A QUICK GUIDE TO BORDER 2012 WATER PROGRAM Eugenia McNaughton, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 9 San Francisco CA

HISTORY La Paz Agreement 1983 – Common environmental challenges – Annual national coordinators meeting – Work groups NAFTA environmental side agreements 1995 – BECC and NADB – Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (100 km n/s) Border XXI – Progress report – Environmental indicators report

RECENT HISTORY New governments in Mexico and U.S. Confirmation of commitment to La Paz Ten States demand a greater role Border Environment Infrastructure Fund – BECC and NADB Boards to merge – Broadening of NADB charter

BORDER 2012 Ten-year commitment Organizational changes – Policy forums – Regional work groups – Task forces Each media has specific goals and objectives Project initiation at local level

ORGANIZATION Regional Work Groups – CA/BC AZ/SON NMTX/CHI TX/COANLTAM Border-wide Work Groups – Environmental Health, Emergency Response, Enforcement Policy Forums – Air, Water, Hazardous and Solid Waste Task Forces

REDUCE WATER CONTAMINATION Objectives – Promote 25% increase in # of homes connected to potable water & wastewater treatment – Assess significant transboundary surface waters & achieve majority of relevant water quality standards – Implement coastal water quality monitoring & establish objective to meet water quality standards – Assess conditions in 10% of the water systems to identify opportunities for improving efficiency

WATER TASK FORCES California/Baja California/Arizona/Sonora Binational Co-chairs 3 Task Forces – Nogales – Lower Colorado – Tijuana Watershed

EPA Support Support for Task Force meetings – Translation – Logistics Competitive grant program – $400,000 in the program ’04 – Local project – Related to Goals and Objectives

CONCLUSION Border 2012 continues a 20-year binational program for another 10 years Goals and objectives are media-specific Emphasis is on locally developed projects Logistical and translation support for task forces Progress tracked by environmental indicators

Contact Information Eugenia McNaughton, Ph.D. EPA Regional 9 Water Division, Border Team (T) (F)