BINATIONAL JOINT
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Honorable Congress for the State of
2nd floor
Colonia Centro C.P. 31000
Att: Congressman Rogelio Loya Luna, Chairperson for the Civil Protection, Health and Ecology Commission
Congressman Miguel Etzel Maldonado, Chairperson for the Government and Consitutional issues Commission
Honorable Congresmen:
Ciudad Jaurez.
Important metropolitan area which has complex regional
environmental problems. High rates of population growth and rapid industrial
development especially in
Every day citizens breathe unhealthy air which only gets worse as time passes. Pollutants emitted to the atmosphere comes in its most part from vehicles. Unequivocally, environmental health effects caused by pollutants emitted fro the air basin are numerous. There has been an increase of occurrences with people with ailing respiratory conditions, and allergies. Eye, ear and nose irritation are more frequent among citizens of the Paso Del Norte.
The environmental problems along the U.S- Mexico border have presented in numerous binational conferences by several organizations and government institutions. It would be incorrect to say that environmental problems are not being addressed, but it would be fair to say that three has been a lack of coordination when implementing actions toward solving environmental problems.
Just recently the U.S – Mexico governments created The Joint Advisory Committee for Improvement of Air Quality in the Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico / El Paso, County, and / Sunland Park, New Mexico air basin as a new cooperative binational approach, comprised of community representatives, as well as by environmental and health related officials from the three levels of government, this convergence allows us to exchange ideas, as well as with time will allow us to get consensus with respect to actions which we could take aimed toward achieving clean air within the air basin.
Having said this, the Joint Advisory Committee has consider important to express our consensus so that as priority and urgent matter, the Honorable State of Chihuahua Congress, make the appropriate amendments to the State Law for Transit (Articles 20 and 138), for Public Transport, for Ecology and its Regulations, in order to conduct as mandatory the annual vehicle verification program within Ciudad Juarez, and to have it as requisite prior to proceed with licensing renewal, and other vehicle transit permits, effective in 1997.
We hope to receive a positive answer to our request, and will like to take the opportunity to send our best regards.
Sincerely,
The Federal Government Representatives
Dr. Víctor H.
Paramo, Secretaria del Medio Ambiente
Recursos
Naturales y Pesca SEMARNAP-INE
Attorney Jane Sagniw,
Biol. Maria del
Pilar López Marco, PROFEPA
Delegación
Chihuahua
Dra. Rosalía
Rojas, Secretaria de Salud
State Government Representatives
Ing. M.C. Jose Trevino,
Desarrollo Urbano y Ecologia
Conservation Comisión, TNRCC
Cecilia Williams, NM, Sec., de Salud y
Medio Ambiente
Del Estado de
Nuevo Mexico
Municipal Government Representatives
Ing. M.Sc. Oscar Ibanez, Desarrollo
Urbano
y Ecologia Municipio de Juarez
George Avalos, Obras Publicas Condado de Dona Ana
Nuevo, Mexico
John COrdova, Obras Publicas Condado de El Paso, Texas
Non Governmental Organizations
Dr. Enrique Suarez, Dir, Ejecutivo,
Federación Mexicana
de Asociaciones
privadas de Salud y Desarrollo
Comunitario,
A.C., FEMAP
C.P.A. Danny Vickers, Presidente EDM
Internacional
Dr. Adrian Vazquez, Comité Consejero
Ciudadano
para el Desarrollo
Sustentable en el Edo de Chihuahua
Dr. Elaine Barron, Grupo Ciudadano
pro Calidad del
Aire Paso del
Norte
Sr. Angel Peralta, COPARMEX
Mr. Thomas Martin, ASARCO
Dr.Hector Quevedo,
Univ. Aut. de Ciudad Juarez,
UACJ
Dr. Charles Groat, Univ. de Texas en El Paso,
UTEP
Ing, Rene Franco
Ruiz, Movimiento Ecolgista Mexicano
Dr. Carlos A.
Rincón, Environmental Defense
Fund