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GNEB 2005 Eagle Pass Meeting Minutes

Good Neighbor Environmental Board Meeting

G N E B: Good Neighbor Environmental Board

February 16-17, 2005
Eagle Pass, Texas

Meeting Summary/Minutes
(approved with revisions at Washington, D.C. meeting)

Day 1, Wednesday, February 16, 2005                                                                          (8:30 a.m.)

Board Members


Federal Board Members, Alternates

EPA/Office of Cooperative Environmental Management (Administrative Responsibility for Board):

Speakers:

Other Attendees, Community Representatives, and Guests:

Background

The Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB or the Board) is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) independent advisory committee. It advises the U. S. President and Congress on good-neighbor practices along the U.S.-Mexico border. The focus is on the environmental infrastructure needs of the U. S. states that are contiguous to Mexico.


Pledge of Allegiance and Welcoming Remarks

Elaine Koerner, Designated Federal Officer, GNEB, welcomed everyone to the Good Neighbor Environmental Board Meeting in Eagle Pass Texas. She thanked Rosella Even, Principal, Rosita Valley Literacy Academy, Loma Linda Colonia, for leading the pledge of allegiance. Paul Ganster, Chair, introduced the local officials who would provide welcoming remarks.

Jose Aranda, Maverick County Judge, described Eagle Pass as a community where city and county officials worked closely with each other and their counterparts in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. Monthly meetings are held to discuss common issues and problems for both cities and the region. He thanked the board members for increasing awareness in Washington, DC, of the border environmental issues. He especially noted the impact of the Children's Environmental Health report.

Magdalena P. Herrera, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Eagle Pass, welcomed everyone on behalf of Mayor Chad Foster and the City Council. Ms. Herrera described the rich bicultural heritage of the two border cities. The two cities are partners in commerce, transportation, public safety, health care, and environmental problems. She appreciated the extensive studies reported by GNEB, which help them in planning for a better environment. She asked for their commitment in caring for the environment and making the U. S. President and Congress aware of the environmental structural issues and problems that exist along the U.S./Mexico border. Ingeniero Luis Estaquio Gurrola, General Manager of SIMAS, Piedras Negras, also welcomed the guests on behalf of Mayor Claudio Bres. Roy Bernal, Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, welcomed everyone on behalf of Juan Garza, Chairman of the Kickapoo Tribe. He stated that his tribe had a working relationship with the city and county and others who are associated with economic development.

Mr. Ganster thanked people who helped organize the meeting: Domingo Davalos, Office of the Secretary of State, Texas; Ronnie Rivera, Mr. Franz, Superintendent of Eagle Pass Independent School District, Jesus Sanchez, Joe Ornelas, Tracy King, and Judge Arenda. Mr. Ganster welcomed the new board members: Peter Silva, Steve Niemeyer, and David Randolph. Next, all of the attendees introduced themselves.


Speaker Presentations on Meeting Themes: Community Success Stories

Roberto Gonzalez, General Manager, Eagle Pass Water Utility System, discussed a major water and wastewater regional project which has improved the infrastructure and the quality of life in Eagle Pass and surrounding communities. The $103 million dollar project was developed with cooperation from local, state, and Federal governments, grass roots organizations, interfaith groups, other citizens and Tetra Tech Engineering Company. The problem was a lack of water and water treatment systems in the rural area surrounding Eagle Pass. The project's end result was a water treatment plant serving Eagle Pass, El Indio water supply company, and all of the colonias in the region. Mr. Gonzalez thanked the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission, the North American Development (NAD) Bank, EPA, and the Texas Water Development Board for coordinating efforts and financing the water project.

Mr. Gonzalez introduced Al Groves, the Engineer for the City of Eagle Pass Waterworks System for 20 plus years, who would present the infrastructure projects, after which Mr. Gonzalez would cover the actual benefits. (Copies of the project were distributed.) The first project was a 6.4 mile wastewater interceptor line from the wastewater treatment plant that served the entire Eastern area of Eagle Pass. The cost of the first project was $4,999,000. The second project was a water transmission line that carried water from a new surface water treatment plant. With the use of elevated towers, water is pumped to the entire region. The next phase was new interceptor line for wastewater which also served a major colonia area to the north.

The current construction projects are a water reclamation system, three water towers, a water treatment plant, a pumping station, three water towers, and a southern transfer line that will serve a Kickapoo Village and the whole southern region. The next projects are a new regional control and administration building, which will also be used as a command center for Homeland Security. A second plant, the Rosita Valley Wastewater Treatment Plant, will service the drainage area east and south of Eagle Pass and a large colonia area. Collection systems and a water distribution system will serve the south colonias.

