MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILL IN CD. JUAREZ, CHIHUAHUA

BECC TO HOST PILOT WORKSHOP ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

PARTICIPATING IN THE BECC TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

CONSULTANT SELECTION PROCESS COMPLETE

NEW STEP I FORMS RECEIVED

BECC’S NEW PROJECT INFORMATION SEARCH PAGE

In response to illegal dumping of municipal garbage, threatened groundwater resources and air pollution, the Mexican border city of Juarez, Chihuahua built a new sanitary landfill with a 1,200 tons/day capacity for the disposal of its non-hazardous municipal solid waste. To manage its waste collection and disposal program, the city built 60 transfer stations and utilizes 160 vehicles for collection. The project was initiated in July 1994, with a total cost of close to $1 million.

The sanitary landfill replaces an open air dump that did not have any environmental controls and contributed to air pollution in the community. The dump operated for more than 15 years in the valley of the Sierra de Juarez, in a place known as the "Cerro Bola".

The current landfill was designed utilizing the most modern technology accepted internationally. The landfill includes the following characteristics:

1) Groundwater Protection - Consists of an impermeable 40 cm. layer of clay with a hydraulic conductivity of 3 X 10 -9 cm/sec. and a leachate collection system. The groundwater is 120 below the landfill and is not considered an acceptable quality for human consumption.

2) Surface Water Controls - The topography and geology of the area facilitates runoff control; it only requires controlling westbound-eastbound runoff.

3) Volatile Waste Control - It includes a barrier made out of tree branches, which is currently insufficient, given the reduced number of garbage scavengers; discussions are being held to increase scavengers' participation.

4) Air Pollution and Harmful Fauna - Offensive odors and harmful fauna are controlled by compacting and covering wastes with a 25 cm. soil layer. Dust is controlled by spraying water to roads and work areas with the use of a tank truck.

5) Pollutant Monitoring - The construction of underground water monitoring wells and gas stacks to determine the possibility of having current, future, and even post-closure negative impacts to the environment.

6) Final Covering - Designed with an impermeable 50 cm. layer of clay and 30 cm. of vegetal soil, slopes of less than 30%, and distances under 100 meters to prevent the erosion caused by rain when runoffs pick up speed.

Source: Ing. Jesús Millot, Technical Coordinator, Departamento de Limpia de Ciudad Juarez

The BECC is hosting a pilot workshop on April 17^th, in Las Cruces, New Mexico, designed for small communities -- to introduce and guide them through BECC’s Project Certification Criteria and new technical assistance program. If successful, the BECC intends to replicate the workshop in other U.S. border states, to give potential project applicants direct assistance with the BECC’s application processes.

Contact: Angeles Villarreal, Project Evaluation Coordinator, Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; 2860e-mail: avillarreal@cocef.interjuarez.com.

The first draft of the BECC Technical Assistance User’s Manual, called Participating in the BECC Technical Assistance Program, is now available for public review and comment. The document is available on BECC’s Home Page: http://cocef.interjuarez.com, or by contacting the BECC offices directly. Comments on the document should be submitted to the BECC no later than May 1^st. All comments will be considered in finalizing the details of the Technical Assistance Program.

Contact: Hector Gonzalez, Program Manager for Strategic Planning, Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail: hgonzalez@cocef.interjuarez.com.

The consultant selection process to establish a list of Pre-Qualified Consultants to provide project development services to border communities for BECC’s Technical Assistance Program has been completed. Of the 189 companies submitting qualifications, the BECC selected 101 firms to provide assistance ranging from environmental assessments and preliminary project design to financial feasibility studies and community participation programs.

Consultants identified on the pre-qualified list will be asked to bid on projects on a rotating basis once the BECC implements its Technical Assistance Program. The list of Pre-Qualified Consultants will be available on BECC’s Home Page (http://cocef.interjuarez.com) by the end of April.

Contact: Ms. Angeles Villarreal, Project Evaluation Coordinator, Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail: avillarreal@cocef.interjuarez.com.

In accordance with Article I of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission's (BECC) Procedures Regarding Public Notice and Comment on Project Applications, the BECC has received a Step I Form for the following project during the month of March. Please note that this listing does not represent any type of BECC staff recommendation concerning the potential for project certification.

• Wastewater Collection and Treatment Project, Alton, Texas. The project entails the construction of a conventional gravity sewer collection system for colonias within the City of Alton and its Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), as well as sewer line hook-ups to house. Collected wastewater will be treated at the existing McAllen Wastewater Treatment Plant #3 under contract with the City of McAllen. Est. Total Cost: $12 million. Contact: Mr. Israel Sagredo, City Administrator, City of Alton, 210 Main Street, Alton, Texas 78572. Tel: 210-581-2733; Fax: 210-581-2253. Rec’d: 3/ /97.

For more information, contact: Edgardo Tovilla, Technical Coordinator, at tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail etovilla@cocef.interjuarez.com.

The next Public Meeting of the BECC Board of Directors is scheduled for June 18, 1997, in Mexicali, B.C. Information related to the projects to be considered for certification during the meeting will be available at least 45-days before the meeting. A meeting agenda will be published 30 days in advance.

Contact: Tracy Williams, Public Outreach Coordinator, Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95, e-mail: twilliams@cocef.interjuarez.com.

The BECC has recently added a project search function to its web site. Located under "Projects" in the table of contents on the home page (http://cocef.interjuarez.com), the Project Information Search Page allows browsers to call up project information based on project category (water, wastewater, municipal solid waste or other related), state (all ten border states) and project status (certified or uncertified). After selecting parameters, a list of projects is provided.

As BECC receives and certifies more and more projects, the Search Page will become an even more useful tool. We encourage you to try the new Project Information Search Page. We think you’re going to like it!

Contact: Albert Fernandez, Information Systems Assistant, Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail: afernandez@cocef.interjuarez.com.

In this edition of the BECCNEWS, we recognize Angeles Villarreal for her work…behind the scenes!!

Angeles Villarreal works in the Project Evaluation Section as the Evaluation Coordinator. Angeles has been involved in coordinating a variety of activities and programs for the BECC. For instance, Angeles spearheaded the BECC’s Small Communities Initiative. She has used her expertise in program evaluation and finance to help EPISO secure grants from private funding sources to support their self-help project in the colonias of El Paso County. And, Angeles has been instrumental in the selection process for the Pre-Qualified List of Consultants for BECC Technical Assistance. In the coming months, Angeles will be developing workshops for small communities to access the technical assistance program.

Angeles earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and Masters of Science in Economics from the University of Texas at El Paso. Prior to joining the BECC, Angeles served as the Administrative Marketing Assistant for the World Trade Center in El Paso, Texas, and as an Analyst in International Trade and Finance for the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The BECCNEWS sends a warm thanks to Angeles for all her work…behind the scenes.

Earth day is rapidly approaching and the BECC wants to know what you have planned to celebrate our natural environment!! Please send us a summary of the environmental-related activities or programs that you have planned in your community. We would like to make these various activities available to other communities on the border to implement in the future.

Contact: Tracy Williams, Public Outreach Coordinator, Tel: (011-52-16) 29-23-95; e-mail: twilliams@cocef.interjuarez.com.