

increase by an additional 4.6 million people by the year 2020 

and by an additional 9.3 million by the year 2030 (based on 

population estimates for a high growth path)4

.

e urban centers along the border have grown signicantly 

in the past several decades, due in part to the Maquiladora 

Program in Mexico that began in 1965, which provided 

economic incentives to open foreign assembly plants (mostly 

U.S.-owned) in the border region. e rate of industrial 

development increased further after enactment of the North 

Mexican Indigenous Peoples in 

the Border Region

Cochimí

Cucapá

Kikapúes

Kiliwa

Kumiai

Pai Pai

Pápagos

San Francisquito (Tohono O’odham)

(Source: Instituto Nacional Indigenista)

U.S. Tribes in the Border Region

Barona Band of Mission Indians

Campo Band of Mission Indians of the

 Kumeyaay Nation

Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians

 (Reservation held in trust for Barona and Viejas Tribes.)

Cocopah Indian Tribe

Ewiiaapaayp Band of Kumeyaay

Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel

Inaja Band of Indians

Jamul Indian Village

Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas

La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indians

La Posta Band of Mission Indians

Los Coyotes Band of Indians

Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation

Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians

Pala Band of Mission Indians

Pascua Yaqui Tribe

Pauma Band of Mission Indians

Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians

Quechan Indian Tribe

Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians

San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians

Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation

Tohono O’odham Nation

Torres-Martínez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe

Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians

Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

Sister Cities on the 

U.S.-Mexico Border

San Diego – Tijuana

Calexico – Mexicali

Yuma – San Luis

Nogales – Nogales

Naco – Naco

Douglas – Agua Prieta

Columbus – Puerto Palomas

El Paso – Sunland Park – Ciudad Juárez – Ysleta

 del Sur Pueblo 

Presidio – Ojinaga

Del Río – Ciudad Acuña

Eagle Pass – Piedras Negras

Laredo – Nuevo Laredo

McAllen – Reynosa

Weslaco – Rio Bravo 

Brownsville – Matamoros 

10

3

Source: EPA/SEMARNAT, “State of the Border Region: Indicators Report”, 1st edition, 2011.

4

Source: EPA/SEMARNAT, “State of the Border Region: Indicators Report”, 1st edition, 2011. 

II. Background
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. In 1990, about 1,700 maquiladora plants were 

operating in Mexico; by 2006, that gure more than doubled to 2,810, of which 2,289 were in the 

Mexican Border States5

.

While economic growth has contributed to greater employment, the environmental infrastructure of 

the region has not kept pace. As a result, natural resources are strained and the environment and public 

health are adversely aected on both sides of the border.

Environmental Degradation and Public Health

e rapid population growth in urban areas has often resulted in unplanned and/or hasty 

development, increased the demand for land and energy; created trac congestion; increased the 

generation of waste; increased the frequency of chemical emergencies6

; and has resulted in inadequate 

and/or insucient waste treatment and disposal facilities. Water and air quality have also been 

adversely impacted. 

Local communities along the border are aected by the degradation of ecosystems. Some residents 

suer health problems that may be closely linked to poor air and water quality, improper management 

of pesticides, and illegal or inadequate disposal of solid and hazardous waste. e elderly and children 

are especially at risk. Tribal communities, indigenous communities and the residents of settlements 

lacking infrastructure are also at considerable risk, as they are more likely to have inadequate water 

supply and treatment systems, and to lack mechanisms for the proper management of solid and 

hazardous waste.

e Basis for Binational Cooperation - La Paz Agreement

To address environmental and health problems in the border region, the Governments of Mexico and 

the United States signed the Agreement on Cooperation for the Protection and Improvement of the 

Environment in the Border Area (the La Paz Agreement), in the city of La Paz, Baja California Sur, 

Mexico, in 1983. is Agreement is the foundational basis for cooperation in the border region 

between the U.S. EPA and Mexico’s SEMARNAT, which serve as National Coordinators for activities 

undertaken in accordance with the Agreement.

Prior Binational Programs

Implementation of the La Paz Agreement and its priorities has been largely carried out through three 

binationally-negotiated environmental programs, as follows: 

1) Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexican-U.S. Border Area (IBEP)

e Integrated Environmental Plan for the Mexican-U.S. Border Area (known as the Integrated 

11

5

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI), Mexico.

6

Source: EPA/PROFEPA, "EPA-PROFEPA Accidental Release Report 2011".

Background
Border Environmental Plan or IBEP), established in 1992 between the environmental authorities of 

the United States and Mexico, was the rst implementation program developed in the context of the 

La Paz Agreement to address the most serious environmental problems in the border region. 

e IBEP envisioned an integrated approach to implementation of numerous environmental 

solutions. Its stated goals were to (1) continue media-specic and multimedia monitoring and 

pollution control activities in the Border Area, including the performance of baseline and periodic 

environmental health risk assessments; (2) strengthen environmental regulatory activities, as 

appropriate, in the Border Area through new cooperative programs and projects supplementing the 

La Paz Agreement; (3) mobilize additional resources for pollution prevention and control in the 

Border Area; and (4) supplement current pollution control programs through pollution prevention 

and voluntary action programs.

In accordance with Specic Implementation Plans included in the IBEP for 1992-1994, the 

environmental authorities of the United States and Mexico took actions in the following areas: 

Cooperative Enforcement Strategy; Industrial Multimedia Source Controls Requiring Government 

and Private Sector Initiatives; Protection of Water Quality/Conservation of Water Resources; Border 

Wastewater Control; Air Quality; Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste; Municipal Solid Waste; 

Pesticides; Contingency Planning/Emergency Response; Regulation of Activities Impacting the 

Environment; Pollution Prevention; Environmental Education; Conservation of Natural Resources; 

and Urban Development.

12

Background
2) Border XXI Program

e Border XXI Program established a ve-year bilateral eort to bring together government 

institutions responsible for the border environment, primarily U.S. EPA and the Environment, 

Natural Resources and Fisheries Secretariat (SEMARNAP) and the Social Development Secretariat 

(SEDESOL) of Mexico. Unlike IBEP, Border XXI brought additional federal partners to achieve its 

environmental goals, and welcomed the states and U.S. tribes into the workgroups.

To promote sustainable development in the region, protection of human health and the environment, 

and properly manage shared natural resources, after extensive public participation along the 

U.S.-Mexico border the Border XXI Program added three working groups -- environmental 

information, natural resources and environmental health -- to those already established by the La Paz 

Agreement -- water, air, solid and hazardous waste, pollution prevention, planning and response to 

emergencies, and environmental law enforcement.

Border XXI made signicant contributions to the prevention of pollution and enhancing sustainable 

development principles: creation of the U.S.-Mexico Consultative Mechanism to share information 

on hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities; development of institutional 

infrastructure and expertise on air quality through technical assistance, training, and information and 

technology transfer; development of pollution prevention manuals for the textile, wood nishing, 

metals and electronics industries; construction of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; and 

development of sister city emergency response agreements for six border cities. Border XXI further 

complemented its eorts to prevent pollution through capacity building (formal and informal 

training), education sessions, workshops, and the production and distribution of a training video titled 

"Environmental Auditing and Pollution Prevention: Strategies for Compliance in the Maquiladora 

Industry".

e Border XXI Program, like the IBEP, led the way in the establishment of environmental issues as 

a priority in the bilateral agenda between the United States and Mexico. At the same time, Border XXI 

has served as the foundation for the establishment of the U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 

2012.

3) United States-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2012

In 2003, the Border 2012 Program was negotiated and began with the active participation of 10 

Border States, 26 U.S. tribal nations of the border region, EPA, SEMARNAT, the U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services Ministry and the Mexican Secretariat of Health.

Border 2012, a 10-year program, emphasized a regional bottom-up approach incorporating local 

decision-making, priority setting, and project implementation as the basis for addressing 

environmental issues in the border region. e Border 2012 Program brought together a wide range 

13

Background
of stakeholders to generate sustained and priority actions that met the environmental needs of the 

various border communities.

e Border 2012 Program also incorporated a signicant participation process in which 

representatives from industry, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), academia, state and local 

governments, federal agencies and the general public could contribute their ideas and 

recommendations. e adoption of this inclusive approach allowed Border 2012 to more eectively 

address environmental and health problems in the border region.

