U.S.-Mexico Border 2012
Air Policy Forum
Air Quality Management and Climate Change Mitigation on the Border
Pollutants from a number of sources, including motor vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities, agricultural operations, mining, dust from unpaved roads, open burning of trash and other emissions sources have affected urban and regional air quality along the U.S.-Mexico border. The most common and damaging pollutants from these sources include particulate matter (PM-10 and PM-2.5), ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. Much of the border population is concentrated in large cities, in which air emissions of these pollutants are highest. Rural areas, however, are more heavily affected by particulate matter in the form of agricultural and unpaved road dust.
Since 1985, the United States and Mexico have collaborated under the border program to help safeguard the health of border residents by protecting and improving border air quality. The Border 2012 Air Policy Forum, comprised of EPA and SEMARNAT, in partnership with border tribal, local and state governments, citizen groups, NGOs, academia and industry, facilitates bi-national air quality planning and management, by addressing federal cross-border and border-wide issues and providing for strategic planning of border projects. The Policy Forum is guided by the priorities of the respective nations and informed by policy needs identified by the Regional and Border-wide 2012 Program workgroups. Members of the Forum have worked collaboratively to increase knowledge about pollution sources and their impacts on both sides of the border, establish monitoring networks in several key areas, conduct emissions inventories, pave dirt roads, reduce emissions from brick kiln operations, demonstrate the benefits of retrofitting diesel trucks and buses, and build local capacity through training and workshops.
With the growing challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Air Policy Forum has also turned its attention toward climate change mitigation. Many major sources of conventional pollutants, such as energy generation facilities and vehicle emissions, are also major sources of greenhouse gas emissions, thereby presenting opportunities to address both sets of emissions simultaneously from the same sources. GHG emissions can be avoided altogether through energy efficiency measures, clean energy, methane capture, and other means, which are reflected in the newest objective, adopted in 2008.
The overall objectives are to:
- By 2012 or sooner, reduce air emissions as much as possible toward attainment of respective national ambient air quality standards, and reduce exposure in the border region.
- By 2012, build border greenhouse gas (GHG) information capacity using consistent methodologies and expand voluntary cost-effective programs (i.e., Methane to Markets, SmartWay, others) for reduction of GHG emissions in the border area.
Although substantial gains have been made, air quality is still a major concern throughout the border region. The pressures associated with industrial and population growth, the increase in the number of old vehicles, differences in governance and regulatory frameworks, economic and political climates, and topographic and meteorological conditions all combine to present a challenging context in which to address air quality management and climate change mitigation. These same factors also present many opportunities for bi-national cooperation.
Air Policy Forum Border-wide Strategy
The integrated border-wide air quality management strategy adopted in 2008, and revised with the addition of the GHG objective, can be seen in table format below. A flow chart of the goal, objectives, and priorities that make up the strategy is also available below.
Air Policy Forum Co-Chairs
Sue Stendebach (stendebach.sue@epa.gov)
US EPA, Senior Advisor on International Air Quality
Office of Air and Radiation, HQ
(202) 564-8309
Ana María Contreras (ana.contreras@semarnat.gob.mx)
SEMARNAT
Directora General de Gestión de la Calidad del Aire y Registro de Emisiones y Transferencia de Contamin