GNEB 2005 April Round-Up Newsletter

Volume 6, Number 2
April 2005

Good Neighbor Environmental Board
ROUND-UP
Board and environmental news along the U.S.-Mexico border

Good Neighbor Board News
from the Good Neighbor Environmental Board
April 2005 Round-Up

Good Neighbor Environmental Board 2005 Meetings
May 10-11 - Washington, D.C.
October 17-19 - Tohono O’odham Nation (near Tucson, AZ)

Preparations Move Forward for First Board Meeting on Tribal Land
Members of the Board's planning committee for its final meeting of 2004 met face-to-face in Tucson, Arizona, on April 20th to continue preparations for the first meeting in the history of the Board on tribal land. The Coordinator of the planning committee is Board Member Ned Norris, Jr., who is Vice Chair of the Tohono O'Odham Nation in Sells, Arizona. The meeting will take place October 17th - 19th at the Desert Diamond Casino near Tucson, Arizona.

Border Region & National News
from the
Good Neighbor Environmental Board
April 2005 Round-Up

****Note: The items in the section below have been cut-and-pasted and compiled from other documents. Please check a primary source to ensure complete accuracy. Web sites may have to be re-entered..***

Air Quality - Environmental Defense, FedEx and Indian Nations Council of Governments are among twelve organizations that have received a Clean Air Excellence Award from EPA. The awards were presented in recognition for their innovative approaches to improving air quality. Companies were recognized in the following categories: clean air technology, community development, education/outreach, regulatory/policy innovations and transportation efficiency innovations. See: http://www.epa.gov/air/caaac/2004awar.html.

Moreover, EPA has announced the availability of grants to states, nonprofits and academic institutions to demonstrate innovative idle reduction technologies for the trucking industry. Deadline for receipt of proposals is June 6, 2005. See: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/smartway/idlingtechnologies.htm

At the regional level, the Border Ozone Reduction and Air Quality Improvement Program, implemented by the Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas (an affiliate of Harvard University) has awarded seven applied research grants for projects designed to reduce levels of ozone and other air pollutants. More specifically, the goal is to facilitate creation of shared cross-border environmental standards in the Mexicali, Baja California, and Imperial Valley, California, border region. The program began in 2002, and current grants represent the second round of funded projects. See: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-11-2005/0003383848&EDATE

At the local level, San Diego County recently has been added to the EPA list of counties that meet the nation's new air quality standards for fine particle pollution (PM2.5); the addition is based on air quality monitoring data for 2002-2004. See: http://www.epa.gov/airtrends

Capacity Building - EPA has announced the availability of funds under its "Community Action for Renewed Environment (CARE) Program." The goal is to help communities understand sources of risk from toxics, set priorities, and identify and implement projects to reduce these risks through collaborative action at the local level. See: http://www.epa.gov/air/grants_funding.html

Also, the Center for Disease Control's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has released Toxicology Curriculum for Communities Training Manual. The publication offers educational training tactics to communities affected by hazardous exposures and is designed to foster collaboration between toxicology experts and community members. The curriculum was developed in cooperation with ATSDR's division of toxicology, the Institute of Public Health at Florida A&M University, and community leaders. See: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/training/toxmanual

CEC - An independent report authored by the Environmental Law Institute at Tulane University has found that the Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) to the Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) has been an innovative debate facilitator and an effective point of entry for public dialogue. See: http://www.cec.org/jpac

Also, the U.S. has presented a response to a submission on mercury emissions from power plants in ten U.S. states, including Texas. The submission was filed by the Sierra Legal Defense Fund and Waterkeeper Alliance on behalf of Friends of the Earth Canada and other U.S. and Canadian NGOs. In its response, the U.S. highlights the newly finalized Clean Air Act (CAA) rules on air emissions of mercury from coal-power plants, as well as the regulatory implications of the Clean Water Act and mercury emissions. See: http://www.cec.org.

Colonias - EPA has prepared an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact for the proposed BEIF wastewater collection and treatment expansion project for sixteen colonias near the City of Mercedes, Hidalgo County, Texas. The preliminary decision opened for a 30-day public comment starting April 30. See: http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6wq/usmexicoborder/index.htm

Drinking Water - EPA has announced the availability of funding for the Public Water System Supervision (PWSS) and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) programs. The PWSS funding is aimed at assisting states, territories, or tribes with implementing and enforcing drinking water regulation and programs. The DWSRF is designed to provide states with financing for public water system infrastructure improvements. See: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/pws/grants/ and www.epa.gov/safewater/dwsrf/allotments/

Ecosystems - The Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, a multi-state agreement, was signed on April 5, 2005. Ten years in the making, the program calls for protection of sensitive plants and animals along more than 400 miles of the river, from the western end of the Grand Canyon to the U.S.-Mexico border. According to a recent article in Las Vegas Review Journal, environmental groups have expressed concerns over the agreement, saying it will result in mitigation at best, and it does not go far enough.

