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U.S., Mexico cooperate to better monitor and inspect border hazwaste shipments
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U.S. federal, Arizona, and Mexican environmental and customs agencies recently conducted a joint exercise at the Nogales, Arizona port of entry to improve coordination on inspecting hazardous waste shipments moving across the border. In addition, EPA concluded an enforcement action against three companies for violations involving hazardous waste shipments that caught fire while in transit between Tijuana and Riverside County, California.
Environmental inspectors take samples of simulated hazardous waste
During the Nogales enforcement drill, a truck carrying simulated liquid hazardous waste crossed the Mexican-U.S. border in both directions. The truck first crossed towards Mexico, where Mexican customs (aduana) officials stopped the suspicious shipment so that environmental inspectors could investigate. Hazardous waste inspectors from both the U.S. and Mexico assessed the safety of the cargo area, took samples of the waste, and interviewed the truck driver as part of the simulation. This exercise was then repeated on the U.S. side. Afterwards, a debriefing session was held at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection complex.
Exercise supports homeland security
The aim of the multi-agency exercise was to improve coordination by agencies policing hazardous waste at the border. As part of the drill, environmental agency staff assisted customs officers with identifying cargos that may contain hazardous waste. The exercise strengthened the agencies’ ability to quickly mobilize at the ports when such cargos are detained. This will benefit homeland security by helping to ensure that hazardous waste cargos can be inspected at the border for contraband or weapons, in addition to compliance with environmental regulations.
As a result of the exercise, EPA is drafting guidelines to better coordinate hazardous waste inspections at the border, and will provide them to all agencies involved.
Truck carrying simulated hazardous waste is stopped by inspectors in enforcement drill at Nogales point of entry
Three firms penalized in Tijuana/San Diego hazwaste case
Recently, in a border enforcement case, three hazardous waste firms -- one in Tijuana and two in San Diego -- paid a combined $25,000 fine to EPA for hazardous waste violations involving truck shipments across the border. Two loads of hazardous waste transported by the firms burst into flame, one at the customs port at Otay Mesa, the other on the open road in Riverside County, both in California. See EPA press release (English, Español) for details.
Border 2012 binational task forces
The Nogales exercise was part of a pilot project sponsored by the Border 2012 binational waste and enforcement task forces for Arizona/Sonora and California/Baja. Participants included U.S. EPA, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, the Arizona Department of Transportation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Mexican Aduana, and the Mexican Attorney General for Protection of the Environment (PROFEPA).