In accordance with the La Paz Agreement, Border 2012 established six structural goals to address 

environmental challenges and public health:

Under Border 2012, water quality and environmental health in the U.S.-Mexico border region were 

signicantly improved by completing infrastructure projects that beneted more than 7 million 

residents. ese projects provided greater access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment. 

Air quality and the public’s understanding of air pollution impacts were signicantly improved 

through implementation of diesel truck/bus retrotting programs and road paving projects, 

establishment of air monitoring networks and increasing accessibility to ambient air quality data, 

which contributed to public awareness and advocacy for the attainment of National Ambient Air 

Quality Standards.

Reduced land contamination was achieved through clean-up, proper disposal and improved waste 

management of used electronics and more than 12 million scrap tires, collection events for obsolete 

pesticides, and cleanup and revitalization of hazardous waste sites. Progress in joint readiness for 

environmental response in the U.S.-Mexico Border area was enhanced through training and 

knowledge/equipment exchanges that allowed local responders to prepare for border incidents. 

Finally, Border 2012 supported community health workers (Promotoras) to educate underserved 

communities about potential environmental health risks associated with exposure to chemicals and 

Goal 1: Reduce water contamination;

Goal 2: Reduce air pollution;

Goal 3: Reduce land contamination;

Goal 4: Improve environmental health;

Goal 5: Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response7

; and

Goal 6: Improve environmental performance through compliance, enforcement, 

 pollution prevention, and promotion of environmental stewardship.

14

7

e original title of this goal (Reduce Exposure to Chemicals as a Result of Accidental Chemical Releases and/or Acts of Terrorism) was 

modied in 2007 since “responding to acts of terrorism” was not in the purview of SEMARNAT.

Background
pesticides. Additional eorts to improve environmental health resulted in the removal of obsolete 

agricultural pesticides and projects to remove mercury waste from hospitals in the border region.

A New Approach

Prior to developing the Border 2020 Program, EPA and SEMARNAT held working meetings with 

program partners to dene the scope of the new binational agreement, building on Border 2012 and 

its structure. Both institutions initiated a public consultation process to gather input and suggestions 

from border stakeholders as well as co-chairs of the Border 2012 coordinating bodies.

e comments received from this eort supported the continuation of the bottom-up structure, the 

ve main goal areas, the inclusion of overarching fundamental strategies, and more ambitious 

environmental and public health goals. 

An Advisory Committee representing the U.S. and Mexican Border States, U.S. Tribes, EPA and 

SEMARNAT was established to help shape the new binational program. e Advisory Committee was 

responsible for providing guidance on the key elements of the new program, and circulated draft 

documents for additional comments and input. 

e United States-Mexico Environmental Program: Border 2020 is a binational continuing eort 

that aims to address environmental and public health issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Border 

2020 supports the principle that decision-making, priority-setting and project implementation are 

best done at the local level to better address environmental issues in the border region. e program 

integrates six fundamental strategies: working to improve children’s health; building capacity towards 

climate change resiliency; protecting disadvantaged and underserved communities; promoting 

environmental awareness; promoting environmental health; and strengthening tribal, state, federal, 

and international partnerships, to complement its mission and goals. 

A Stronger Focus on Sustainability

Border Communities are comprised of interdependent social, economic, and environmental systems 

that require meaningful attention and investment to make them sustainable. When sustainability is 

achieved, these systems work together to improve the quality of life for border residents while reducing 

impacts on the environment. e Border 2020 Program aims to support these systems through its 

Guiding Principles, Fundamental Strategies, and Goals by promoting substantive public engagement 

(especially in underserved communities), increasing institutional capacity to address environmental 

problems, and contributing to a more sustainable development model.

Future Border Program eorts will focus on the area’s many underserved communities to support 

sustainable environmental and economic development in the U.S. and Mexico.  Examples of some of 

these future eorts include: operation and maintenance of air quality monitoring networks and 

15

Background
real-time access to air quality data; supporting energy eciency and renewable energy projects along 

the border; enhancing operational and managerial eciency of drinking water and wastewater utilities; 

and increasing recycling capacity and materials recovery by developing markets and institutional waste 

management capacity. e Border 2020 Program will leverage institutional, technological, and 

nancial capacity from numerous local, state, federal, and multi-national organizations to promote 

these activities. 

16

Background
Border 2020 has identied ve long-term strategic goals to address serious environmental and 

environmentally-related  public health challenges in the  border  region. Within the ve goals are 

specic objectives that identify priority areas and activities that program partners will undertake for the 

duration of the program. e goals and objectives were carefully written based on extensive input 

from program partners, border stakeholders, and ongoing environmental challenges that remain. 

Biennial Action plans will be developed for these goals and objectives which will outline priorities and 

implementation strategies to accomplish the various goals and objectives, based on available resources, 

emerging issues, and community or regional priorities. 

Border 2020 recognizes that there are other critical issues such as energy, smart growth planning, 

transportation, housing, and biodiversity that go beyond the scope of the La Paz Agreement and 

associated binational environmental programs. However, the EPA and SEMARNAT are committed to 

engaging with the relevant government agencies in order to address these issues in a coordinated and 

collaborative way.

GOAL 1: REDUCE AIR POLLUTION

Economic and population growth in the U.S.-Mexico border region has had a signicant impact on 

urban and rural air quality. Today, air pollution presents a substantial environmental risk in some 

border communities that are frequently exposed to elevated concentrations of particulate matter PM10

and PM2.5, ozone, and toxic air pollutants. Emissions from electrical generation and other industrial 

sources, unpaved roads, diesel trucks, buses and cars, including those idling for long periods of time at 

ports-of-entry, are signicant contributors to poor air quality along the border.

e border region includes a number of cities that share common airsheds; thus, activities in one city 

can directly aect the other, whether in the same country or across the border. As such, strategies and 

solutions to address air pollution along the border need to be developed and implemented binationally, 

with active engagement from the community, as well as local, state, federal, and tribal authorities.

Objective 1: By 2020, in accordance with the NAFTA, promote the reduction of the number of 

vehicles operating in the border region that do not comply with the respective vehicle emissions 

standards, and reduce vehicle emissions at ports-of-entry through anti-idling and other feasible 

reduction measures.

17

III. Border 2020

Goals and Objectives
Vehicles are a signicant source of atmospheric emissions impacting border communities. Under this 

objective, the U.S. and Mexico seek to develop mutually benetting strategies to reduce vehicle 

emissions (criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases) in the border region, including, but not limited to: 

improved fuels availability, improved engine standards, establishment of emissions standards, ensuring 

compliance with applicable emissions standards, vehicle inspection and maintenance eorts, used cars 

and reduced idling while waiting at ports-of-entry.

Objective 2: By 2020, reduce pollutant emissions in order to approach attainment of respective 

national ambient air quality standards in the following airsheds:

• San Diego/Tijuana 

• Imperial County/Mexicali

• Ambos Nogales

• Paso del Norte (El Paso/Juarez/Sunland Park)

Border areas that do not yet meet health-based air quality standards, with negative eects on public 

health, especially for particulate matter and/or ozone, include San Diego/Tijuana, Imperial 

County/Mexicali, Ambos Nogales, and El Paso/Juárez and the lower valley of the Rio Bravo. Sources 

of air emissions are diverse, but often include passenger vehicles, buses, diesel trucks, manufacturing 

and electricity generation, dust from unpaved roads, and agricultural practices, including open 

burning. Strategies and responsibilities for reducing these emissions vary. For example, road paving to 

control dust is generally a local or state responsibility (although nancing could potentially be available 

from the North American Development Bank, NADBank), while vehicle emissions are generally 

reduced largely through vehicle admission standards better fuel quality.

Objective 3: By 2018, maintain eective air monitoring networks and provide real-time access 

to air quality data in:

• California/Baja California

• Arizona/Sonora 

• Paso del Norte Airshed 

• Any additional binational airshed that is designated as non-attainment for U.S. or Mexican air

 quality standards prior to 2015.

Air quality monitoring networks provide data essential to developing plans and assessing progress in 

reducing air pollution. is objective focuses on development and operation of air quality monitoring 

networks to inform the public and air quality planners about current conditions and trends. e 

purpose of this objective is to ensure that these monitoring networks provide real-time reliable data to 

AirNow and to the National Information System on Air Quality (SINAICA, in Spanish), as well as 

18

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
historical data to air quality databases, such as EPA’s Air Quality System, consistent with national 

policies on data quality.

