Border 2025 Goals and Objectives
- Goal 1: Reduce Air Pollution
- Goal 2: Improve Water Quality
- Goal 3: Promote Sustainable Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites
- Goal 4: Improve Joint Preparedness for and Response to Hazardous Environmental Emergencies
Goal 1: Reduce Air Pollution
Objective 1: Establish reliable and sustainably operated air monitoring networks and provide real-time access to air quality data.
- Objective 1a: By 2023, increase knowledge-transfer and provide at least one training opportunity on performance standards and applications of low-cost air quality sensors.
- Objective 1b: By 2024, develop and implement a sustainable funding mechanism for air quality monitoring in at least one Mexican state.
- Objective 1c: By 2025, ensure that all air quality agencies operating one or more regulatory air quality monitors have developed a monitoring network plan (ideally in cooperation with other agencies in the same airshed) and a quality assurance project plan.
Objective 2: Increase the quality and exchange of data from emissions inventories across the border and among federal, state, local, Tribal governments and Mexican Indigenous communities and Afro-Mexican people.
- Objective 2a: By 2023, strengthen intergovernmental linkages, increase the exchange of information, and pursue greater harmonization when developing and improving national, state, and municipal emissions inventories, starting with at least two binational airsheds. The initial focus will be on “criteria” pollutants and their precursors (particulate matter, carbon monoxide, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and ammonia).
- Objective 2b: By 2024, expand technical training to promote standardized approaches to emissions inventory development (including source measurement and testing) and maintenance.
Objective 3: Reduce vehicle emissions in the border region, including by establishing or strengthening programs that reduce the number of vehicles that do not comply with vehicle emissions standards.
- Objective 3a: By 2024, increase cross-border (interagency, interstate, and international) access to databases that officials can use to verify that used vehicles meet emission standards.
- Objective 3b: By 2025, implement new vehicle inspection and maintenance programs or improve the existing programs, achieving at least 50% compliance in two or more Mexican states.
- Objective 3c: By 2025, reduce emissions from freight transportation in the border region by increasing information exchange and harmonization between U.S. EPA’s SmartWay program and Mexico’s Transporte Limpio program.
Objective 4: Deploy strategies and technologies to reduce pollutant emissions and improve public health outcomes.
- Objective 4a: By 2023, implement a program on air-quality-related health effects and/or a communication campaign on air-quality-related health risks and mitigation measures in at least one additional urban airshed (e.g., a public awareness campaign on the health impacts of agricultural burning or trash burning).
- Objective 4b: By 2025, implement at least two policy-based (e.g., multi-pollutant assessment, co-mitigation of short-lived climate pollutants, and Global Methane Initiative) or technology-based (e.g., renewable energy financing or other incentives) programs targeting specific pollutants or sectoral emissions of local concern.
- Objective 4c: Implement additional emission reduction strategies consistent with applicable State Implementation Plans (SIPs) and PROAIREs.
Objective 5: By 2025, support update and/or completion of climate action plans in each of the six northern Mexican Border States (as appropriate) and build the necessary capacity to guarantee sustained implementation.
Goal 2: Improve Water Quality
Objective 1: Address Border Water Management in the Tijuana River Watershed. The EPA and SEMARNAT are to coordinate with specific federal, state, and local entities to plan and implement high priority infrastructure projects that address transboundary pollution affecting the Tijuana River watershed.
- Objective 1a: Carry out the planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance of high priority treatment works in the Tijuana River Watershed.
Objective 2: Improve Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure. Ten drinking water and/or wastewater projects will be developed and certified by the NADB Board of Directors by 2025 under the Border Water Infrastructure Program.
- Objective 2a: Increase access to safe drinking water and wastewater treatment in underserved communities.
- Objective 2b: Reduce discharges of untreated wastewater into the oceans and transboundary rivers such as those in the Tijuana River, New River, Santa Cruz River and the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo watersheds.
Objective 3: Improve O&M of Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure.
- Objective 3a: Ensure that infrastructure projects funded by the U.S. or Mexico have adequate O&M reserves and long-term planning.
- Objective 3b: Build capacity at water utilities through training and programs that improve the following:
- Asset management.
- Wastewater pretreatment (treatment of industrial wastewater discharged to a public wastewater treatment plant).
- Operational, managerial and financial management.
Objective 4: Promote beneficial reuse of treated wastewater and conservation of water and energy. 100% of Border Water Infrastructure Program projects selected for development will include an assessment of water reuse opportunities, if appropriate by 2025.
- Objective 4a: Assess opportunities to fund wastewater reuse projects through the infrastructure program, complying with current regulations.
- Objective 4b: Develop at least one wastewater reuse pilot project, or one utility-driven water/energy audit.
Objective 5: Implement projects to prevent and reduce the levels of trash and sediment from entering high priority binational watersheds. Projects that prevent/reduce marine litter should primarily focus on preventing waste at the source through improvements to solid waste management systems, education campaigns, and monitoring as well as reducing trash from entering the aquatic environment through the capture of litter using river booms in known watershed litter hot spots. Funding sources are intended for at least one project in Tijuana River, New River, Rio Grande, and Santa Cruz River watersheds will be implemented to address trash or sediment by 2025.
