• XIV Public meeting of the Board of Directors to be held December 5, 1997 in Cd. Juárez notice of public meeting
• New Step I Forms received

Two significant comprehensive sanitation projects in the Mexican border communities of Mexicali and Reynosa are being considered for certification in the near term future:

• The Mexicali project consists of the rehabilitation and expansion of the Mexicali I wastewater treatment plant (from 22.4 MGD to 30 MGD capacity); construction of Mexicali II wastewater treatment plant (increasing capacity from 19.2 MGD to 38.3 MGD); construction of approximately 18 miles of main collector lines and sub-collectors; replacement of 4.6 miles of main collector and sub-collector lines; rehabilitation of lift stations; lining 3.8 miles of main collector lines; construction of drainage system; lift stations and emitters, as well as rehabilitation of lift stations and installation of telemetry devices. The estimated cost is U.S. $50 million and will benefit 600,000 residents.
• The Reynosa project consists of the rehabilitation of a wastewater treatment plant and construction of two wastewater treatment plants; rehabilitation of the sanitary sewage system; additional rehabilitation of the wastewater pumping stations; and relocation of the existing emitter and completion of the automated re-pumping stations. The estimated cost is U.S. $45 million dollars and will benefit over 500,000 residents.

In accordance with the BECC Community Participation criteria, both projects carried out extensive public processes during September and October. Not only were meetings held by various groups, but both projects were covered the media as well. These processes provided project-related information to the communities at large.

In Mexicali, the first public meeting was held on October 2 of this year at the National Chamber of Commerce, with approximately 700 persons in attendance. In his report, the Chairman of the Steering Committee and local business leader, Mr. Rodolfo Nelson, highlighted the following points:

• The Committee has 40 members and includes neighborhood representatives.
• The public process started on September 2 with meetings held by many different groups and a media campaign.
• Seventeen meetings were held with various representatives from the community and 46 visits to the different neighborhoods took place.
• Two thousand people received direct information related to the project.
• Twenty-one articles appeared in the newspapers, 714 radio spots were announced, and 202 television announcements were made.
• The Committee participated on nine radio talk shows and five televised talk programs, and presented the project to media directors.
• Users received a report and survey attached to their water billing statements.
• Flyers were distributed throughout the city.
• Meetings were scheduled in the neighboring community of Imperial County.

The first public meeting for the Reynosa project was held at the Hotel El Camino with approximately 100 persons in attendance. The Chairman of the Steering Committee, C.P. Francisco Treviño, Executive General Director of the Universidad México Americana del Norte, highlighted the following community participation actions:

• The Steering Committee was established on August 25 and has 68 members comprised of representatives from the manufacturing industry, NGO’s, academia, unions and youth organizations and low income neighborhood association representatives.
• A central information telephone line for the project was established and has received 150 calls.
• The media campaign was carried out with the logo: "Your Opinion Matters".
• Public outreach events and activities included 224 radio spots; 28 television announcements; seven newspaper articles; 20,000 flyers; 8,000 brochures; six radio and two television interviews; 1,000 posters; and 5,000 surveys.
• Project information directly reached 3,000 persons through neighborhood visits.
• Based on preliminary survey results, over 80 percent of the community supports the projects and 60 percent of the community obtained information through the media.
• A meeting was scheduled in the sister city of McAllen, Texas.

The second public meeting was held on October 9, 1997 for the Mexicali project and on October 17, 1997 for the Reynosa project. The projects’ financial aspects were presented to the communities during these meetings. The Mexicali project is a candidate for certification at the next Public Meeting of the Board of Directors, scheduled for December 5, 1997. The Reynosa project will be presented for certification during the Public Meeting scheduled for March 1998.

After having certified the wastewater treatment plants project for the City of Juárez on September 30^th of this year, the BECC has certified a total of 17 projects with an estimated cost of U.S. $260 million. The projects will benefit approximately five million border residents in both countries.

Comments on the projects were part of the presentation made by the BECC General Manager, Javier Cabrera, during the Regional Planning Meeting for the XI National Conference on Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences (FEMISCA) which was held in Cd. Juárez on October 10, 1997.

In addition, the Conference highlighted the BECC’s accomplishments in coordinating with SEDESOL to establish an extensive support program for communities along the U.S.-Mexico border. This effort will promote the construction of environmental infrastructure necessary in providing appropriate municipal solid waste management. These efforts have resulted in BECC certification of two solid waste projects in the State of Sonora: one in Puerto Peñasco and the other in Agua Prieta. The estimated cost for both projects is approximately U.S. $4 million. The Agua Prieta landfill project is underway and the first cell is 95 percent complete. Operations to initiate the project are scheduled in coming weeks. The Mexican federal government has committed funds to the Puerto Peñasco project through SEDESOL. Construction may begin this year.