Energy - The City of San Diego has been ranked as 7th among the top 25 U.S. purchasers of green power, according to EPA. Green power is defined as electricity from environmentally-preferable renewable resources such as solar, wind, or geothermal power. The Green Power Partnership Program is an EPA voluntary program working to standardize green power procurement as a best practice of environmental management. The program currently includes more than 550 partners including Fortune 500 companies, states, federal agencies, trade associations and universities. See: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top25.htm

Environmental Health - According to a study from the University of California published in the April 15 issue of Environmental Science & Technology, diesel particle pollution inside urban school buses may be at higher levels than those found in the surrounding roadway air. Moreover, according to the study, much of the pollution inside a school bus comes from the bus itself and, as a result, children on board may be inhaling more diesel particles than previously believed. The journal is published by the American Chemical Society.

Also, the Casey Foundation has published a booklet called Southwest Border KIDS Count Pocket Guide. The guide focuses on children who live in the Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas counties that border Mexico. The booklet includes information on population & demographic characteristics, health, parental employment, education, language fluency, and poverty rate.

Moreover, EPA hosted the First Annual Children's Environmental Health Excellence Awards Ceremony on April 21st in Washington, D.C. See http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/content/2005_CEH_Awards.htm.

In addition, the GlaxoSmithKline Foundation of North Carolina is seeking nominations for projects or programs that demonstrate support for public health issues affecting children through effective partnerships among state health departments, state public health associations, and other community organizations. Deadline for nominations: May 31, 2005. See: http://www.apha.org/sections/awards/05_awards/glaxo.htm.

At the national level, EPA released two set s of guidelines for assessing cancer risk from exposures to environmental pollutants: "Guidelines for Carcinogens Risk Assessment" and "Supplemental Guidance on Assessing Susceptibility from Early-Life Exposure to Carcinogens." See: http://www.epa.gov/cancerguidelines

At the local level, EPA has announced that the University of California San Diego was a recipient of a Making Medicine Mercury Free award under the Hospital for a Healthy Environment program. See: http://www.h2e-online.org/index.cfm.

Finally, in partnership with the Ad Council, EPA is releasing a new public awareness media campaign that describes steps parents can take to reduce asthma triggers commonly found in homes, daycares, and schools. The new television, radio, newspaper and outdoor public service announcements (PSAs) are the third phase of the Childhood Asthma campaign, launched in March of 2001. The PSAs highlight sources of environmental asthma triggers and action parents can take. They encourage parents to call 1-866-NOATTACKS or visit http://www.noattacks.org/for more information on preventing asthma attacks. The PSAs are available in English and Spanish and will be distributed to media outlets nationwide.

Environmental Justice - During National Public Health Week, April 4 to 10, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) released information on the American Public Health Association’s Health Disparities Projects and Interventions database. The website contains information on topics including environmental health disparities and examples of community solutions. See: http://www.apha.org/NPHW/Solutions/

IBWC - The U.S. State Department’s Office of Inspector General has issued a report on the U.S.-Mexico Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). It contains recommendations for the organization’s future management.

People - Stephen L. Johnson was sworn in on May 2 as the 11th Administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Johnson has been Acting Administrator since January, and an EPA scientist for 35 years.

In addition, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano has named Marco A. Lopez, Jr. as the new Policy Advisor for Mexico and Latina America. Mr. Lopez currently serves as Executive Director of the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC). Mr. Lopez will advise the Governor on issues affecting Arizona's relationship with Mexico and Latin America while also continuing to lead AMC. Mr. Lopez's previous posts include serving as the Mayor of Nogales, Arizona.

Also, Isidro Baldenegro Lopez has been awarded the International Goldman Environmental Prize in recognition of his grassroots environmental efforts related to forest preservation. He is the third Mexican recognized by the foundation. See: http://www.banderasnews.com/0504/eden-mexaaward.htm

Pesticides - According to EPA officials, the Children's Health Environmental Exposure Research Study has been cancelled. Although the study had recently been put under independent review, the Agency decided to halt the work.

Right-to-Know - A recent article in the newsletter of the IRC Americas program calls for linking Mexico's Federal Transparency and Governmental Public Information Access Law with its Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR). The article says that the result would strengthen public disclosure efforts. See http://www.americaspolicy.org/articles/2005/0504rtk-dp.html

Trade and Environment - President Bush, President Fox, and Prime Minister Martin held a trilateral meeting in Crawford, Texas on March 23rd. According to a fact sheet issued by the White House, the three neighboring countries agreed to work together to enhance their citizens' quality of life by jointly protecting the environment, creating a safer and more reliable food supply while facilitating agricultural trade, and taking steps to enhance public health cross-border coordination.