Mr. Gonzalez felt strongly that the availability of water and wastewater service to communities for the first time will narrow the gap of social and economic development. In closing, he stated that the Rio Grande is a main artery and both the U. S. and Mexico should take care of it. The river needs to be monitored, ruled, and regulated on both sides of the river under the same rules. The large expected influx of population to the northern states of Mexico will require major changes in infrastructure and economic and social development.

Questions and Comments:

Q.      Is the river the only source of water? Is there any groundwater?
Mr. Gonzalez: The River is the only source and they are purchasing $5 million dollars of water rights for over 3,000 acre-feet to accommodate this project. Water rights are very expensive, and the costs vary by source. There are no aquifers in Maverick County, so underground water is in short supply. In the future, groundwater may be transported from other areas. Desalination is another costly option. In the subdivisions of Eagle Pass, there are fees for water rights. Water rights are being sold to water districts under long-term contracts, which make it more difficult for municipalities.
Comment: Mr. Luthans noted that he had brought EPA's Chief Financial Officer and a staff member of the House Appropriations Committee to the border area to look at waste and waste water infrastructure needs.

Q.      Are there connection fees and do you have a flat rate for water and sewer?
Mr. Gonzalez: The USDA and the City and County have been helpful to the colonias people in helping to pay connection costs. There are fees for connection and a flat rate for water and sewer.
Comment: Ms. Spener, IBWC, commented on the importance of water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico and current efforts to improve the quality of water. Under contract with the State of Texas, the IBWC operates the Clean Rivers Program for the Rio Grande. Through the monitoring program, problems with water quality will be identified. There are a lot of wastewater and sanitation projects being implemented.

Hector Chavez, Eagle Pass Public Works Director, presented the challenges that Subtitle D regulations for municipal solid waste disposal made for a small community. A video presentation highlighted the following challenges, problems, and programs:

Q.      How did tire recycling fees work?
Mr. Chavez: The state charged a $2.00 fee for tires and the money was used by TCEQ for transportation. The city provided a trailer for people to dispose of their tires without cost. When the counties implemented recycling fees, people would not pay it. The problem was a lot of tires were collected under the state program, but there was no market for the recycled tires. The state could find uses for the tires. For example, the Texas Department of Transportation could use crumb rubber in construction of a loop near Eagle Pass, which would use 200,000 tires.

Luis Eustaquio Gurrola, General Manager Sistema Municipal de Aguas y Saneamiento (SIMAS), Piedras Negras, (through translator) said that in 1998 the various programs were integrated and certified with the help of EPA and COCEF. He provided general information about Piedras Negras, SIMAS, and the NADBank. The municipal water and sanitation system serves Piedras Negras, a sister city to Eagle Pass in northeastern Mexico.

The water plants treat water from the Rio Grande, but they are negotiating to obtain surface water from a dam, La Fragua. Twenty-four storage tanks can store about 26 million liters of water. A wastewater treatment plant sends treated water back to the river. An electric plant uses the water to cool its equipment.

The NADBank's mission is to work in partnership with border communities to improve financing, long-term development, and a healthy environment. The first project for the wastewater treatment plant, a pumping station and collectors and interceptors, was done under bid by a private Spanish company for $23 million. The second stage, for $8.9 million includes the construction of two modules for the water treatment plant, collectors and pumping stations.

Mr. Gurrola showed the water and sewage projects, including the NAD-funded projects, with the use of slides. One of the sewer lines will benefit all of the southern colonias. Another sewer line, the Infonavit, will benefit 16 Colonias. Many other sewer lines were in process.

Questions and Comments:

Q.      Is there any problem getting people to use the water instead of bottled water?
Mr. Gurrola: The water is monitored three times a week by the Ministry of Health, and we educate people about the water quality.

Q.      How are you going to implement the rates? Are businesses charged more than residences?
Mr. Gurrola: Any increases in rates are authorized by the board of directors. In January a five percent increase was authorized. The NADBank is making a study of the rates based on population growth.

Q.      What is the level of treatment at the wastewater plant and does the power plant use this water?
Mr. Gurrola: All the wastewater from the city is treated at the plant and sent back to the river. The treated water is monitored for pollutants and certified. There is an agreement between the treatment plant operators and the power plant to use the water for cooling purposes.


Public Comment Session

Ildeliza Antonares, North American Development Bank, has helped to finance 87 infrastructure projects and150 technical assistance projects aimed at helping border communities improve water, wastewater, and solid waste disposal. Other programs under development include air quality, clean energy, and transportation.

