1. International Airshed Strategies Jean O. Melious, J.D. Huxley College of the Environment Western Washington University September 23, 2009

2. I. Introduction

3. Why have an international airshed strategy?

4. Can experience in other places help to answer this question?

5. (Detour to the other border)

8. * * The US side of the US-Mexico Border http://www.epa.gov/region6/water/beyondtranslation/2007/presentations/env-health-prior_fc.pdf

9. (Back to our border)

10. How do transboundary initiatives survive in tough times?

11. Dilbert, Sept. 20, 2009

12. Doing as much as possible with less Priorities Best practices Lessons learned (what worked, what didn’t) Gap analysis

13. 2.Why a transboundary strategy? Experience along our border and in other places

14. 1. Cope with Crises and Avoid Surprises

15. IAS: Biannual Meetings Review of Major New Source Initiatives US-Canada Air Quality Assessment, Notification, and Mitigation Requirements Memorandum of Understanding between the Washington State Department of Ecology and the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office (MOU). Commitment on TEIA under NAAEC (North American Agreement on Envtl. Coop.) Other places: Europe, LRTAP: EIA is not in the agreement; obligation is in other conventions. US/Mexico: –EIA for US federally funded projects (BECC); negotiated between border governors/Mexican states –Emergency cooperation for hazards

16. What about slow-moving emergencies?

19. 2. Harmonize standards to avoid economic competition over pollution regulation ( “race to the bottom”)

20. IAS Marine Vessel and Port Emission Reduction Initiative Climate Change Initiative ( ?) Other Places EU SECAs (North Sea, Baltic Sea) US/Mexico: 1983 La Paz Agreement (hazardous wastes produced by maquiladores must be shipped back to originating country); Border 2012

21. 3. Maintain and expand emissions inventories and monitoring networks; make the data publicly available.

22. IAS –Characterization of the GB-PS Airshed –Marine Vessel and Ports: GB-PS emissions inventory; regional air quality monitoring –Agriculture: Emissions inventory –Airwatch Northwest (www.airwatchnorthwest.or g)www.airwatchnorthwest.or g Other Places –Europe: Protocol to the LRTAP Convention on the Financing of the Co- operative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation –US-Mexico: Technology Transfer Network, U.S.- Mexico Border Information Center on Air Pollution (CICA): Border Air Quality Data http://www.epa.gov/ttnc atc1/cica/airq_e.html

23. 4.Share information and best management practices

24. IAS The Coordinated Transboundary Science and Data Initiative “Analysis of Best Management Practices and Emission Inventory for Agriculture Sources in the Lower Fraser Valley” Clean Vehicles and Fuels: Shared information on best management practices to reduce emissions from on-road vehicles Woodstoves: Shared information on woodstove change-out programs Other Places US-Mexico: –Technology Transfer Network: U.S.-Mexico Border Information Center on Air Pollution (CICA), “Technical Resources,” http://www.epa.gov/ttncatc1/cica /atech_e.html http://www.epa.gov/ttncatc1/cica /atech_e.html – LinkedIn Group (EPA Pacific Southwest) Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy, http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.o rg/index.cfm http://aarhusclearinghouse.unece.o rg/index.cfm Possible model: Re:Nepa, “the Federal Highway Administration's online community of practice.” http://nepa.fhwa.dot.gov/ReNEPA /ReNepa.nsf/home?openform http://nepa.fhwa.dot.gov/ReNEPA /ReNepa.nsf/home?openform

25. Address environmental justice concerns and hot spots.

26. IAS “Transboundary air pollution and environmental justice: Vancouver and Seattle compared” (2009), funded by the BC Centre for Disease Control, via an agreement with Health Canada as part of the U.S.–Canada Border Air Quality Strategy. “The tools developed in the Border Air Quality Study enable air quality managers to identify pollution ‘hot spots’, and to identify where higher levels of pollution coincide with at-risk populations.” (Summary Report from the BAQS, March 2008) Other Places California Air Resources Board, Envtl. Justice Resource Guide (not transboundary) EPA, EJSEAT, http://www.epa.gov/complia nce/resources/policies/ej/ej -seat.html http://www.epa.gov/complia nce/resources/policies/ej/ej -seat.html U.S. –Mexico border: Cleanup of Metales y Derivados, (abandoned, U.S.-owned lead recycling maquiladora factory in Tijuana, Mexico; CEC citizen submission)

27. 3. Meeting Theme

28. “Connection With Communities for Cleaner Air”: A Whatcom County Perspective

30. Good luck with the work ahead of you