Mr. Bryan Samuels, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Inter-American Affairs from the U.S. State Department, and Ambassador Jorge Castro Valle, General Director for North America, from Mexico’s Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores, visited the BECC during an Executive Committee meeting on October 16, 1997. The Chairman of the Executive Committee, Arturo Herrera, welcomed the distinguished guests and highlighted the Committee’s role as a link between Management and the Board of Directors in following agreements and the organization’s operations.

Discussions during the Executive Committee meeting included the following:

• Role of the Advisory Council
• Coordination between the two countries’ institutions overseeing the development and financing of environmental infrastructure projects
• Work Plan and Budget

According to Mr. Bryan Samuels, the State Department is very interested in the BECC as an institution which holds a promising future to improve relations between the two countries.

In addition, Ambassador Castro Valle stated the BECC played a very important role as a young and innovative institution to address the environmental infrastructure needs of the border.

The Co-Chairman of the Advisory Council, Alfredo Alvarez, reported on the Advisory Council’s role to support the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors in the evaluation of potential projects for certification. He also stressed the Council’s role to support the community participation process.

General Manager Javier Cabrera also pointed out the coordination that had been established between the BECC and North American Development Bank (NADB) to facilitate the project certification and financing process. He stressed the coordination between different agencies from both countries working through one Committee whose aim is to provide a final review and support for the decision making process regarding potential projects for certification. The interrelationship has allowed each institution’s criteria and procedures to be considered and reviewed.

At the opening of the Water Resource Management Seminar, recently held in Cd. Juárez on October 29 through 31, BECC General Manager stated the BECC has joined border efforts to strengthen water utilities. He added that comprehensive training efforts are of vital importance for what is considered to be the most dynamic region of Mexico. These efforts are required to address the new challenges related to community organization and participation in an increasingly globalized, interdependent, and complex world.

The seminar was sponsored by the United States Environmental Training Institute (USETI), the Junta Municipal de Agua y Saneamiento de Ciudad Juárez, and the BECC. Other institutions, such as Mexico’s National Water Commission, the North American Development Bank, and Freese and Nichols Consultants were also present.

According to Antonio Soto, Director of USETI Programs for Mexico, the seminar’s objective is to strengthen the technical and management capabilities of the utilities. The course is aimed at providing the tools required for planning and preliminary proposals for sustainable projects. Utilities from border communities in Coahuila and Chihuahua were invited to attend the seminar.

USETI’s aim is to develop human resource capabilities in environmental projects. It was created in 1991 and is supported in large part by the U.S. environmental industry, the U.S. government, and non-governmental organizations. To date, USETI has sponsored over 25 environmental training courses in Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, Belize, Taiwan, Singapore, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Thailand, Indonesia, Poland, China, and the United States. In Mexico, USETI has sponsored 14 seminars, four of which have been in coordination with the BECC.

These seminars allow the utilities to become familiar with the support, financing programs, and procedures of the BECC and NADB.

The BECC cordially invites all interested members of the public to attend the 14^th Public Meeting of the Board of Directors that will be held on December 5, 1997, at 9:00 a.m. at the Centro de Convenciones Cibeles, on Tomás Fernández Boulevard 8450, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. The following is a draft Agenda for the meeting:

Approval of Agenda

Approval of Minutes of the XIII Public Meeting held on September 30, 1997

Executive Committee Report

Manager’s Report

• New BECC Structure
• Coordinating Committee
• Certified Projects
• Important Events
• Palomas Facilities Plan
• Mexican Construction Industry Association

Current BECC Status – 1997

Technical Assistance

Presentation of Potential Projects for Certification

• Comprehensive Sanitation Project for Mexicali

• Expansion of the Jonathan Rogers Treatment Plant (El Paso)

Complaints Procedures

Other Matters

All persons interested in presenting written comments to the Board of Directors regarding the Agenda must provide their comments 15 days before the date of the Public Meeting. Anyone interested in providing brief comments to the Board during the Public Meeting is invited to do so.

For more information or questions please contact the BECC offices: Blvd. Tomás Fernández 7940-Sexto Piso, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, C.P. 32470, Tel (011 52 16) 29 23 95, Fax 29 30 76, Email: becc@cocef.interjuarez.com.

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

Olivehain Water Storage Project, Escondido, California. The project consists of a dam and open reservoir with a capacity of between 6,000 and 24,000 acre feet, a roller compacted concrete dam, an 82 MGD water treatment plant (membrane system) connecting to the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA). Estimated Cost U.S. $65 million. Contact: Olivehain Municipal Water District, Mr. David McCollom, General Manager, 1966 Olivehain Road, Encinitas 92024, Phone (760) 753-6466, Fax (760) 753-5640. Received 8/25/97.