Carlos Chavez Parra, a representative of the Chamber of Commerce for Piedras Negras and Secretary of the Citizens Committee for the Environmental Cleaning in Piedras Negras, explained that due to the treatment the water goes back into the Rio Grande in better condition, so eventually the quality of the river water will improve. The citizens of Piedras Negras were not impacted by an increase in rates, because the city is selling the treated water to the electric power plant.

Q.      Where did the Federal Electrical Commission get their water before this project?
Mr. Gurrola: The power plant has its own well, but needs more water and better quality water. Mr. Niemeyer wanted to know if the groundwater might be available to other border communities.

Q.      If water is polluted upriver from the treatment plant, how does the plant overcome this to improve the overall quality of the water downriver?
Mr. Gurrola: After the river water is treated, supplied to the city, recovered and treated as wastewater, and returned to the river, it is of better quality than the original river water sample.
Comment: Mr. Gonzalez noted that their were other sources of water pollution that are not monitored or controlled, such as creeks, industrial wastes, and agricultural products, that deteriorate the quality of water to communities downstream.

After lunch, Ms. Koerner announced that the Kickapoo Tribe representative was not yet present. She described the field trip to the Loma Linda Colonia, at La Central Community Center. Community speakers and Mr. Davalos and Mr. Garza, Director of the Center, will discuss issues related to the colonias. After that, the group will tour the Kickapoo Indian Reservation and hear from their leaders at the casino. Ms. Koerner requested that board members and audience members add border environmental events to the calendar being passed around.

Board Member Report-Outs

William Luthans, EPA Region 6, reported that the next Border 2012 National Coordinators meeting was scheduled for March 8-10, 2005, in Tucson, Arizona. Taskforces and regional work groups have been preparing their priority issues to present to national leaders. A request for proposal for funding projects under Border 2012 in Region 6 is closing soon. The last National Coordinators meeting focused on two areas: waste tires and diesel emissions. In Baja California and Mexicali, EPA and SEMARNAT started working with officials to remove two big tire piles, which will be used for fuel and rubberized asphalt.

Thomas Mampilly, HHS, announced that Dick Walling will no longer be representing HHS at the GNEB due to a change of position and then retirement. Captain Randy Grinnell, Chief Environmental Health Officer, U. S. Public Health Service, and Director of the Office of Environmental Health and Engineering, Oklahoma Branch, Indian Health Service, will represent HHS. There will be a meeting of the Health and Environment Ministers of the Americans (HEMA) in June to discuss environmental health issues. A new collaboration between the Pan American Health Organization, EPA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will promote environmental health in the Americas. The State Department is reviving the International Environmental Health Subcommittee with representation from Federal agencies, such as FDA and CDC, and other environmental stakeholders.

Rosendo Trevino, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA, briefly described the agency's programs, as follows:

David Randolph, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), reported that many freeways in Arizona are being paved with rubberized asphalt. ADEQ is working on an air quality study for Nogales, and a new one looking at diesel exhaust fumes at the port of entry. A Fast Lane Project at Mariposa will help speed up entries and reduce pollution. Arizona is working on two fuel-related projects: low sulfur diesel fuel and a new refinery in Yuma that will be the first refinery to meet stringent pollution standards.

Sally Spener, International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), said that negotiations over the Mexico's Rio Grande water debt will be resolved soon. The San Diego/Tijuana Sanitation Project will come into compliance with the secondary treatment requirements by September, 30, 2008. A draft environmental impact statement is available for public comment. Commissioner Duran was selected chair of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of the CEC for 2005. A programmatic environmental impact statement for the Rio Grande and Tijuana River Floor Control Projects is under development. Interested persons can apply for their Colorado River Citizens Forum.

Paul Ganster said the Institute for Regional Studies of the Californias, has recently published two works: (1) a book on the Imperial-Mexicali Valleys; and (2) an atlas of the Tijuana River watershed that harmonizes data across the international boundary.

Stephen Niemeyer, Texas Commission for Environmental Quality, is planning for the upcoming U.S./Mexico Border Governor's Conference. The annual 10-state retreat will be held on May 12-13, 2005, in Saltillo, Coahuila.

Community Presentations, continued

Alven Lam, HUD, and Jean Parcher, Acting Chief, Texas Mapping Partnership Office, U. S. Geological Survey, spoke about a project to help colonias along the border to deal with population growth. Using an Internet-based mapping technology called Geographic Information System (GIS), four border communities have been helped in local planning: Eagle Pass/Piedras Negras, El Paso/Ciudad Juarez, Douglas/Agua Prieta, and Nogales/Ambos Nogales. The border communities on both sides don't recognize the border and want to work together to forecast their futures. In Mexico, the central government wants to control all the data, so they worked with the Ministry of Social Development (SEDESOL) to promote a binational and bilingual database.