Objective 4: By 2015, support completion of climate action plans in each of the six northern 

Mexican Border States (as appropriate), and build the necessary capacity to guarantee sustained 

implementation.

Along the U.S. border, California, Arizona, and New Mexico have completed Climate Change Action 

Plans. Along the Mexican border, greenhouse gas emissions inventories and forecasts have been 

completed for all six Mexican Border States. Using this information, climate change action plans have 

been completed in Nuevo Leon and have been initiated in Baja California, Sonora and Coahuila. As 

a result, the purpose of this objective is to complete climate change action plans for all six Mexican 

states. When the climate change action plans are completed, capacity building (training, 

demonstration projects, etc.) will be needed as states begin implementing their respective climate 

change action plans.

Objective 5: By 2020, reduce emissions and associated impacts through energy eciency and/or 

alternative/renewable energy projects. 

Possible projects could include: Border-wide training for border stakeholders in instituting and 

sustaining urban energy eciency measures; green building training/workshops; forums in which 

states, localities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and industry can share program 

information and technologies; and energy eciency co-benets through reduction of criteria air 

contaminant emissions (stationary and vehicle sources).

Projects could also include nancing of solar energy projects or other alternative sources of energy in 

the various border regions. It is envisioned that the primary vehicle for achieving such large-scale 

potential projects under this objective would be the Border Environment Cooperation Commission 

(BECC) through its project certication and subsequent NADBank nancing.

GOAL 2: IMPROVE ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SAFE WATER

Watersheds in the U.S.-Mexico border region are shared bi-nationally, with rivers owing from one 

country to the other or forming the international boundary. Protecting and restoring watersheds and 

water quality in these rivers and providing adequate drinking water and basic sanitation services 

19

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
requires collaborative bi-national, multi-jurisdictional planning eorts. e border region faces 

signicant challenges in shared watersheds that are exacerbated by high population growth rates and 

impacts from climate change.

 

e Border 2020 Water Goal builds upon the successes and lessons learned from the Border 2012 

Program. Under the Water Goal, the United States and Mexico will work together to address the 

following challenges:

• Lack of access to safe drinking water, which poses a signicant threat to public health in border

 communities. 

• Inadequate collection and treatment of wastewater, which contaminates surface waters and

 aquifers and threatens public health and the environment. 

• Inadequate management of stormwater pollution that contributes signicantly to water

 pollution problems and the potential for oods. 

• Inadequate public access to water quality data, which decreases the public’s ability to know

 whether a waterbody is safe for recreational use. 

• Impacts of climate change that aect precipitation patterns and duration of droughts, making

 water availability even more challenging in an already arid region, and making wastewater

 infrastructure more vulnerable to damage from oods. 

Objective 1: Promote the increase in the number of homes connected to safe drinking water and 

adequate wastewater treatment.

• Objective 1a: By 2015, promote access to safe drinking water to at least 5,000 households.

 Revise target every two years. 

• Objective 1b: By 2015, promote access to adequate wastewater sanitation 42,000 households.

 Revise target every two years.

In alignment with Goal 7c of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which recognizes 

safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right essential to the full enjoyment of other 

human rights, the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program, which is implemented through 

the EPA-CONAGUA Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Joint Grant Contributions for 

Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects for Communities in the United States - 

Mexico Border Area, continues to provide under-served border communities with rst-time safe 

drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities. 

Targets under objectives 1a and 1b of this Goal are based on projects funded by the U.S.-Mexico 

Border Water Infrastructure Program, which is implemented through the EPA-CONAGUA 

Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the Joint Grant Contributions for Drinking Water Supply and 

20

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
Wastewater Infrastructure Projects for Communities in the United States - Mexico Border Area, and will be 

accomplished through the program’s existing mechanisms8. Targets are based on the completion of 

projects currently in the development or construction phase. Once every two years, EPA and 

CONAGUA will jointly revise the connections targets based on expected project completions. 

Decentralized wastewater treatment facilities may be funded in the future if identied as technically 

feasible and as the best option to meet community needs.

Objective 2: Help drinking water and wastewater service providers in the border region to 

implement sustainable infrastructure practices to reduce operating costs, improve energy 

eciency, use water eciently and adapt to climate change.

• Objective 2a: Incorporate sustainable infrastructure elements, as feasible and appropriate, into

 U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program-supported BECC-certied projects, which

 are implemented through the EPA-CONAGUA Memorandum of Understanding Concerning the

 Joint Grant Contributions for Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructure Projects for

 Communities in the United States - Mexico Border Area. 

• Objective 2b: Improve energy eciency and ecient water use provided by drinking water and

 wastewater service providers in the border region. 

• Objective 2c: Build operational, managerial and nancial capacity through training of drinking

 water and wastewater service providers in the border region. 

Providing safe drinking water and properly treating wastewater requires a substantial amount of energy 

and is a major cost to service providers. e above three objectives will promote the incorporation of 

eective utility management practices and the concept of sustainability into the planning, design, 

operation, and maintenance of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects. Examples of 

sustainable infrastructure practices/components include, but are not limited to, the use of water 

conservation, solar power, anaerobic digestion/cogeneration, high-eciency equipment such as 

variable speed pumps, re-use of treated wastewater to reduce demand for potable water or to restore 

ecosystems, leak detection equipment, tiered rate structures, and green building materials. 

Objective 3: Work bi-nationally to identify and reduce surface water contamination in 

transboundary waterbodies and watersheds. 

• Objective 3a: Develop a binational watershed protection plan in the Lower Rio Grande below

 Falcon International Dam. Initial activities could include partnership building, watershed

 characterization, denition of goals/identication of solutions, determination of waste load,

 load allocations for each country, and development of an implementation plan.

• Objective 3b: Every two years, identify and implement at least one project to reduce the level of

 heavy metals, sediment, and/or bacteria entering the Santa Cruz River and/or the Nogales

21

8

In Mexico, all matters related to water have to fall under the National Waters Law (Ley de Aguas Nacionales).

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
 Creek. Examples of potential projects include industrial source control (pretreatment), inspector

 training, and construction of stormwater regulation and water harvesting/storage devices.

• Objective 3c: Every two years, identify and implement at least one project to reduce the levels

 of bacteria, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), trash, and/or phosphates entering the New

 River. Examples of potential projects include assessment and control of slaughterhouse

 discharges, phosphate detergent bans, and trash prevention and cleanup activities. 

• Objective 3d: Every two years, identify and implement at least one project to reduce the level of

 bacteria, sediment, and/or trash that enters the Tijuana River. Examples of potential projects

 include demarcation of federal land in oodplains to prevent irregular settlements,

 establishment of conservation easements, use of sediment control best management practices,

 and trash prevention and cleanup programs.

 

Transboundary water quality impairments are common throughout the border region, as evidenced by 

the U.S. Clean Water Act section 303(d) list of “impaired waterbodies”. ese water quality problems 

cannot be addressed through the increase of wastewater treatment and infrastructure alone.

 

is objective will focus on specic pollutants in high priority waterbodies and watersheds, 

recognizing the importance of community involvement, pollution prevention, urban planning and 

stormwater-control best management practices on both sides of the border. Regional Workgroups, 

with input from Border 2020 Task Forces, will identify actions to be taken in each watershed to 

address pollutant(s) of major concern. Regional Workgroups may also identify activities to be taken in 

other transboundary watersheds not specically mentioned in the above objectives. 

Objective 4: Provide the public with timely access to water quality data in binational 

waterbodies and watersheds in a readily understandable, web-based format.

• Objective 4a: Develop a binational website that displays timely information on beach

 advisories on both sides of the border in the Brownsville/Matamoros area, and ensure its

 operation through 2020. 

• Objective 4b: Develop a binational website that displays timely information on beach advisories

 on both sides of the border in the San Diego/Tijuana area, and ensure its operation through

 2020. 

• Objective 4c: Develop a binational website that displays timely information on water quality

 in high-priority watersheds including the Lower Rio Grande, the New River, and the Tijuana

 River and ensure its operation through 2020. 

Access to timely and accurate information on the water quality of waterbodies used for recreation can 

help individuals make informed decisions about whether to enter the water. Beaches in the area are 

important recreationally and economically, and providing timely and accurate information on water 

22

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
quality at beaches will protect public health and encourage their use during appropriate times.

ese water quality data can also help show long-term and seasonal trends in water quality, and help 

governments determine the ecacy of wastewater and stormwater treatment projects. Existing water 

quality data will be accessible to the general public in an easy-to-understand and timely manner via the 

Internet and via water quality postings and advisories, where appropriate.

