I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2928

To authorize the Secretary of State, acting through the Commissioner of

the International Boundary and Water Commission, to conclude agreements with the appropriate representative of the Government of Mexico

to correct pollution along the United States-Mexico border.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 6, 1993

Mr. DE LA GARZA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Foreign Affairs

A BILL

To authorize the Secretary of State, acting through the Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission, to conclude agreements with the appropriate

representative of the Government of Mexico to correct

pollution along the United States-Mexico border.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. AGREEMENTS TO CORRECT POLLUTION.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, acting

5 through the United States Commissioner, International

6 Boundary and Water Commission, United States and

7 Mexico (hereafter in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commis-
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1 sioner’’), is authorized to conclude agreements with the

2 appropriate representative of the Ministry of Foreign Re3 lations of Mexico for the purpose of correcting the inter4 national problem of pollution of the areas along the United

5 States-Mexico border caused by discharge of raw and in6 adequately treated sewage and other pollution related

7 problems along the border.

8 (b) CONTENT OF AGREEMENTS.—Agreements con9 cluded under subsection (a) should consist of rec10 ommendations to the Governments of the United States

11 and Mexico of measures to protect the health and welfare

12 of persons along the United States-Mexico border from the

13 effects of pollution, including—

14 (1) facilities that should be constructed, oper15 ated, and maintained in each country;

16 (2) estimates of the cost of the planning, con17 struction, operation, and maintenance of the facili18 ties referred to in paragraph (1);

19 (3) formulas for the initial division between the

20 United States and Mexico of the cost of the plan21 ning, construction, operation, and maintenance of

22 the facilities referred to in paragraph (1);

23 (4) a method for review and adjustment of the

24 formulas referred to in paragraph (3) at intervals of

25 five years that recognizes that such initial formulas
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1 should not be used as a precedent in their subse2 quent review and adjustment; and

3 (5) dates for the beginning and completion of

4 construction of the facilities referred to in paragraph

5 (1).

6 SEC. 2. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF STATE TO PLAN,

7 CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN FA8 CILITIES.

9 The Secretary of State, acting through the Commis10 sioner, is authorized to act jointly with the appropriate

11 representative of the Government of Mexico and to super12 vise—

13 (1) the planning of, and

14 (2) the construction, operation, and mainte15 nance of,

16 the facilities recommended in agreements concluded pur17 suant to section 2 and approved by the Government of

18 the United States and Mexico.

19 SEC. 3. CONSULTATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE

20 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND

21 OTHER AUTHORITIES.

22 The Secretary of State shall consult with the Admin23 istrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and other

24 concerned Federal, State, and local government officials

25 in implementing this Act.
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1 SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

2 There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as

3 may be necessary for the United States to fund its share

4 of the cost of the plans, construction, operation, and main5 tenance of the facilities recommended in agreements con6 cluded pursuant to section 1 and approved by the Govern7 ments of the United States and Mexico.

8 SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORT.

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State, acting

10 through the Commissioner, shall prepare an annual report

11 regarding the activities of the International Boundary and

12 Water Commission, including the implementation of this

13 Act, for each fiscal year as provided in subsection (b).

14 Such report shall be submitted to the President, the

15 Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Majority

16 Leader of the Senate not later than ninety days after the

17 end of each fiscal year.

18 (b) CONTENTS.—The report required under sub19 section (a) shall include—

20 (1) a summary of the activities of the Commis21 sion during the fiscal year;

22 (2) a review of the international problem of pol23 lution of the areas along the United States-Mexico

24 border caused by discharge of raw and inadequately

25 treated sewage and other wastes from populated

26 areas along the border;
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1 (3) a summary of the progress made by the

2 Commissioner during the fiscal year in concluding

3 any agreement authorized under section 1(a);

4 (4) a summary of the recommendations in5 cluded in any such agreement under consideration or

6 concluded during the fiscal year, as provided in sec7 tion 1(b);

8 (5) a summary of the progress made toward

9 fulfilling the recommendations included in any such

10 concluded agreement;

11 (6) a summary of the actions taken by the

12 Commissioner to plan, construct, operate, and main13 tain facilities as authorized under section 2;

14 (7) a summary of the consultations made with

15 the Administrator of the Environmental Protection

16 Agency and other concerned Federal, State, and

17 local government officials as required under section

18 3;

19 (8) any recommendations that the Commis20 sioner determines will be beneficial in correcting the

21 international problem of pollution of the areas along

22 the United States-Mexico border caused by discharge

23 of raw and inadequately treated sewage and other

24 wastes from populated areas along the border; and
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1 (9) such other information as the Commissioner

2 determines is necessary or appropriate.

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