Jean Parcher described how the mapping technology is used to help the colonias in planning. In Texas, about 1800 colonias have been mapped. The demographic data can be used to plan for utilities, schools, and health utilities. Public health and environmental issues are being integrated with the database. Users with wireless connections to the Internet can use the software on-line to do local planning for land use, transportation routes, and flooding potential.

One of the difficulties is to bring together the mapping data in the U. S. and the Mexican side in a digital format. The USGS office in Tucson is helping to map the colonia area in Cochise County and to designate the parameters for a colonia. The mapping strategy can assist communities in meeting the guidelines for water and sewer infrastructure grants. HUD offers training for the colonias to apply for grants in economically distressed areas. Ms. Parcher's slides depicted population density, flash floods, colonias, hospitals, clinics, and businesses. Utilizing data from others, such as the Water Development Board, water lines can be indicated.

In El Paso and Cuidad Juarez there is a tri-state—New Mexico, Chihuahua, and Texas—GIS community group called Pidia Mapa that will integrate their data. In the Matamoros and Brownsville area, the USGS is working with the Border Environment Health Mapping Service, INEGI, and SEMARNAT on binational data sets on water and land use issues. Capacity training will be offered to local communities to learn the GIS system. The web page to reach the data is http://geography.usgs.gov/.Link to EPA's External Link Disclaimer

Questions and Comments:

Q.      In Texas, legislation was passed prohibiting the practice of selling land to establish colonias, so would this mapping project show new colonias which are illegal?

Ms. Parcher: We can see the beginnings of a new colonia because of the lack of structure and unpaved roads. People in these unstructured developments need to aware of the problems of buying lands from developers. Mr. Niemeyer added that colonias enforcement in Texas is done by the Attorney General's Office. Mr. Ganster was concerned about the growth of colonias which would not have the proper infrastructures and services. Ms. Parcher thought that the counties do not have the resources for enforcement.
Comment: Mr. Varady objected to lumping colonias with poor, rural communities, because colonias have a very specific border context.

Q.      Can you describe the types of health data and the method used to incorporate these data?
Ms. Parcher: In working with health agencies or hospitals, they could map out the disease cases using GIS mapping. The rates of diseases could be studied over time, based on land use data.


Las Colonia Loma Linda Field Trip- Community Representatives
La Central Community Center

Domingo Davalos, Texas Secretary of State, welcomed the board to the Las Colonia Loma Linda and introduced Ms. Sandra Fuentes, Co-Chair, Texas Border Organization TBO.)   The TBO is located in the Middle Rio Grande Valley and addresses the problem unemployment, education, and lack of infrastructure in the colonias. The TBO is developing a comprehensive plan for the economic and social revitalization of the region. The Board works to empower poor people to participate in the decisions that impact their lives. Ms. Fuentes introduced several community leaders who would speak about the colonia's problems.

The community speakers were Mari Luz Liserio, Esperanza Guajardo, and Nina Polengo. The problems and some solutions stated by these speakers included:

Questions and Comments

Q.      If the infrastructure is improved, do you still want to be designated a colonia?
Ms. Liserio responded that her area would eventually be annexed by the city. Ms. Fuentes said that the colonias in the Del Rio area are charged 20 percent more for water and trash pickup. When the people said they wanted certain improvements, such as a fire station and sidewalks, the city did not want to annex them. Ms. Fuentes said that the improvements have come because the people were empowered to act for the betterment of the communities.

Domingo Davalos, Office of the Secretary of State (OSS), stated that in 1999, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1421 to advance efforts to connect colonia residences to water and wastewater services. The OSS now employs seven ombudsmen who work along the border in Hidalgo, El Paso, Starr, Web, Cameron, and Maverick counties and other areas designated as colonias by the Texas Water Development Board and the Office of Attorney General. The ombudsmen serve as liaisons between colonia residents and utility companies.

The ombudsmen work with other state and county officials to adopt model subdivision regulations and they report any illegal colonia development to the Office of the Attorney General. They work with Federal health and social initiatives to provide services to colonia residents. Teams are being started in colonia communities consisting of local, state, and Federal agencies and non-profit organizations to provide services. Mr. Davalos named the border partner organizations. The ombudsmen act as mediators between residents and officials to come to consensus for the betterment of the communities.

Sabino Garza, Director, La Central Community Center, described the Center as a place where agencies provide services and resources to residents of 15 colonias. The Center has many partners, including the Maverick County Hospital and CASSE, a non-profit organization, to provide service to the residents. The goal is to empower the residents to demand the services they need. He asked the GNEB Board members to take the message from the people back to Washington to instigate policy related to the needed services. Pietra Marquez described a literacy program, a home-based tutoring program, for first and second graders, that was based at La Central.

