BECC NEWS
Contents:
PRESIDENT ZEDILLO ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDS FOR NOGALES PROJECT
BECC AND NADBank MEET WITH MEXICAN CONGRESS
BECC BOARD TO CONSIDER EPISO PROJECT FOR CERTIFICATION
CRITERIA FOR CERTIFICATION AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS
BECC REVIEWS PROJECTS...IN CALIFORNIA
BECC RECIVE EXCELLENT RESPONSE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
PRESIDENT ZEDILLO ANNOUNCES GRANT FUNDS FOR NOGALES PROJECT
Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo announced the award of 70 million pesos (9 million dollars) of federal government funds to support the water supply project in Nogales, Sonora during the Integral Border Development Meeting, which took place in Nogales, Sonora, on May 31, 1996.
The first phase of the project was certified by the Board of Directors of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) on January 18th, with an estimated capital cost of 302 million pesos (39 million dollars). With these grant funds announced by President Zedillo, and financing to be approved by the North American Development Bank (NADBank) for another 70 million pesos (9 million dollars), the City of Nogales will be able to initiate the project this year, as they continue the process of securing the resources to continue and complete the project in 1997.
The infrastructure project for the City of Nogales, which is located on the northern border of the State of Sonora, will provide a solution to the problem of distributing drinking water to its residents. The project will consist of the development of several replacement water wells, the repair of the water distribution network that currently experiences a 40% water loss from leaks, construction of the primary supply line known as the 33 kilometer aqueduct, and construction of elevated water storage tanks. The project will allow the City to optimize services to the residents of Nogales, guaranteeing the supply of water to 100% of the population for 24 hours a day, account for all water users, and provide an efficient water delivery system in terms of energy consumption and water conservation.
Presently, the drinking water system in Nogales requires extensive pumping due to inefficiencies in the distribution system, lacks water pressure in a number of higher areas within the City, and has an inadequate metering and bill collection system.
The certified project complies with the BECC Criteria and was evaluated by the community in an open process with ample public participation. The contribution of additional federal resources from Mexico's National Water Commission has strengthened the project's financing. Additionally, the Integral Water and Wastewater Treatment Project for the city has been initiated, which will consider new sources of drinking water supply, wastewater treatment, recharge of the aquifer, plus the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the water and wastewater operation.
President Zedillo's announcement confirmed the commitment of the Mexican government to address the environmental problems in the border region in order to continue providing opportunities and improve the quality of life, in the spirit of cooperation between Mexico and the United States.
The Mexicali meeting was followed by a visit to Ensenada where BECC and NADBank officials met with the General Director of the State Public Works Commission of Ensenada to examine the proposed re-design of the wastewater treatment plant for the bay City. The proposed design would replace the original plans for treatment in Ensenada. To qualify for NADBank financing, this project would have to be re-certified by the BECC Board of Directors.
BECC AND NADBank MEET WITH MEXICAN CONGRESS
Representatives from the BECC and NADBank met with members of the Municipal Strengthening, Environment, and Border Issues Commission of the Mexican Senate during an informational meeting in Mexico City in early June. The purpose of the meeting was to inform the Senate of the accomplishments and expectations of the BECC and NADBank.
During the meeting, Luis Raúl Domínguez Terrazas, BECC's Deputy General Manager, provided an overview of the work accomplished by the BECC during its fifteen months in operation, during which time the BECC has worked with the border communities promoting decentralization and an open the public process.
Alfredo Phillips Olmedo, NADBank's General Manager, reported on the Bank's relationship with the BECC to develop innovative mechanisms to finance projects in the border region. He highlighted the work accomplished by the two institutions in strengthening border municipalities, in line with President Zedillo's federal program. The presentations were followed by an interactive dialogue.
9th PUBLIC MEETING OF THE BECC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
You are cordially invited to attend the 9th public meeting of the BECC Board of Directors on Thursday, July 18, 1996, from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, in the ballroom of the San Diego County Bar Association Building, located at 7th and "A" Streets, across from the Marriott Hotel, in downtown San Diego, California. The meeting will include the consideration of the EPISO project for BECC certification as well as public comments on proposed modifications to the BECC Criteria for Certification.
For more questions, contact Tracy Williams, BECC's Public Outreach Coordinator. Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; E-mail: twilliams@cocef.interjuarez.com.
