By Heidi Slinkard Brasher
The EPA has provided notice of the draft “Border 2020 Program” – an eight-year, bi-national agreement between Mexico and the United States created through the efforts of both countries, the 26 U.S. border tribes, the indigenous Mexican communities, and the environmental agencies of each of the 10 U.S. border states. The program, developed under the La Paz Agreement, and following the 10-year Border 2012 agreement, is designed to “protect the environment and public health in the U.S.-Mexico border region, consistent with the principles of sustainable development.”
The goals of the Border 2020 Program are:
- Reduce conventional air pollutant and GHG emissions
- Improve access to clean and safe water
- Materials management and clean sites
- Improve environmental and public health through chemical safety
- Enhance joint preparedness for environmental response
- Compliance assurance and environmental stewardship
Public comment will be accepted by the EPA until November 30, 2011.