GOAL 3: PROMOTE MATERIALS MANAGEMENT AND WASTE 

MANAGEMENT, AND CLEAN SITES

e border region faces signicant challenges that threaten its ability to achieve clean, sustainable 

communities. Waste management programs and services have not kept pace with border communities’ 

needs and the current waste management structure is not adequate to meet these increasing needs. It 

is necessary to collaborate at all levels to ensure that limited resources are applied in a way that limits 

additional threats of land contamination and prevents adding to legacy land contamination in the 

region. Increasing trade and manufacturing in the border region has resulted in exponential 

population growth and these industries should be engaged to ensure that they are an active part of the 

solution. Future regional success will be dened by those who shift from an end-of-life waste 

management to a sustainable materials management practice. 

Achieving future sustainability requires new solutions that can be explored through better tools such 

as life cycle analysis. Optimizing material design and packaging, making better use of natural 

resources, and avoiding waste and toxic materials will result in more sustainable products. Improving 

collection to recover, reuse, and recycle materials will lessen or eliminate end-of-life discards that end 

up in landlls or indiscriminately dumped. Addressing these issues is more challenging given that they 

require a coordinated approach across environmental program sectors, at the multi-government level 

and the private sector. Over the next eight years and through Biennial Action Plans, the U.S. and 

Mexico will work collaboratively to address the following challenges:

 

• Lack of adequate planning programs in the U.S. and Mexico that establish strategies to

 minimize waste, maximize collections systems, support secondary materials markets, and

 reduce overall disposal in landlls and open dumps;

• Limited knowledge and experience on how to apply a material life cycle approach to existing

 international policies to implement sustainable materials management programs; 

23

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
• Increase in amounts of U.S. and Mexican E-waste, used cars, household appliances, tires

 and green waste predominantly imported into Mexico combined with inadequate infrastructure

 and services to manage discarded materials;

• Trash, especially plastic materials, eventually reaching shared waters contributing to river or

 marine debris;

• Lack of conditions favorable to secondary markets for materials, especially when compounded

 by U.S. sourced used tires, used cars, electronics, and household appliances; and

• Environmental, social and economic impacts of indiscriminate dumping and contaminated sites,

 and high remedial cost.

Objective 1: By 2020, increase local and state-level institutional knowledge and experience in 

the area of sustainable material management practices.

Increasing institutional capacity for material and waste management in the border region will facilitate 

incorporating these practices into existing or new regulations. Strategies should consider traditional 

and social-media communication, community-based outreach, webinar-based workshops, and pilot 

projects through public-private partnerships. Activities will focus on priority waste streams, especially 

E-waste, used cars, household appliances, tires and green matter. ese activities will support and 

leverage respective national and international eorts to minimize waste through better collection and 

recycling and also eorts that increase more ecient use of resources and avoid discards to landlls. 

Objective 2: By 2014, identify priority waste streams and by 2020 develop sustainable material 

management practices that strengthen their respective market value. 

Each region of the northern border presents dierent economic, social and cultural situations, 

bringing as a result the generation of waste and management of materials. In many cases, the 

management is inadequate, and what is a priority for a region is not for another, therefore, it is 

convenient to identify priority waste streams by region and develop sustainable practices enabling the 

proper management of materials through the development of their respective markets. is goal can 

be achieved by creating or increasing institutional capabilities through technical assistance, thus 

enabling the development of programs, projects or actions taking into account the life cycle analysis 

and the support recycling markets for the materials contained in the waste that would otherwise be lost 

in landlls. Demonstration projects with sustainable goals can be developed to improve collection of 

materials such as plastic bottles through public-private partnership programs and infrastructure 

investments in the border region to avoid costly cleanup eorts. Scrap tires could be among the 

regional priorities and state and national regulatory eorts should be leveraged to support local scrap 

tire management initiatives. 

Objective 3: By 2020, improve knowledge at every level of government (federal, state, local) to 

24

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
characterize and remediate contaminated sites. 

Eorts under this objective provide for binational training on public health and environmental risk 

management, site characterization, identication of cleanup alternatives, site-specic technical 

assistance, and cost-eective remedial action practices applicable to either hazardous waste 

contaminated sites or former solid waste dumps, or both.

Objective 4: On an annual basis, implement the Binational Consultative Mechanism on sharing 

information on border area hazardous waste facilities.

e Consultative Mechanism is a binational notication mechanism that has been in practice for more 

than a decade. It is being included as a priority under Border 2020 to arm its value to both countries 

and interest in maintaining this notication mechanism. e only modication from previous practice 

is that the notication will occur once per year, given that changes in the status of hazardous waste 

management facilities on the border are typically limited and thus two notications per year are 

considered unnecessary. 

GOAL 4: ENHANCE JOINT PREPAREDNESS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 

RESPONSE

e 1985 Annex II of the La Paz Agreement establishes cooperative measures for preparing and 

responding to oil and hazardous substance incidents along the Mexico-United States (U.S.) inland 

border. e agreement also requires a Joint Contingency Plan (JCP) which was developed in 1988 and 

signed in 1999. An updated version was nalized and signed in 2008. e Mexico-U.S. JCP has 

provided the foundation for the 15 Sister Cities Bi-national Emergency Response Plans that have been 

developed over the last several years. e Emergency Preparedness and Response Policy Fora is 

co-chaired by U.S. EPA’s Oce of Emergency Management (OEM), Mexico’s Procuraduría Federal de 

Protección al Ambiente (PROFEPA), and Secretaria de Gobernación, Coordinación General de 

Protección Civil (Mexico’s Oce of Civil Protection). 

e Joint Response Team (JRT), another La Paz Agreement requirement, is also co-chaired by 

Mexico’s PROFEPA, Protección Civil, and U.S. EPA’s OEM. Additional JRT partners include 

representatives from other U.S. and Mexican federal agencies, including state, tribal and local oces 

responsible for emergency prevention, preparedness, and response in the border region. e 

25

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
Workgroup essentially functions as the steering committee of the Joint Response Team (JRT). e 

work of the JRT is supported by a notication system for the binational reporting of emergency 

response incidents, drills, and threats; local Emergency Response Plans developed jointly by sister cities 

along the border; certied training courses; and analyses of potential risks in the border region.

Both countries have increased coordination with their federal, state and local partners and thanks to 

this collaboration many of the millions of residents within the border region will benet from 

improved training, state-of-the-art equipment, and enhanced emergency response capabilities for both 

countries. ese actions fulll numerous U.S. and Mexican objectives, the U.S.-Mexico Border 2012 

Goal 4 to “Enhance Joint Readiness for Environmental Response.” In addition, EPA, PROFEPA and 

Protección Civil agreed to jointly enhance border notication and agency communication protocols to 

expand participation of all stakeholders in the Policy Fora and Task Forces.

Objective 1: Update as necessary, the current Mexico-U.S. Joint Contingency Plan and on an 

annual basis, continue to evaluate and update the emergency notication mechanism between 

Mexico and the United States.

A notication mechanism was established as part of the 2008 United States-Mexico Joint Contingency Plan. 

However, it must be further revised, updated, and exercised in order to reect changes in technology and protocol.

Objective 2: By 2020, at least eight (8) of the sister city joint contingency plans will be 

supplemented with preparedness and prevention related activities such as certied training, risk 

analysis, and/or capacity building.

With the completion of 15 sister city plans, the JRT is working to expand preparedness eorts. While 

some risk identication has been completed by both Mexico and the United States, such as commodity 

ow studies and hazard analysis, the JRT is working on a more coordinated plan of action for risk 

identication and reduction in order to better protect border communities from chemical accidents.

Objective 3: By 2016, the U.S.-Mexico JRT will make available technical outreach and training 

materials for distribution and dissemination along the border. 

As we enhance coordination with federal, state and local partners as well as with border residents we 

encourage improved training, the use of state-of-the-art equipment, and enhanced emergency response 

capabilities of our border partners by providing capacity building materials that will enhance response 

readiness, cross-border coordination, and training continuance for responders and counterparts. 

Objective 4: By 2016, the U.S.-Mexico JRT will analyze existing agreements (including sister city 

plans) that allow trans-boundary movement of equipment and personnel for comparison purposes. 