Paul Ganster, Chair of GNEB, thanked the people for putting a human face on the many needs and problems of the Colonias. The empowerment and organization of the people is impressive and effective in working with officials and organizations to accomplish betterment of the communities.

Adjournment: The meeting was recessed at 5:00 p.m. The Board would reconvene tomorrow, Thursday, February 17, 2005, at 8:45 a.m.


Day 2, February 17, 2005                                                                                           (8:45 a.m.)

Business Meeting

Meeting Participants:

Board Members: Same as Day 1 plus Shannon Sorzano, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD

EPA: Elaine M. Koerner, DFO, Tim Sherer, Geraldine Brown, Lois Williams

Other Federal Members and Guests: William Luthans, Thomas Mampilly, Sally Spener, and John Sullivan

Approval of Meeting Minutes

Ms. Koerner announced that there were no new audience members today, but said that Shannon Sorzano, HUD representative would be joining the group today. Paul Ganster, Chair, opened the business meeting of the GNEB and asked for approval of the minutes of the last meeting. Mayor Rose moved the approval of the minutes and Mr. Allen seconded the motion. The minutes were approved with minor corrections in the spelling of names. Ms. Koerner noted that the meeting minutes can be found on the website and she asked members to send any corrections to her.


2005 Strategic Planning Session

Mr. Ganster asked Ms. Koerner to discuss the 2005 work plan grid in the members' folders. Ms. Koerner stated the goals for the planning session, as follows:

GNEB Board Meeting Dates

Washington D.C. Meeting, May 10-11, 2005: Ms. Koerner stated that planning committee members are Paul Ganster, Gary Gillen, John Ritchie, Doug Smith, Bob Varady, and Ben Muskovitz, State Department. No other members requested assignment to the committee. Mr. Varady was excused because he would be on the planning committee for the following meeting. The date and time for the first planning call were set for Tuesday, March 22, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Tohono O'odham Nation Meeting, October 17-19, 2005: Ms. Koerner said that the planning committee members for the Tohono O'odham Nation Meeting were Ned Norris and the staff of the ADEQ, Bob Varady, Doug Smith, Bob Faherty, and Ann Marie Wolf. David Randolph volunteered a member (not named) of the Arizona RCS. Dr. Varady added that Joan Timeche, a Hopi and a member of the Native Nations Institute will help in the planning. It was agreed that the first planning call would be Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Ninth Report Planning

Ms. Koerner stated the goals of the discussion on the Ninth Report would be to decide on topics, set up work groups, and set up initial calls. Mr. Ganster provided some background on the topics which would probably be part of the Tenth Report—the Border 2012 process and the major environmental issues of concern to the border communities—because each would require more time for preparation. Members of the Ninth Report planning committee on the first conference call were Gedi Cibas, Jacob Macias, Steve Niemeyer, David Randolph, and Sally Spener. John Klein and Bob Varady had previously provided input. The committee recommended that the Ninth Report be comprised of three topics that would be easily identified, accomplishable within the time frame, and lead to feasible policy recommendations.

In a lengthy discussion, topics proposed by GNEB members included:

  1. The environmental effects of the major increase in transportation across the border, especially as it related to national security policy.
  2. The impact of development on natural resources, such as wildlife, vegetation, and water, as this related to historical cultural practices and beliefs
  3. Air quality regulations related to local communities ability to control air pollution and possible changes to the Clean Air Act
  4. Environmental education of both children and adults
  5. Asymmetry between Mexico and the United States in terms of levels of development, infrastructural differences, urban services, government agency funding levels, environmental enforcement, and the lack of support for urban planning.
  6. Environmental rules related to cross-border issues.
  7. Increased awareness of the problem in the Colonias of waste and water pollution.

Members discussed each proposed topic, including the benefits, feasibility, drawbacks, and the ability to integrate various topics within the major topics. Members agreed to limit the report to one to three topics, provided leadership could be found for each major topic. Members also agreed that the report should be about 10 pages in length with one page of specific recommendations. Considerable support was given to topics of transportation and the environment; the developmental impact on natural resources related to cultural beliefs and practices; and the environmental problems in the colonias.

Supporting arguments for the issue of transportation and the environment were stated as follows:

Supporting arguments for the issue of the effects of development on natural resources related to cultural practices included:

Statements related to the topic of air pollution were:

The problem of asymmetry was huge and important, but probably beyond the scope of the Board and staff capabilities. Gedi Cibas suggested that the imbalance between the U.S. and Mexico could be addressed by making key infrastructural investments in Mexico that would address environmental, immigration, and other political concerns. Stephen Niemeyer stated that the Mexican government could devote more resources to the border region. Ms. Sorzano argued that the border asymmetry issues needed to be viewed in the light of Presidents Bush and Fox's efforts to develop the south of Mexico under the Partnership for Prosperity. Ms. Koerner thought that it would be difficult to reach consensus on the asymmetry issue. Ms. Spener raised the problem of approaching this issue from the U. S. perspective only. It was decided to integrate asymmetry into the main report topics.

