The Border Environment of Texas with Adjoining States in Mexico: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...

The Border Environment of Texas with Adjoining States in Mexico: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2015 Environmental Trade FairBorder Track

Stephen M. Niemeyer, P.E.Border Affairs

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Things we will cover today

• Background• Border 101• Colonias

• Air• Regional Haze• El Paso Air Quality

• Water• Rio Grande

• Quantity, Quality• Waste

• Scrap Tires• Other

• Fracking• Emergency Response

2015 Environmental Trade FairBorder Track

Border Background

2015 Environmental Trade FairBorder Track

U.S.-Mexico Border: Border 2020 Regional Workgroups

Four-State Regional

Workgroup

Tri-State Regional

Workgroup

GULF TASK

FORCE

FALCON TASK

FORCE AMISTAD TASK

FORCE

California - Baja California

Arizona - Sonora

Colonias

Air

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Big Bend National Park—view from Dagger Mountain243 mile visual range

Big Bend National Park—view from Dagger Mountain12 mile visual range

Water

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Texas-Border Region with neighboring states & Rio Grande Basin

2015 Environmental Trade FairBorder Track

Source: Center for Research in Water Resources, UT Austin

Santa Elena Canyon

Source: Texas Tribune Photo by: Jessica Lutz

Giant Cane (Arundo Donax)

Source: Texas Tribune Photo by: Jessica Lutz

Waste

2015 Environmental Trade FairBorder Track

Tire Fire in Nuevo Laredo – May 28, 2014

Other

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Eagle Ford Shale

Emergency Response

¡Fín!

Stephen M. Niemeyer, P.E.Border Affairs Manager and Colonias CoordinatorTexas Commission on Environmental QualitySteve.Niemeyer@tceq.texas.gov 512-239-3606