26

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
Based on the La Paz Agreement, the U.S. and Mexico support each other during incidents that may 

occur along the shared international borders. U.S and Mexican personnel and equipment may cross 

the borders to respond to border environmental emergencies. EPA and local responders also work with 

Mexican counterparts to perform joint exercises of contingency plans and discuss preparedness and 

response issues. ese preparedness activities as well as responses to real world incidents necessitate 

liability coverage and expediting cross-border travel of personnel and equipment for both countries.

GOAL 5: ENHANCE COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL 

STEWARDSHIP

Environmental stewardship compliance assurance and enforcement eorts are essential in any 

successful environmental regulatory program. Achieving these goals is made more dicult in a 

transboundary context, such as the U.S.-Mexico border, where laws and requirements may be 

signicantly dierent and the ability to exercise domestic enforcement authority across a national 

border is limited. Despite this challenge, both the United States and Mexico share a common goal of 

ensuring compliance with respective environmental laws at the border. For this reason, policing the 

movement of waste, and especially hazardous waste, across the border is a high priority for the Border 

2020 Program. For instance, it is important for inspectors to understand the patterns of movement of 

hazardous waste along each side of the border and across the border at the ports-of-entry, and how that 

waste is ultimately disposed of or treated, and the Border 2020 Program will seek to promote this 

important information sharing.

e rapid industrial growth along the border region from maquiladoras, their suppliers, and other 

industries also presents environmental impact concerns of this growing industrial base, while also 

providing an opportunity to better engage industry to promote greener business practices. To this end, 

the United States and Mexico are committed to supporting the development of environmental 

stewardship recognition programs, where appropriate, and extending them throughout the border 

region. Additional focus will be placed on public education, outreach, and information dissemination 

to help citizens and companies better understand and comply with environmental laws and adopt 

more environmentally friendly practices, including environmental self-audit programs.

Objective 1: By 2020, strengthen eective information sharing between U.S. and Mexican 

agencies regarding the movement of hazardous waste across the border and its ultimate treatment 

or disposal. In addition, ensure that land ports-of-entry have sucient inspection capacity to 

27

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
police hazardous waste shipments.

Ensuring compliance and protection of cross-border movement of hazardous waste, and the 

appropriateness of the waste’s ultimate treatment or disposal, remains a high concern of the various 

agencies that have jurisdiction at the border. Eective information sharing greatly enhances the 

compliance eorts of these agencies.

Objective 2: By 2020, in Mexico, increase by 25% the number of businesses in the border region 

enrolled in the National Program for Environmental Auditing (PNAA) and/or similar programs 

at the state level for facilities not regulated by the federal government, using 2012 as a baseline.

e National Program for Environmental Auditing (PNAA) has been very successful at obtaining 

positive environmental results at industrial facilities along the Mexican side of the border. Mexico’s 

commitment to expanding the implementation of this program in the border region should increase 

these positive results.

Objective 3: Using the U.S. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) and the Mexican Registry of 

Emissions and Transfers of Pollutants (RETC), along with other sources of environmental 

information, share information regarding activities contributing pollution to transboundary air 

and/or water basins along the border. 

Identifying releases of toxic chemicals along the border should help regulatory agencies on both sides 

of the border focus their compliance and pollution prevention eorts. ese eorts will aim to focus 

available resources on identifying pollution loading to transboundary air basins or watersheds that may 

receive a disproportionate amount of pollution. Examples may include identifying sources of 

pollutant discharges into the priority watersheds in Goal 2 and implementing regulatory and/or 

voluntary measures to reduce water and air pollution. 

Objective 4: By 2020, implement at least ve (5) binational workshops targeted to 

environmental enforcement professionals, including ports-of-entry customs professionals, to 

promote the exchange of information and improve understanding of each country’s respective 

compliance and enforcement programs and tools, including eld inspection and case studies.

Training workshops help ensure that inspectors, prosecutors, police and other enforcement personnel 

on both sides of the border have the minimum level of expertise and skills necessary to perform their 

jobs eciently and eectively, as well as understand applicable laws and regulations in the U.S. and 

Mexico. Such an understanding is crucial when making a determination as to whether a hazardous 

waste being exported across the border is being sent for legal disposal.

28

Border 2020 Goals and Objectives
Border 2020 encourages the use of the following tools to complement and support the goals and 

objectives. e tools are not intended to be all-inclusive: 

Pollution Prevention Techniques

Pollution prevention should be a key component of all environmental media programs (i.e., air, water, 

hazardous and solid waste). Pollution prevention techniques can include:

• Capacity Building: Identication of training needs and support for training eorts to address

 these needs. For example, training could be provided to industrial enterprises on ecient and

 cost-eective methods to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from process

 operations.

• Technical Assistance: Site-specic technical assistance could be provided to conduct voluntary

 multi-media site assessments to identify cost-eective pollution prevention opportunities.

• Environmental Stewardship: Projects are encouraged to promote good stewardship and

 responsibility, such as conducting and promoting Environmental Management Systems (EMS)

 training for industry, governments, and others. 

Public Health Interventions

Infrastructure projects providing safe drinking water and wastewater treatment, as well as reductions 

of criteria pollutant emissions, appropriate disposal of chemical waste, and enhanced readiness to 

respond to chemical emergencies, will be implemented to reduce associated health risks and exposures, 

as well as to contain the potential eects of natural and chemical disasters. Community-based 

education and training programs will be used as outreach tools to reduce exposure to pesticides and 

chemicals by promoting safe storage and disposal of pesticides and household chemicals, create 

awareness of the public health hazards of electronic-waste, and encourage the use of safer/greener 

products.

Mechanisms to reduce exposure to environmental contaminants and to alert residents to possible 

exposure will be developed and/or coordinated among federal, state, local and U.S. tribal agencies. 

Examples of these include developing air quality monitoring networks, providing accurate and timely 

water quality information such as beach advisories, increasing accessibility to real-time information 

and facilitating its interpretation, and developing indicators to identify public health problems and/or 

disparities, as well as to measure progress achieved. Capacity building for health care providers will be 

used to increase recognition, treatment and reporting of illnesses related to pesticides and chemical 

poisoning.

Sustainable Management of Water Resources 

Given the importance of water in the border region, water resources must be managed in a sustainable 

29

IV. Border 2020 Tools
manner. Some tools available to promote this approach include: publication and decrees to forbid, 

regulate and reserve water use through the councils of river basin and auxiliary entities; analysis of the 

links between water quality and quantity, studies of groundwater availability, improved measurement of 

surface ows, removal of invasive species, and increased eciency measures. In many cases, promotion 

of this approach requires coordination between organizations having complementary jurisdictions. For 

example, regulation of water quality is the responsibility of the respective national environmental 

agencies, EPA and SEMARNAT through the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), while 

regulation of water quantity (i.e., source development and allocation) in Mexico is CONAGUA’s 

responsibility, whereas in the United States it is the responsibility of state agencies. In the U.S., source 

development falls under the Department of the Interior and allocation is done within the framework of 

state law. In Mexico, source development and allocation are overseen by the CONAGUA. 

Environmental Information

Collection, management and exchange of environmental data are essential to eective environmental 

management. Comprehensive examples of tools to promote the sharing of environmental information 

include harmonizing binational environmental protocols or information management systems (e.g., 

hazardous waste tracking systems) and developing eective data collection and information exchange 

mechanisms between Border 2020 partners and border stakeholders. Under Border 2020, gathering 

and improving accessibility to real-time air quality data, right-to-know tools, and timely and accurate 

water quality data to beachgoers will be priorities given the value of this information for risk 

assessment, public health and ultimately enforcement and compliance regarding industrial emissions 

and/or discharges.

Likewise, implementation of the Binational Consultative Mechanism allows the sharing of 

information on hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Border 2020 will also create 

and/or rene indicators to measure environmental pressures, needs, outputs or outcomes related to its 

goals and objectives. Indicators will be used to identify areas where comparable binational data is 

missing, foster binational collaboration on data gathering, and develop programs or alternative 

mechanisms to address environmental and public health priorities.

Regulation and Policy Development

Complex environmental problems sometimes require regulation and/or policy development. 