Public Meeting of the
BECC Board of Directors
Proposed Agenda
- Approval of Draft Agenda
- Approval of Minutes
- Mayor of San Diego
- Mayor of Tijuana
- MOU w/NADBank
- Annual Report Action Item
- Small Communities Initiative Program
- Public Comments and Consideration of EPISO Project for Certification Action Item
- Public Comments on Criteria and Proposed Criteria Modification Action Item
- Public Comments and Consideration of Approving Complaint and Confidentiality Procedure
BECC BOARD TO CONSIDER EPISO PROJECT FOR CERTIFICATION
The BECC Board of Directors will consider the EPISO project for certification during the upcoming public meeting of the Board on July 18th, in San Diego. The On-Site Wastewater Treatment System Self-Help Loan Project for the Colonias of El Paso County, Phase B, sponsored by the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization (EPISO), will provide residents of three colonias in El Paso County the opportunity to install septic systems at the lowest possible cost. The $110,000 project is designed to provide no-interest loans to help 250 colonia families properly install septic tanks for household sewage.
The project is a collaborative effort among EPISO, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the families themselves. It combines labor from colonia residents (sweat equity), program organization and support from EPISO, design of septic systems by engineering students, and oversight by a professional engineer. The project will build upon what has already been accomplished by these groups through a $20,000 from the Levi Strauss Foundation.
The EPISO project is the only project that will be considered for certification during the meeting. A detailed summary of the project is available, in English and Spanish, on BECC's Home Page: http://cocef.interjuarez.com, or upon request. If you have any comments on the project, please send them in writing to the BECC by July 8th, or make oral comments during the public meeting on July 18th.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact April Lander, BECC's Program Manager - Environment. Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; E-mail: alander@cocef.interjuarez.com.
CRITERIA FOR CERTIFICATION AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS
The Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) is pleased to announce the availability of the BECC Guidelines for Project Submission and Criteria for Project Certification for public review and comment. The Criteria were first adopted by the BECC Board of Directors following an extensive public review and comment process in August 1995. Upon adoption, the Board agreed to provide the public the opportunity to review and comment on the criteria after one year of implementation. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in this review process.
The Criteria are utilized by the BECC to evaluate and certify environmental infrastructure projects. Seven projects have been certified by the BECC Board of Directors using the Criteria to date. Projects that are certified by the BECC qualify for financing consideration from the North American Development Bank (NADBank), BECC's sister institution, and other funding sources.
To be certified by the Board of Directors, project sponsors must comply with each of the eight fundamental criteria included in the document. The Criteria include: 1) general project information; 2) environment and human health; 3) technical feasibility 4) economic and financial feasibility; 5) social issues; 6) community participation; 7) operation and maintenance; and 8) sustainable development.
The BECC is particularly interested in receiving comments in the areas of small community assistance and sustainable development. Written comments must be submitted to the BECC on or before July 10, 1996. Oral comments may be provided during the upcoming public meeting of the BECC Board of Directors on July 18th.
The Criteria document will be revised following a review and synthesis of the written and oral comments made by the public. It is anticipated that the final draft will be available for public review in August. Furthermore, it is expected that the BECC Board of Directors will consider the final document for approval at its fall public meeting scheduled for October 24, 1996.
The BECC encourages public comments to be incorporated directly onto a copy of the document available on a computer diskette. A Criteria document is also available on the BECC Home Page: http://cocef.interjuarez.com, or upon request.
For more information, contact April Lander, BECC's Program Manager - Environment. Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; E-mail: alander@cocef.interjuarez.com.
BECC REVIEWS PROJECTS...IN CALIFORNIA
In early May, a delegation of technical experts from the State of California, CAL/BEC, BECC staff, and BECC Advisory Counsel joined forces to visit project sites in the state of California.
The delegation visited the City of Calexico, which anticipates the need for additional water supply capacity in the near future. The estimated total cost to increase the water supply to ten million gallons a day is anticipated to be $10 million dollars.
The delegation also visited the Community of Tecate, which is in the process of forming a water district in order to provide water and wastewater treatment facilities to replace individual wells and septic tanks. The estimated cost for the water system is $3 million and for the wastewater and reclaimed water system is $3.7 million. BECC staff is currently evaluating these applications for certification.
...IN BAJA CALIFORNIA
Representatives from the BECC and NADBank met with key players in the development of environmental infrastructure projects in Baja California, on May 15th, in Mexicali. Meeting participants included BECC Board members and IBWC Commissioners John Bernal and Arturo Herrera, federal government officials from CNA and SEDESOL, and Baja California officials including Cabinet Coordinator Carlos Fernandez, and Housing and Public Works Secretary Fernando Aceves.