Objective 6: Improve access to transboundary water quality data.
- Objective 6a: Ensure sewage spill notification protocols are in place for all communities affected by transboundary flows of untreated sewage. A sewage runoff model will be developed for Tijuana by 2021. Spill notification protocols will be developed in three high priority watersheds by 2025.
- Objective 6b: Increase awareness of beach contamination from marine debris and untreated sewage through modeling, monitoring (should focus on sources and types of marine debris) and special studies.
- Objective 6c: Ensure that U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) website displays timely information on water quality in high-priority watersheds including the Lower Rio Grande/Bravo, the New River, the Santa Cruz River and the Tijuana River.
- Objective 6d: Continue the work of the binational water quality improvement plan as part of the Lower Rio Grande Water Quality Initiative in the Lower Rio Grande below Falcon International Dam.
Goal 3: Promote Sustainable Materials Management and Waste Management, and Clean Sites
Objective 1: By 2025, share information and experiences on sustainable materials management and resource efficiency practices with local and state-level institutions, tribal governments, and indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities.
Objective 2: Identify priority waste streams and develop sustainable materials management and resource efficiency practices that strengthen their respective market value.
- Objective 2a. Identify and measure priority waste streams by 2022.
- Objective 2b. Develop strategies or trainings to reduce illegal dumping, maximize material recovery, and promote environmentally sound disposal practices by 2025.
Objective 3: By 2025, improve knowledge at every level of government (federal, state, local) to improve solid waste disposal site operations.
- Objective 3a: By 2023, identify strategies to reduce illegal dumping and promote clean sites.
- Objective 3b: By 2025, identify strategies to reduce landfill fires.
Objective 4: Prevent and Reduce Pollution in the Marine Environment.
- Objective 4a: Promote solutions that involve identifying hotspots of litter accumulation in and around waterways, especially in shared watersheds, and build capacity for improving waste management systems and preventing leakage where necessary.
Objective 5: On an annual basis, implement the Binational Consultative Mechanism on sharing information on border area hazardous waste facilities, spent lead acid battery and electronics recycling facilities.
Goal 4: Improve Joint Preparedness for and Response to Hazardous Environmental Emergencies
Objective 1: Update the Joint Mexico-United States Contingency Plan (JCP) and evaluate the emergency notification system along the border of Mexico and the United States.
- Objective 1a: In 2021, the JCP notification system should be reviewed and updated to assess its operability and incorporate possible protocol changes and new technological developments.
- Objective 1b: By the year 2022, a revised and updated version of the JCP will be finalized, including any changes and / or modifications of the participating parties (names, affiliations, etc.) of the governmental structure of both countries.
- Objective 1c: As part of the evaluation of the operability of the JCP notification system, each country should conduct at least 40 annual chemical emergency notification drills through the National Center of Communication (CENACOM) in Mexico, and the National Response Center (NRC) in the United States.
Objective 2: Review, update and evaluate the Sister City Joint Contingency Plans (SCJCPs).
- Objective 2a: By 2021, a study of the 15 SCJCPs should be completed utilizing existing risk analysis data. This study must consider, among other aspects, the SCJCP’s content and scope.
- Objective 2b: By the year 2022, a joint study should be carried out in the border region aimed at adjusting the number of Border Sister Cities that are members of the JCP.
- Objective 2c: Based on the results of the sister city JCP Study, the updated SCJCP’s must be promoted to the corresponding stakeholders (Regional Groups, NADB, etc.) during the Border 2025 Environmental Program. The actions carried out in this objective will be aimed at achieving the update of the 15 SCJCP’s between 2020 to 2025.
- Objective 2d: In order to evaluate the SCJCP, each country must conduct at least three annual field drills in the Sister Cities located in the Mexico - United States border region, ensuring a joint response is carried out. Prior to conducting the drills, the participating staff must be trained through the delivery of binational seminars.
Objective 3: Strengthen the training of emergency response personnel through the development of in-person or online training courses by creating a certificate of skills recognized by corresponding authorities. Additionally, develop and disseminate technical support material to help inform the public in case of emergency.
- Objective 3a: In coordination with the Regions, a Sister City Training Program should be developed during the year 2021 and implemented throughout the Border 2025 program. The Training Program should focus on course offerings that result in certifications to enhance the competency of emergency responders.
- Objective 3b: At least three annual seminars, workshops and/or coordinated courses should be conducted between the two countries on topics including chemical substances, risk and consequences analysis, and emergency management.
- Objective 3c: In order to complement the training opportunities, audiovisual material and online courses focused on prevention and response to chemical emergencies should be made available at the border.
Objective 4: Design and implement the guidelines and protocols to ensure rapid, safe, and legal passage of personnel and materials across the Mexico – United States border in emergency response situations.
- Objective 4a: By 2021, an action plan should be developed to address respective liability coverage of each country to facilitate the movement of people and materials across the border during drills or emergency events.
- Objective 4b: By 2022, each country should complete a report on the status of transboundary movement of human and material resources during emergencies, as well as the current and future actions that are being carried out.