30

Border 2020 Tools
Examples include the development of domestic or binational policies to address sustainable utility 

management practices, reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs), and the reduction of waste streams 

through recycling. Border 2020 will encourage water and wastewater infrastructure projects along the 

border to incorporate sustainable elements (less energy, lower GHG emissions, and increased water use 

eciency), annual water and energy audits, and the subsequent implementation of audit 

recommendations. To further reduce conventional air pollutants and GHG emissions, Border 2020 

will aim to establish diesel emission reduction measures, concrete strategies to reduce sales of old 

polluting cars into the Mexican markets, and the completion of Climate Change Action Plans and 

State Programs for Prevention and Integral Management of Waste for at least six border states.

Cooperative Enforcement and Compliance Assistance

Eective enforcement and compliance assistance requires constant and sustained coordination among 

governmental agencies on both sides of the border. One important tool is capacity building to establish 

and implement eective enforcement and compliance programs. Examples include training of 

Customs ocials to spot suspect shipments of transboundary waste, and providing assistance to 

importers and exporters of hazardous waste to ensure compliance with federal and state waste 

management regulations.

Environmental Education and Training

Capacity building through environmental education and training is critical to long-term 

environmental protection. Environmental education programs and training eorts are integrated 

within the Border 2020 framework to foster greater community awareness and engagement on 

environmental issues at regional and local levels. Tools to accomplish this include development of pilot 

programs to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in homes and schools to reduce exposure to 

pesticides; training of manufacturers and chemical suppliers on how to adopt clean manufacturing 

approaches; improving the technical capacity to clean and remediate contaminated sites; and 

increasing the collection and recycling of materials for targeted waste streams. e ultimate goal of the 

tools used in environmental education and training is to increase engagement and participation by the 

community and stakeholders, to better manage the complex environmental and public health issues 

along the border.

Infrastructure Planning and Development

Important environmental infrastructure projects can be advanced from the planning stages to full 

implementation by optimizing the use of resources from state, federal, and local agencies, and from the 

BECC and NADB. More specically, BECC and NADB support the management, development, and 

nancing of environmental infrastructure projects under their existing programs. e BECC helps 

facilitate the funding of Border 2020 pilot projects, plays a role in training Border 2020 participants, 

and supports program implementation.

31

Border 2020 Tools
e EPA and SEMARNAT National Coordinators provide guidance and oversight to the Border 

2020: Policy Fora and Regional Workgroups (coordinating bodies). Each of the coordinating 

bodies work on border issues bringing to bear their diverse and complementary perspectives. e 

function and role of the coordinating bodies is further explained in this section.

National Coordinators

Consistent with the terms of the La Paz Agreement, federal-level National Coordinators from the 

United States and Mexico, respectively, manage overall program implementation, and ensure 

cooperation, coordination and communication among all coordinating bodies. Although the 

coordinating bodies have autonomy, the National Coordinators ensure overall progress toward 

program goals. ey assist the coordinating bodies in maintaining focus on binational and 

transboundary environmental and public health issues and adherence to the program’s mission, 

fundamental strategies, guiding principles, and tools.

e Biennial National Coordinators meeting provides an opportunity for the Policy Fora and Regional 

Workgroups to present ongoing progress and identify priority projects and eorts with program 

partners. ey also encourage participation from other relevant agencies, as appropriate, and assist in 

identifying and leveraging funding sources for binational eorts and projects.

BORDER 2020 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

NATIONAL COORDINATORS (EPA-SEMARNAT)

ADVISORY COMMITTEES ON COMMUNICATIONS AND INDICATORS

Regional Workgroups • Arizona/Sonora

• California/Baja California

• New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua

• Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo León-Tamaulipas

Task Forces • Created and managed by the Regional Workgroups

• Identify priority issues and help facilitate pilot projects by

 convening local, state, and tribal governments, academia,

 NGOs and the public.

Policy Fora • Air

• Water

• Material Management & Clean Sites

• Emergency Preparedness & Response

• Cooperative Enforcement & Compliance

32

V. Organizational Structure
Committees on Communication and Environmental Indicators

Border 2020 will aim to strengthen its ability to communicate program successes, outputs and 

outcomes while seeking input from stakeholders and communities on pressing issues. To accomplish 

this, the National Coordinators will seek input and recommendations from two committees: a 

Committee on Communications and a Committee on Environmental Indicators. e Communication 

Committee is expected to provide input and recommendations to the National Coordinators on the 

development, implementation, and revision of eective communication strategies and the 

Environmental Indicators Committee on the selection, renement and use of environmental and 

performance indicators that accurately identify program needs, outputs and outcomes for the border 

region. In order to provide this guidance, the committees are expected to closely collaborate with 

program partners and coordinating bodies to summarize their recommendations and devise the 

strategies needed to incorporate them into the program’s operations.

e Committees on Environmental Indicators and Communication will be led by representatives 

designated by the National Coordinators of the Program and will include representatives of the 

regional oces of SEMARNAT and EPA, as well as representatives designated by the co-chairs of each 

one of the specied goals of Border 2020.

e Environmental Indicators Committee will dene in coordination with the Policy Fora and the 

Regional Workgroups a binational set of indicators that measure program progress and assess trends 

and changes in the border region’s environmental conditions. In addition, the Committee will develop 

appropriate protocols for the collection, analysis, and quality control of data necessary to calculate and 

interpret the environmental indicators. Ongoing review of indicators will provide partners and 

decision-makers with an informative tool that can help shape research and public health and 

environmental policy priorities.

e Committee on Communications will devise a communication strategy that assures eective 

exchange and sharing of information and collaboration among coordinating bodies, and timely 

requests and feedback to and from the National Coordinators.

Regional Workgroups

Regional Workgroups are multi-media and geographically-focused, and emphasize regional public health 

and environmental issues. ey plan and coordinate activities at the regional level and support the 

eorts of local Task Forces. Each Regional Workgroup, at a minimum, should have one state and one 

federal co-chair from each country.

Regional Workgroups will determine what additional mechanisms will be necessary to coordinate with 

U.S. tribes and indigenous communities in Mexico within their respective regions. Where adopted 

binationally, these mechanisms should ensure that interested U.S. tribes and indigenous communities 

33

Organizational Structure
in Mexico are fully informed and allowed full participation, including leadership opportunities in 

Border 2020 eorts within their communities.

Four Regional Workgroups have been established in the following regions:

• California-Baja California

• Arizona-Sonora

• New Mexico-Texas-Chihuahua

• Texas-Coahuila-Nuevo León-Tamaulipas

In addition to general roles and responsibilities described in the Coordinating Bodies Section, 

Regional Workgroups:

• Identify and prioritize regional environmental issues and recommend issues beyond regional

 scope to be addressed by Policy Fora; and

• Develop Biennial Action Plans to advance the Goals and Objectives of Border 2020.

e Regional Workgroups should include participation from local representatives of both sides of the 

border, as well as from binational organizations such as the BECC, the NADB, and the IBWC; 

community organizations and civil society, academic institutions and the private sector. In addition, 

the Regional Workgroups should include representatives of federal, state, local and tribal governments, 

among them representatives of organizations responsible for the environment, health, natural 

resources and emergency response.

In the case that the Regional Workgroup is made up of more than one border state, each will be 

represented in the structure as co-chairs, as in the case of the ree States and the Four States Regional 

Workgroups, with the possibility of the coordinating leader rotating his function annually.

34

Organizational Structure
Policy Fora

Policy Fora concentrate on issues that are border-wide and multi-regional (identied as a priority by two 

or more Regional Workgroups), primarily federal in nature (requiring direct, high-level, and sustained 

leadership by federal program partners in the United States and Mexico) and that require broad policy 

considerations. For example, cross-border emergency response requires the consistent application of a 

common protocol (the Joint Contingency Plan) to ensure that eective actions are taken.

Policy Fora identify priority border-wide policy issues and programs that can most eectively be 

addressed through a federally-led eort, relying on input from Regional Workgroups. e goal of this 

dialogue is to ensure that federal policy for the U.S.-Mexico border is implemented or administered 

with opportunity for review and comment by state and tribal governments, in addition to providing 

an opportunity for input, advice and support from NGOs and the public.

Policy Fora pursue consensus with input provided by federal agencies, state governments, local and 

tribal governments, NGOs, the private sector, academia and the public. Each coordinating body will 

strive to have representation from a variety of border stakeholders.