Mr. Ganster suggested that some of the issues could be dealt with by Comment Letters. Mr. Niemeyer offered to write a letter on Transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (TEIA) regarding the clarification of transboundary rules and regulations that affect businesses and communities on both sides of the border. Ms. Sorzano added that all of the U. S. governmental agencies have international offices and relationships with their counterparts in Mexico. She thought that HUD and other agencies would be willing to discuss GNEB issues with them.

Ms. Koerner acknowledged the difficulty of arriving at a joint consensus statement with border tribes and Consejo. She thought that a separate part of the report could address the colonia and tribal issues from the tribes' perspectives. Rosendo Trevino agreed that identifying endemic colonia and tribal issues should be included is a special section of the report. Ms. Koerner thought that voices from the community could be included in the business report section, if some members were willing to recap statements from community representatives. Stephen Niemeyer agreed that hearing the human side of problem from the colonias was important. Ms. Sorzano thought that both the transportation and natural resource issues affect the colonias, so their concerns could be integrated into the major topics.

Rosendo Trevino suggested reviewing the previous reports for topics related to the current topics. Ms. Koerner noted that a summary of recommendations from previous reports had been sent to the Ninth Report planning committee. She then reviewed the topics of the previous reports. The first three covered numerous topics. The Fourth Report was on watershed issues. The Fifth and Sixth Reports covered a combination of air, water, waste, hazardous materials, and natural resources in various combination. The Seventh Report was on children's environmental health, and the Eighth Report was on water resources management.

It was decided that several important topics, such as air pollution, the need for cooperation between Mexico and the United States on cross-border environmental rules and regulations, public education on environmental problems, and the environmental problems specific to the Colonias could be integrated into the first two topics. The impact of economic development on the environment would require considerable cost accounting, even though Mexico has made these estimates on a national level. The recommendations of other key groups, such as the Border Governors Conference, the CEC Air Transportation Report, should be considered when making the Ninth Report's recommendations in order to have more impact.

Ms. Koerner indicated that chosen topics should involve the maximum number of Board members, so that the consensus would carry more weight. She suggested adding two more agencies to the Board—the Department of Homeland Security-Border Patrol Section and the Department of Energy—to ensure representation on the latest issues.

Mr. Ganster summarized the discussion on topics for the Ninth Report and assigned leaders and members to each topic as indicated by their responses. The two major topics for the Ninth Report and assignments were as follows:

  1. The environmental effects of the major increase in transportation across the border, especially as it related to national security policy. (David Randolph, Leader; Douglas Smith, William Luthans, Stephen Niemeyer, Sally Spener, Diane Rose, Peter Silva, and Gedi Cibas)
  2. The impact of development on natural resources, such as wildlife, vegetation, and water, as this related to historical cultural practices and beliefs. (John Klein, Leader; Ann Marie Wolf, Robert Varady, Larry Allen, Rosendo Trevino, Gary Gillen, and Sally Spener)

Dates and times for the two planning committee conference calls were:
Transportation: Conference call on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, Noon, Eastern Time. Also some of the members could get together at the National Coordinators Meeting in Tucson. Suggestions could be sent to David Randolph by email.
Cultural Practices and Natural Resources: Conference Call on Friday, April 1, 2005 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Ms. Koerner noted the other meetings dates and times as: planning for the Washington, D.C. GNEB meeting on March 22, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time; and planning for the Tohono O'odham Nation GNEB Board Meeting on March 30, 2005 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Eighth Report would be launched at 11:30 a.m. on March 8th right after the opening remarks from the Governor of Arizona. Copies of the report would have already been sent to the President and Congress.

Ms. Koerner asked that in addition to the Main Topics and the Business Report, if the Federal members would be willing to write a brief summary of what their respective agencies had done along the border in terms of environmental activities in 2005. The agency representatives agreed to write the short summaries.

Comment Letters

Mr. Niemeyer introduced the idea of writing a comment letter to Congress about the problem of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel letter asked them to discuss the issue with their Mexican colleagues. The GNEB recommended last summer that this issue become a discussion item at the Bi-National Commission, which is a meeting of the cabinets of the U. S. and Mexico. One of the issues is that the Mexican Congress does not want to allocate funds the capital investment to retooling or building facilities to reduce the sulfur content of diesel fuel. Ms. Koerner reminded the Board that the GNEB cannot lobby Congress for particular legislation, but can provide advice to the President and Congress. Mr. Niemeyer would draft the letter, assisted by David Randolph.