Tribes - EPA's office of Pesticides Programs has announced the availability of grant funds for the tribal pesticide grant program. Cooperative agreement awards are available to eligible tribal governments, Alaska native village governments, or intertribal consortia to carry out projects that assess or reduce risks to human health and the environment from pesticide exposure. Deadline for proposals: June 13, 2005. See: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-8611.htm

USGS - Highlights from recent USGS presentations at the Association of American Geographers conference held on April 5-9 in Denver, Colorado: 1) The USGS and the National Institute of Environmental Health Science have chosen mercury as a test contaminant to develop a web-based system for geospatial analysis (http://emmma.usgs.gov/). It provides access to environmental mercury datasets and integrates USGS maps, imagery, and other geospatial tools. 2) The USGS has created a bi-national database (http://borderhealth.cr.usgs.gov/)for the U.S./Mexico border region (Lower Rio Grande Valley) that integrates mapping data, demographics, water and biological contaminant data, public health and geologic surveys. It can be used to analyze possible causal links between the environment and public health issues. In partnership with the Texas Department of Health, USGS applied spatial analysis methods to analyze health issues and to explore possible links.

Wastewater - EPA has prepared an Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact for the proposed BEIF wastewater project in Colonia Anapra, Cd. Juarez in the State of Chihuahua, Mexico. The preliminary decision opened for a 30-day public comment starting April 6. See: http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6wq/usmexicoborder/index.htm

Also, San Benito, Texas has started construction of a new wastewater treatment plant. It is designed to ultimately treat 3.5 million gallons a day of wastewater, and will be used in conjunction with the existing lagoon system. The project is being financed in part by the NADBank. See: http://www.nadb.org

Water Conservation - Karnataka University, Dharwad, India has acquired the U.S. patent for its research on ion exchange membranes. The technology converts hard water, via desalination and demineralization, into potable water for commercial development.

Also, the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) and the Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) are collaborating on a study to investigate the use of graywater for landscape irrigation. As part of the first phase of the project, they held a workshop at Colorado State University, where experts on horticulture, soil science, microbiology and other perspectives provided feedback on the initial draft of the study plan. WERF and SDA are currently seeking partners for the second phase of the research. See: http://www.werf.org


Events Calendar from the Good Neighbor Environmental Board April 2005 Round-Up

Please check a primary source to ensure accuracy. Events specific to border region are in bold. Web sites may have to be re-entered. Please notify Editor of changes.***

2005

MAY 10-11	GOOD NEIGHBOR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING, WASHINGTON, D.C.
May 12	Border 2012 Imperial-Mexicali Air Task Force Meeting, Mexicali, Baja California, MX.
May 12-13	Ten State Retreat, Saltillo, Coahuila, MX.
May 15-19	World Water & Environmental Resources Congress, Anchorage, AKA.
May 16-17	Fourteenth Annual Latin American Energy Conference, La Jolla, CA
May 16-18	Fifth Border Environment Conference (Encuentro Fronterizo), Rosarito, Baja California, MX.
May 23	USIBWC Southeast Arizona Citizens' Forum, Santa Cruz Co, AZ.
May 24-26	Fourth National Conference on Environmental Conflict Resolution, Tucson, AZ.
May 24-26	DOI U.S.-Mexico Border FCC Meeting, Tucson, AZ.
May 26	Tijuana River Watershed Water Task Force Meeting, Tijuana, Baja California, MX.
May 26	Border 2012 San Diego/Tijuana Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Response Task Force Meeting, Tijuana, Baja California, MX.
Jun 12-15	International Combustion By-Products Health Effects Conference, Tucson, AZ
Jun 16-17	Second Annual Conference on Latin American Sustainable Development, La Jolla, CA.
Jun 17-18	Health and Environment Ministers of the Americas, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
Jun 21-23	Twelfth Regular CEC Session, Quebec City, Canada.
Jul 12-14	Universities Council on Water Resources Conference, Portland, ME.
Jul 14-15	U.S.-Mexico Border Governors Conference, Torreón, Coahuila, MX.
Jul 22-25	Business and Economic Society International Conference, Flagstaff, AZ
Aug 21-24	International Conference on Environmental Effects of Agricultural Practices, Hilo Hawaii.
Aug 29-31	White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation, St. Louis, MO.
Sept 29-30	Northwest Consejo Sixth General Session.
Oct 13-14	US-Mexico Border Energy Forum XII, Santa Fe, N.M.
OCT 17-19	GOOD NEIGHBOR ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD MEETING, TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION (near Tucson)
Oct 20-21	EPA NAC-GAC (advisors to U.S. representative of the CEC) meeting, San Diego, CA.
Oct 27-28	Northeast Consejo Sixth General Session
Oct 30-Nov 3	International Society of Exposure Analysis (ISEA) 15th Annual Conference, Tucson, AZ.
Nov 4-5	U.S.-Mexico Border Counties Coalition Conference, San Diego, CA.
Nov 30-Dec 1	Third North American Symposium on Assessing the Environmental Effects of Trade, Montreal, Canada.
Dec 1-2	National Consejo Seventh General Session

2006

May 22-25	5th International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, Monterey, CA.

### Note: To subscribe electronically to the Round-Up, to submit an item for inclusion, or to submit a correction, please send an e-mail request to the Editors, Elaine Koerner and Erika Felix, at koerner.elaine@epa.gov. or felix.erika@epa.gov.

GNEB 2005 April Round-Up Newsletter

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