During the meeting, a number of projects were examined. First, the $45 million dollar wastewater treatment system for Mexicali (otherwise referred to as the Clean-up of the Rio Nuevo) was reviewed. Presently IBWC and the state and federal authorities have contributed $3 million dollars each to address 11 priority tasks related to the project. Second, the Phase 3 of the Rio Tijuana project was presented, to complete the final 1/3 of the channelization of the river. Lastly, the group reviewed the viability of three proposed tire recycling projects for Mexicali.
BECC RECEIVES EXCELLENT RESPONSE TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
A special thanks goes out to all the applicants who submitted proposals in response to the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Sustainable Development Analysis Project. The BECC received twenty-seven excellent proposals and will announce the selected applicant in the next edition of BECCNEWS. All of the project applicants demonstrated the expertise to assist with the development of sustainable environmental projects in the border region.
Recognizing the need to make this expertise more widely available to the public and project sponsors, the BECC is in the process of developing a list of persons/organizations with such sustainable development expertise.
For more information or to provide information, please contact April Lander, Program Manager- Environment at Tel. (52) (16) 29-23-95 or E-mail alander@cocef.interjuarez.
NEW Step I Forms Received
The BECC has received Step I forms for the following projects during the month of May. Please note that the listings do not represent any type of BECC staff recommendation concerning the potential for project certification.
Wastewater Treatment Plant for a Bottling Plant in Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua. Cost not provided. Contact: Ing. Pablo Macouzet Brito, Embotelladora de la Frontera, S.A. de C.V., Simona Barba 6515, Fracc. Villahermosa, Cd. Juarez, Chih. 32510. Tel: (011-52-16) 29-12-12. Rec'd: 5/9/96.
Tire Recycling Project in Tijuana, Baja California. Est. Cost: $3 million dollars. Contact: Lic. Erick W. Legorreta, Llantas y Servicios Tecnicos de Hidalgo, S. Carr. de acceso a Villa de Tezontepec, km Predio La Farilla s/n, Mpio. Villa de Tezontepec, Hidalgo 43880. Rec'd: 5/23/96.
Upgrade of the Water Supply and Sewer Systems, Sonoyta, Sonora. Upgrade of the water supply, metering, and rehabilitation of the lines. Est. Cost: $1.62 million dollars. Contact: Ing. Jose Godoy, General Manager, Water Supply and Sanitation Commission for the State of Sonora, Ocampo No. 49, Col. Centenario, Hermosillo, Son. Tel: (011-52-62) 12-28-67. Rec'd: 5/23/96.
Expansion of the Sewer System, Bavispe, Sonora. Expansion and rehabilitation of existing sewer system. Est. Cost: $210,000 dollars. Contact: Ing. Jose Godoy, General Manager, Water Supply and Sanitation Commission for the State of Sonora, Ocampo No. 49, Col. Centenario, Hermosillo, Son. Tel: (011-52-62) 12-28-67. Rec'd: 5/23/96.
Upgrade and Rehabilitation of the Water Supply System, Arizpe, Sonora. Upgrade and rehabilitation of existing water supply system. Est. Cost: $110,000 dollars. Contact: Jose Godoy, General Manager, Water Supply and Sanitation Commission for the State of Sonora, Ocampo No. 49, Col. Centenario, Hermosillo, Son. Tel: (011-52-62) 12-28-67. Rec'd: 5/23/96.
Upgrade of the Water Supply System, Caborca, Sonora. Upgrade of existing water supply system. Est. Cost: $680,000 dollars. Contact: Jose Godoy, General Manager, Water Supply and Sanitation Commission for the State of Sonora, Ocampo No. 49, Col. Centenario, Hermosillo, Son. Tel: (011-52-62) 12-28-67. Rec'd: 5/23/96.
Upgrade of Water Supply System, Altar, Sonora. Upgrade of existing water supply system. Est. Cost: $170,000. Contact: Jose Godoy, General Manager, Water Supply and Sanitation Commission for the State of Sonora, Ocampo No. 49, Col. Centenario, Hermosillo, Son. Tel: (011-52-62) 12-28-67. Rec'd: 5/23/96.
Expansion of Municipal Water System, Mercedes, Texas. Expand water treatment capacity, distribution mains, and elevated storage as well as wastewater collection system. Est. Cost: $4.7 million. Contact: Mr. Alan Kamasaki, City of Mercedes, P.O. Box 837, Mercedes, Texas 78750. Tel: (210) 565-3114. Rec'd 6/3/96.
For more information on projects, please contact Edgardo Tovilla, BECC's Technical Coordinator. Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95, or e-mail: etovilla@cocef.interjuarez.com
CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS?
Please let us know!
Send us your new mailing address:
Attn: Tracy Williams
Fax: (011-52-16) 29-23-95.
E-mail: twilliams@cocef.interjuarez.com