Austin, Texas,
March 20, 2002
The Border
Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) holds the 31st Public
Meeting of its Board of Directors in the State Capitol Building in Austin,
Texas. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Hugo Guzman, General Director for
Hemispheric and Bilateral Issues, representing Mr. Victor Lichtinger, Mexico’s
Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources.
During the
inaugural ceremony, Buddy Garcia, Special Assistant for Border Affairs of the
State of Texas, representing Governor Rick Perry, highlighted BECC’s work for
improving the quality of life for border communities. He stated that with its
joint work, this bi-national agency contributes to the border becoming a “door
for prosperity”.
Also in
attendance were Mr. Jorge Garces, Deputy Managing Director of the North
American Development Bank, various officials from state and local agencies of
the state of Texas, including Secretary of State, Gwyne Shea, Commissioner
Ralph Marquez of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission, Jose
Aranda, Mayor of Eagle Pass, Francisco Castellanos, Manager of the City of
Weslaco, and Joe Cardenas, Deputy Manager of the City of Uvalde.
Participating
Mexican officials included Mr. Vicente Sanchez, Alternate Consul General in
Austin, Gloria Dominguez, Director of Ecology for the state of Chihuahua,
Humberto Valdez, local representative from Tamaulipas, and Ignacio Duarte,
President of Water Utilities in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua.
The Texas
Secretary of State highlighted that she has a positive impression of the BECC
and its achievements. She also highlighted that the border is a priority for
Governor Perry, and she especially thanked the BECC for certifying the projects
for Eagle Pass and Fabens, as well as for the technical assistance granted for
three Texas communities. She also referred to the importance of maintaining
close coordination between all agencies involved in the development of the
Border.
Two
environmental infrastructure projects with an investment of over $112 Million
were certified at the 31st Public Meeting of the Board of Directors
of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) being held at the Texas
Capitol in Austin. The meeting was presided by Hugo Guzman, representing the
Mexican Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, Victor Lichtinger.
Important representatives of Texas state agencies and local communities participated in this meeting like Gwyne Shea, Secretary of State, Commissioner Ralph Marquez of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Comission, the Mayor of Eagle Pass, Jose Aranda, the Manager of Westlaco Francisco Castellanos and the Assistant Manager of Uvalde, Joe Cardenas.
From the
Mexican side, those participating were the Consul of Mexico in Austin, Vicente
Sánchez, Gloria Domínguez, Director of Ecology from the Government of Chihuahua, State Congressmen from Tamaulipas
Humberto Valdez and Ignacio Duarte, President of the Water Utilities of Juárez,
Chihuahua.
The certified
projects are:
·
Improvements to the Regional System of Water, Sewage and
Waste Water Treatment of Eagle Pass, Texas, with an estimated cost of $103.1
million The project entails expanding the capacity of the water treatment plant
from 10 to 19 million gallons per day, adding distribution lines and storage
tanks, and upgrading the filtration system. The wastewater system will be
expanded to 2 million gallons per day, and the collection system will be
improved at the interceptors, collectors, pump stations, and hookups. Also,
additional Rio Grande water rights will be purchased.
This regional approach will alleviate
the limited water infrastructure of the region comprising Eagle Pass, El Indio,
the Kickapoo Indian Nation, and the surrounding colonias in southwest Maverick
County. The population in this area is approximately 45,500 and is expected to
grow to 77,600 by the year 2020.
·
Improvements of the Water and Sewage Systems of El Paso
Water Control and Improvement District #4 El Paso Water Control and Improvement
District #4 of Fabens, Texas. The estimated cost of the project is $9.1 million
and The project will treat and filter residential water by a different method
than is now used, will install new 8-inch mains, additional pumps and equipment
at well sites, upgrade the reservoir main to a 16-inch line, and increase the
capacity of the treatment plant from 0.67 million gallons per day to 1.2.
Fabens is an unincorporated area 28 miles from the county seat in El Paso and 4
miles from the Rio Grande. Its current population of approximately 7,100 will
grow to an estimated11,000 by 2020.
Chairman Hugo
Guzman highlighted that with the two projects certified today in Austin, the
BECC has certified 57 projects in 31 Public Meetings, 24 from the Mexican side
and 33 from the US side, with an estimated cost of one billion dollars to
benefit almost eight million people.
Mr. Ignacio Duarte, President of the Water Utilities of Ciudad Juarez,
recognized the benefits brought by the Master Plan supported by BECC in this
community. He states that this Master Plan will guide his administration and he
hopes that it will result in projects that can be certified by the BECC in the
future.
Also the Board of Directors
approved in this Meeting $3,370,000 dollars in technical assistance grants for
studies and Master Plans which will allow the development of projects of water,
sewage and wastewater treatment for the following communities in the US-Mexico
Border:
·
La Joya, Texas—One million dollars for the development of the final design and value
engineering for improvements and rehabilitation of the wastewater system.
·
Matamoros, Tamaulipas—One million dollars for the development of the Step II document, public
participation, final design documents and project supervision. These actions
will be used for the development of the expansion and rehabilitation of the
water, sewage and wastewater system of this community.
·
Tornillo, Texas—500,000 dollars to update the facility plan for the construction of a
wastewater collection system and a wastewater treatment plan. This study will
include the current population census numbers that will redefine financial cost
to prepare the final design document.
·
El Paso County Plan—500,000 dollars for development of a regional master plan that will
provide water and wastewater services to existing areas of the county without
service or inadequate service.
·
Somerton, Arizona—470,000 dollars for the development of final design and value engineering
for the construction of a wastewater treatment plant.