Mr. Niemeyer stated that a letter on the transboundary effects of environmental projects should request that the U. S., Mexico and Canada continue the negotiations. The problem is that some of the projects in the U. S. are under the purview of the states. One GNEB Federal member was concerned about backing a letter that might be in conflict with the U. S. Government's position. It was decided to have a committee draft a letter on the issue of transboundary environmental impact assessment and notification. Steve Niemeyer would take the lead in drafting the letter on transboundary environmental impact. The committee members were Paul Ganster, Peter Silva, and Sally Spener,

A third comment letter, this one on BECC and the NADBank regarding the lack of resources of BECC, was in process. Pete Silva asked for clarification of the Board's intent of the letter. Mr. Ganster noted that there were two issues: (1) public representation and transparency, and (2) lack of funds to carry out their mandate. Mr. Silva was asked to edit the letter at this meeting; and then the Board could discuss the revisions, and come to consensus.

After editing the letter, Mr. Silva presented the revised draft to the Board. The first point was that BECC has not had the resources to carry out its responsibilities. The second point was that the Charter of the BECC says that the Chair can only be a public members and not one of the Federal agencies. The document would state that public input and transparency should be maximized in the new NADBank Board structure and meetings. Mr. Randolph wanted to be sure that everyone agreed to the last sentence that stated "alternating between a public member and one of the agency members," because this was stronger than the previous version which called for alternating the chair between agency members. No one objected to the statement. Peter Silva recorded the changes and would provide them to Ms. Koerner. Everyone agreed with the letter as revised.

Performance Evaluation Measures Work Group Report

Robert Varady provided the background on the GNEB performance evaluation. The work group developed an outline of procedures and measures, Suggested Evaluation Strategies and Measures," for evaluating the effect of the GNEB, including involvement, products, and outreach. A website could be used to gather input from member activities. Member involvement would incorporate diversity, attendance, time spent on Board activities, geographic diversity of meeting places, input from the public, and informational exchanges among members. Product measurement would include reports, comment letters, the roundup newsletter, and the number of distributions or incorporations into other avenues of communication or meetings with significant persons. Outreach included press releases and interviews, briefings, and related meetings where members speak out Board issues.

The discussion on performance evaluation yielded the following points:

Dr. Varady volunteered to capture the Board's comments and circulate them to the committee. Initially the report will be an internal document for the EPA. Mr. Trevino suggested using a tear-off sheet at the end of the Ninth Report requesting information on how the report was used. A form could also be developed for the website to gather responses to the report. Ann Marie Wolf was added to the performance evaluation work group.

Distribution of the Eighth Report

Ms. Koerner asked members to fill out a form indicating how many copies of the Eighth Report they needed and whether they were going to distribute them or wanted the Cincinnati facility to distribute them. There is also a form to track the distribution of the Seventh Report. The Eighth Report should be distributed by mid-March. A PowerPoint presentation will be developed by the Chair and staff and will be available for use by members. Mr. Ganster asked Mr. Luthans to send him a list of libraries from the Border Liaison Office.

Board Member Report-Outs (continued)

Mayor Diane Rose, Imperial Beach, California, described three events related to Imperial Beach and environmental concerns:

  1. An article on the Southern California Ocean Observation System, which is a $750,000 grant in partnership between Imperial Beach and Scripps Institute of Oceanography to gather information on ocean currents utilizing satellites.
  2. The Tijuana National Estuarine Research Reserve as been selected as a RAMSAR site, which is an important designation for a wetlands site.
  3. A series of newspaper articles and a letter to Congress regarding a Homeland Security triple fence in the Smuggler Gulch and Goat Canyon area that could have a major impact on natural resources. Homeland Security legislation in Congress would exempt the Department of Homeland Security from any environmental review process. This is a transboundary issue involving the whole 1300-mile plus border with Mexico and the U. S. Canadian border.

Ms. Rose wanted everyone to be aware of the importance of this legislation for both natural resources and transboundary issues.

Robert Varady, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy said the Center is continuing to work in the Upper San Pedro River Basin on climate and water. He will report next time on the work of the Udall Center.