Each of the ve Policy Fora has a federal co-chair from the United States and Mexico, respectively, and 

addresses the following topics:

• Reduce Air Pollution

• Improve Access to Clean and Safe Water

• Promote Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites

• Enhance Joint Preparedness for Environmental Response

• Enhance Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship

In addition to the general roles and responsibilities described in the Coordinating Bodies Section, 

Policy Fora will:

• Identify and prioritize policy and technical issues of border-wide/transboundary, binational and

 federal importance;

• Develop Biennial Action Plans to advance the border-wide objectives in their respective goals;

• Address and resolve border-wide policy and technical issues; 

• Identify and target resources for regionally-based projects.

Policy Fora meetings will have broad-based stakeholder participation and include non-governmental 

and community-based organizations, academic institutions, local, state, and tribal representatives, and 

binational organizations from both countries with expertise in the given subject area.

However, the condential nature of enforcement investigations may require that some meetings of the 

Forum on Compliance Assurance and Environmental Stewardship shall not be open to the public.

35

Organizational Structure
Task Forces

e Regional Workgroups may create Task Forces to identify priority issues and help facilitate Pilot 

Projects by engaging with local, state, and tribal governments; academia; NGOs; and the public. Task 

Forces serve as a mechanism for border stakeholders to collaborate on studies and projects, share 

information, raise concerns to government ocials, and learn about ongoing eorts in the border 

region. Task Force leaders will be selected by the Regional Workgroups co-chairs and will be as 

representational as possible, including interested local communities; relevant local, state, federal and 

tribal governments; binational organizations; non-governmental and community-based organizations; 

academic institutions; and the private sector as appropriate. However, regional enforcement Task 

Forces may not be as representative or open in their meetings due to the condential nature of 

discussions of enforcement investigations.

Responsibilities of the Coordinating Bodies

In support of the Border 2020 Guiding Principles, the coordinating bodies will:

• Identify and build consensus on respective priorities;

• Identify Task Forces, including leadership through Regional Workgroups;

• Ensure adequate representation of stakeholders in order to plan and implement projects;

• Develop budgets and identify potential funding sources for project eorts;

• Support development of indicators given the availability of adequate resources;

• Collect data to monitor progress of activities;

• Leverage resources to achieve program goals;

• Meet a minimum of once per calendar year;

• Manage organizational and logistical aspects of meetings (e.g., develop agendas and schedules, 

 secure meeting venues, provide translation services, etc.);

• Facilitate communication among coordinating bodies to avoid duplication of eorts;

• Develop respective Action Plans every two (2) years; and

• Report on progress to the National Coordinators.

Communication

Strategic communication is an essential element of past and present U.S.-Mexico Border 

Environmental Programs. In order to ensure eective and timely communication, and engagement 

with the public, program partners and stakeholders, a communication strategy will be developed and 

updated regularly to ensure that eorts are streamlined and eective. Sta from EPA and 

SEMARNAT will organize these eorts, taking into consideration input from Border partners.

e National Coordinators from EPA and SEMARNAT will play a prominent role, ensuring that 

communication among partners is sustained and promoted throughout the duration of the Border 

2020 Program.

36

Organizational Structure
At a minimum, communication eorts will support:

• Developing and implementing a detailed communication strategy with guidelines that are

 evaluated and revised as needed.

• Identifying dedicated team members within the lead agencies that will guide communication 

 and ensure that the communication strategy is implemented, including, but not limited to, the

 following:

 ○ Establishing and maintaining a border-wide electronic communication database/listserv

 service as an outreach resource;

 ○ Developing Border 2020 Program report(s) on achievements and accomplishments on a

 triennial basis (i.e., Highlight Report); and

 ○ Maintaining regular communication with program partners to identify unmet

 communication needs, and identifying next steps.

Border 2020 is committed to promote the program’s achievements and progress and will ensure that 

communication is binational, consistent and uniform.

Operational Guidelines

e following Operational Guidelines designate minimum standard operating and reporting 

procedures for coordinating bodies under Border 2020 to ensure maximum transparency and 

accountability. In addition to these minimum operational guidelines, more detailed procedures 

may be created by Regional Workgroups to specify guidelines pertaining to Regional and Task 

Force operations.

e mechanisms identied in the Operational Guidelines are intended to optimize the use of limited 

resources, promote and enhance information-sharing, and improve overall coordination and 

teamwork among the federal governments, the border states, U.S. tribes and Mexican indigenous 

communities, and other border stakeholders.

To ensure transparency and foster information exchange, the coordinating bodies disseminate 

information regarding their activities and progress on specic projects by posting information to 

websites and listservs, through print media and public meetings, as well as by participating in 

environmental fairs and environmental education programs, as appropriate.

All Coordinating Bodies should conform to the following Operational Guidelines to maximize public 

participation, public access to information, and to strengthen the overall program. Regional 

Workgroups and Policy Fora facilitate participation of all interested border stakeholders. EPA and 

SEMARNAT work with program partners to extend the use of existing information tools, including 

regional newsletters and bulletins, the Border 2020 website, the e-mail information service 

BECCNET, key project databases, and other means of disseminating information on Border 2020 

37

Organizational Structure
progress to the public and border stakeholders.

Stakeholder Engagement and Participation

Meetings of coordinating bodies are held as often as necessary to meet their respective objectives, but 

no less than once per calendar year. Meetings are held in communities within the U.S.-Mexico border 

region, alternating as much as possible between the U.S. and Mexico and including simultaneous 

interpretation services. All meetings are open, providing the public an opportunity to listen and 

comment. However, the condential nature of enforcement issues may require the Compliance 

Assurance and Environmental Stewardship Forum and Task Forces to conduct additional sessions that 

are closed to the public.

Public notice of these meetings, including agendas in both English and Spanish, will be widely 

disseminated at least 15 calendar days prior to the meetings. Notication of meetings should be 

comprehensive and could include, as resources allow, posting on the BECCNET listserv, written 

notices (yers, letters, etc.), radio announcements, newspapers and other publications, public service 

announcements, community calendars, and press announcements.

Meeting agendas may include presentations on border-wide and regional eorts including status of 

ongoing projects (as appropriate), identication of priorities, and leveraging of internal and external 

resources to implement priorities.

Meeting minutes (summaries of key points) will be made available in English and Spanish for review 

and approval by the co-chairs. Minutes in both languages will be made available on EPA and 

SEMARNAT Border 2020 websites and the BECCNET (as appropriate).

38

Organizational Structure
Planning and Accountability

Every two years, the National Coordinators will work with the Border 2020 Coordinating Bodies and 

program partners to develop a Biennial Action Plan that will outline respective priorities and 

implementation strategy to accomplish the various goals and objectives of Border 2020. In addition, 

EPA Regions 6 and 9 will work with their respective Regional Workgroups to advance completion of 

the goals and objectives of Border 2020 via projects that include measurable results and that leverage 

external resources.

In addition, each year, the National Coordinators will work with the Communications and Indicators 

Committees to identify, document, and report on project results and outcomes.

Partnerships and Cooperation

Although Border 2020 is overseen and administered by EPA and SEMARNAT, all program activities 

are selected and implemented by coordinating bodies with full consideration of relevant activities 

implemented by other institutions (i.e., BECC and NADBank) and the advice provided by the Good 

Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB), SEMARNAT’s Advisory Council for Sustainable 

Development (CCDS) and many other organizations. ese organizations represent a broad spectrum 

of programs and perspectives from governmental, non-governmental, academic, and private sectors. 

Representatives of these organizations participate actively in the work of Border 2020 coordinating 

bodies, and they provide valuable context for Border 2020 activities.

In addition, Border 2020 aims to maintain a close partnership with institutions such as BECC and 

NADBank to more eectively maximize and leverage technical and institutional expertise towards 

supporting the Border 2020 goals and objectives. Border 2020 Program partners may seek 

BECC/NADBank project assistance covering a wide range of areas which may include: technical, 

programmatic and implementation assistance. 

Funding Sources

Achievement of the goals of Border 2020 will depend on continued availability and ecient use of 

funding. Border 2020 coordinating bodies estimate on an ongoing basis the resources required and all 

potential sources of funding needed to meet program objectives. In addition, it is essential that all 

parties participate in leveraging resources to develop the projects, policies and programs required to 

meet the objectives.

Federal resources and strategic investments from state and local governments and from the private 

sector, as well as bilateral nancing from the NADBank, will be necessary to support binational 

environmental eorts. Together, these organizations will collaborate to identify a variety of grant and 

program funding and lending sources to support Border 2020 activities.