Douglas S. Smith, Corporate Environmental Safety and Health, stated that the SONY Corporation has a global, environmental measurement system, so that one certificate covers global operations and their factories. The Tijuana plant has gone through a transition from tube assembly to high-end LCDs. During the peak season, they have as many 9,000 people working in one plant. The recycling effort will concentrate on old electronic equipment, which can be broken down and remade into new products

Ann Marie Wolf, Sonoran Environmental Research Institute, reported on three of the SERI programs:

  1. Community Assist of Southern Arizona, a four-year program in partnership with Child and Family Services, that provides home educational visits to families on childhood lead poisoning, the use of pesticides, and other health issues
  2. A hazardous chemical air monitoring program aimed at voluntary reductions by industries of air pollutants
  3. A community project related to air pollution standard violations at a cement plant. Funding was received last Fall to establish an environmental education center.

John Klein, U. S. Geological Survey, Department of Interior, discussed an environmental health program in the McCallan-Renosa area which described in a fact sheet entitled Internet Map Service for Environmental Health in the U. S. /Mexico Border Region. The program helps people to understand the linkages between physical and chemical parameters in a geographic framework. The tool can be found on their website and comments on its usefulness are welcome. Mr. Klein passed out copies of the newsletter on the Aerial Photography Program of DOT's U.S./Mexico Field Coordinating Committee. The Border Groundwater Senate Bill 1957 is starting over in the new Congress as Senate Bill 214 and House Bill HR-469, which if passed would provide funding for groundwater resources along the U. S. /Mexico Border.

Larry S. Allen, The Malpai Borderlands Group, said the Group focuses on conservation easements to preserve the open space of a million acres. Over one-half of the acreage is now under easement. Another effort is to reintroduce fire as a natural ecological process for about 110,000 acres of Federal lands in order to preserve some endangered species that are under consideration for the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Wildlife Service is now supportive of the plan.

Gedi Cibas New Mexico Environment Department, reported on three meetings related to the implementation of Border 2012. Views were exchanged among the regional work group members from the U. S. and Mexican sides in assessing the impact of Border 2012. The work group provided future direction for the environmental planning framework. The New Mexico-Aurora Task Force dealt with the issues of ecology, air quality, and ground water. The other event is that Governor Richards is proposing about $5 million dollars to address the colonias issue in New Mexico. NMED plans to open a border office in the Las Cruces area.

Shannon H. Sorzano, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, reported on several HUD projects along the border: (1) the GIS project; (2) the Nogales Project covering the environment, health, and housing issues; (3) an April meeting of the U.N. Committee for Sustainable Development on water issues; (4) sponsorship of a conference with the Mexican Housing Commission on construction technology; and (5) a business incubation project in partnership with Cochis College in Douglas.

Elaine M. Koerner, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of Linda Lawson, DOT, read her notes on the U. S. / Mexico Joint Working Committee on Transportation Planning and Programming described in a document received from Linda Lawson, DOT. There are four major projects for 2003-2005, including financing mechanisms, identification of land, bottlenecks at the border, uses and benefits of GIS, and enhanced local level coordination of border crossings. GNEB members can request participation in their next meeting in Las Cruces in May, 2005. In regard to Mexican Motor Carrier access, DOT is committed to guaranteeing that truck and buses operating within the U. S. are in compliance with all applicable safety and environmental standards.

Other Business

Ms. Koerner asked for volunteers to write a brief summary of the community voices component of the meeting. Rosendo Trevino volunteered to take the lead. Steve Niemeyer and Shannon Sorzano indicated an interest in this issue.

Distribution of Eighth Report: Mr. Trevino thought that the mayors of border cities ought to receive a copy of the GNEB reports. Ms. Rose suggested that a cover letter with the report would make it more likely to be read. Mr. Trevino added that those who have responsibility to send out the report to the communities along the border could add a cover letter.

Feedback to the Community: Ms. Rose thought that there should be feedback of the GNEB board meetings to the community where the meetings are held. Press coverage would be one avenue of communication. Mr. Niemeyer volunteered to write a letter to the local newspaper editor about the meeting. Ms. Spener suggested responding to persons who make public comment at the meetings. Ms. Koerner said that responsibility for the post-meeting responses could be part of the planning committee process.

Ms. Rose was troubled by the personal requests from individuals in the colonias. Mr. Ganster responded that this is part of the culture to ask whoever comes from the government to make personal requests. Mr. Trevino explained that the requests meant "talk to Washington," and let them know what we need.

Field Trip Timing and Reporting: Members thought that placing the field trip between meeting sessions was valuable in ensuring full attendance of board members. Ms. Koerner was concerned about the legal need and logistics of recording. Tim Sherer said that as long as no recommendations were made, the field trip did not need to be recorded. Also the public could be invited to the field trip.

May Meeting in Washington, D.C.: The meeting will be downtown near a metro. There will be considerable outreach to agencies and Congress, but the meeting plans have not been finalized. Ms. Koerner asked members to email her with their thoughts.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 2:00 p.m.

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