39

Organizational Structure
Highlight Reports

A report highlighting accomplishments and successes under Border 2020 will be prepared once every 

three years (in 2015 and 2018).ese reports will be available to the public through Internet postings 

and/or other available media. e nal report in 2020 will capture program accomplishments and will 

be used as a basis for future development of environmental programs in the U.S.-Mexico border 

region.

Midterm Assessment Report (Optional)

A mid-term assessment report may be considered in order to update and/or rene the program’s 

objectives to account for changing priorities and resource constraints. Should a midterm assessment 

be necessary, based on consultation with program partners, it will be prepared in 2016.

Biennial Action Plans

Coordinating Bodies will develop action plans aligned with the program’s strategic goals and objectives 

on a biennial basis (2013, 2015, 2017, and 2019). Action plans should summarize the 

accomplishments of the previous two years, and consequently serve as a resource to evaluate program 

eectiveness, and to identify priority projects and eorts. Action plans should provide concrete 

activities, timeframes, outputs and outcomes that support and measure progress towards achieving the 

program’s goals and objectives. HIGHLIGHT & 

INDICATOR REPORTSMIDTERM ASSESSMENT REPORT (OPTIONAL)HIGHLIGHT & INDICATOR REPORTS

FINAL REPORT

ACTION PLANACTION PLANACTION PLANACTION PLAN

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

40

VI. Accountability/ Reporting Results
Environmental Indicators

To achieve Border 2020 goals and objectives, it is essential that all actions taken by the United States, 

Mexico, their respective border states, U.S. tribes and residents have real, meaningful and measurable 

results. Indicators of environmental progress will be developed and used to measure these results.

Based on the work done under prior binational programs, environment and health indicators will measure progress being made toward Border 2020 goals and objectives. ese indicators will have specic 

denitions and protocols for collection, analysis, interpretation and quality control. Border 2020 coordinating bodies will participate in the development of these indicators with anticipated support from 

key border partners and stakeholders. Two indicator reports will be developed on the third and sixth 

year of Border 2020 (in 2015 and 2018), respectively. e National Coordinators will review the

indicators and report the results to the Policy Fora, Regional Workgroups, and the public. e results 

will help guide future decisions on program accountability and eectiveness. 

41

Accountability/ Reporting Results
42

List Of Acronyms

BECC Border Environment Cooperation Commission

CCDS SEMARNAT’s Advisory Council for Sustainable Development

CGPC Oce of General Coordination of Civil Protection (Mexico)

CONAGUA Water National Commission (Mexico)

DGPC General Direction of Civil Protection (Mexico)

EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency

GNEB Good Neighbor Environmental Board

IBWC International Boundary and Water Commission

NADB North American Development Bank

NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement

PROFEPA Oce of the Federal Attorney General for Environmental Protection (Mexico)

SEGOB Secretariat of Government (Mexico)

SEMARNAT Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (Mexico)

UN United Nations
43

Contacts

For additional information on the Border 2020 Program please go to www.epa.gov/Border2020 and/or

www.semarnat.gob.mx/ or contact one of the following oces:

UNITED STATES

EPA OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AND TRIBAL AFFAIRS

U.S. National Coordinator

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.

Washington, D.C. 

Telephone: (202) 564-6600

Fax: (202) 565-2411 or (202) 565-2408

Internet: http://www.epa.gov/international

MEXICO

SECRETARÍA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES

Unidad Coordinadora de Asuntos Internacionales

Ocina del Coordinador Nacional de Mexico

Blvd. Adolfo Ruiz Cortines 4209, piso 1, ala A

Fracc. Jardines en la Montaña, Del. Tlalpan, C.P. 14210, Mexico, D.F.

Telephone: +52 (55) 5628 3907 

Fax: +52 (55) 5628 0694 

Internet: www.semarnat.gob.mx/

Email: ucai@semarnat.gob.mx

United States: Lisa Almodovar, Gina Weber, Tomas Torres, omas Ruiz, William Luthans, Paula 

Flores, Nate Lau, Michelle Cuero, Marlaine Bojorquez 

Mexico: Armando Yáñez, Paloma Sánchez, Tadzio Clavel, Saúl Guzmán, Ignacio Legarreta, Norma 

Rangel, Mónica González 

Contacts

Advisory Committee Membership
Pursuant to the 1983 Agreement on Cooperation for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment in the 

Border Area (La Paz Agreement), the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and 

the Secretary of the Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNA T) agreed on May 2011 to 

work jointly with the ten border states and the U.S. border tribes to develop a new Binational eight-year plan to 

improve the environment and reduce the highest public health risks on the U.S.-Mexico Border, and 

WHEREAS the Mission Statement of this plan is 

To protect the environment and the public health in the US. -Mexico border region, consistent with the principles of 

sustainable development. 

THEREFORE on August 8, 2012, the representatives of the U.S. EPA, SEMARNAT, the ten states, and the 26 U.S. 

Tribes met in Tijuana, Baja California to recognize the completion of the Border 2020: U.S.-Mexico Environmental 

Program, to mark the beginning of the eight-year joint effort, as described in the Border 2020 Program, by these 

Federal agencies, the states, municipalities, nongovernmental ·organizations, educational institutions and border 

residents to work together to improve the public health and environment on the U.S.-Mexico Border. 

on 

·· ntal Protection Agency 

Bt:Zf!::: ~ Jt:: 

New Mexico Depat1ment Environment 

Honorary Witness 

Matt Rodriquez 

California Environmental Protection Agency 

Honorary Witness 

Tohono O'odham Nation 

Honorary Witness 

Juan R e 

~ Secretan 

Natural Re 

~ S: ':) ~ ose ua a upe suna t an 

Baja California Governor 

Honorary Witness 

Fernando Gutierrez Moreno 

Sustainable Development Secretary 

State ofNuevo Leon 

Honorary Witness 

Carlos Walteri ustamante Anchondo 

Mayor of Tijuana 

Honorary Witness 
Con base en el Acuerdo de 1983 sobre Cooperacion para Ia Proteccion y Mejoramiento del Medio Ambiente en Ia 

Region Fronteriza (Acuerdo de La Paz), el Titular de Ia Secretarfa de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de los 

Estados Unidos Mexicanos (SEMARNA T) y la Administradora de Ia Agencia de Proteccion Ambiental de los 

Estados Unidos de America (U.S. EPA) acordaron, en Mayo de 2011 , trabajar conjuntamente con los diez estados 

fronterizos y tribus fronterizas de los Estados Unidos de America para desarrollar un nuevo programa binacional de 

ocho afios de duracion con el objetivo de mejorar el medio ambiente y reducir los riesgos mas significativos a Ia 

salud publica en lafrontera Mexico-Estados Unidos, y 

PUESTO QUE Ia Mision de este programa es 

Proteger el media ambiente y Ia salud publica en Ia region fronteriza Mexico-EE. UU , de conformidad con los 

principios de desarrollo sustentable. 

POR LO TANTO el 8 de Agosto de 201 2, los representantes de la SEMARNAT, de Ia U.S. EPA, de los diez 

Estados fronterizos y de 26 Tribus fronterizas de los Estados Unidos de America se reunieron en Tijuana, Baja 

California, para reconocer el fin de Ia elaboracion. del Programa Ambiental Mexico-Estados Unidos: Frontera 

2020, marcando asi el inicio de ocho afios de esfuerzos conjuntos entre las mencionadas Dependencias Federales, 

los estados, los municipios, organizaciones no gubernamentales, instituciones educativas y residentes de la frontera 

a ·fin de mejorar la salud publica y el medio ambiente en Ia frontera Mexico-Estados Unidos, en terminos del 

Programa Frontera 2020. 

vira Quesada 

edio Ambiente y Recursos 

aJ.UlFattli&..Q.1~ Mexico , SEMARNA T 

Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan 

Gobernador Constitucional 

Estado de Baja California 

Testigo de Honor 

Fernando Gutierrez Moreno 

Secretario de Desarrollo Sustentable 

Gobiemo del Estado de Nuevo Leon 

Testigo de Honor 

Carl te Anchondo 

Presidente Municipal 

H. XX Ayuntamiento de Tijuana, Baja California 

Testigo de Honor 

Butch 

~~ Tongate ? 

Departamento de Medio Ambiente de 

Nuevo Mexico 

Testigo de Honor 

Matt Rodriquez 

Agencia de Proteccion Ambiental de 

California 

Testigo de Honor 

~~a Nacion Tohono O'odham 

Testigo de Honor