Environmental Infrastructure

Shortly after the passage of NAFTA, the Governors of California, Baja California and Baja California Sur formed an alliance and passed a joint resolution creating the Californias Environmental Cooperation Committee (Cal/BECC). The Border Affairs Unit created and actively participates in the Cal/BECC. The purpose of the Cal/BECC is to promote border environmental infrastructure projects on both sides of the border and to seek government and private sector funding for these projects.

In April of 1995 and 1998, the Cal/BECC jointly published two environmental infrastructure needs assessment reports, which identified infrastructure needs and potential projects for the California-Baja California border region.

Over the past years, the Border Affairs Unit has worked closely with Federal, State and local government agencies along the California - Baja California border to identify and promote the implementation of over $100 million of environmental infrastructure projects. These projects provide environmental and public health protection for hundreds of thousands of border citizens.

CalBECC will engage the BECC, NADB and other funding institutions including the CalEPA Board Departments and Office (BDOs) in providing adequate follow-up to the potential projects recently identified in the 3rd edition of the California-Baja California Border Environmental Infrastructure Needs Assessment Report (July 2004). A total of 51 project proposals are presented in this report. Thirty-five project proposals benefiting 25 border communities and one tribal nation in California are highlighted. In addition, 16 project proposals are highlighted benefiting four border cities in Baja California. The total cost of projects in California and Baja California is US$152.8 Million and $496 Million pesos (US$49.6 Million), respectively.

In the next 5 years, CalBECC will attempt to bring another $100 million in technical and construction assistance in the form of grants and loans for environmental infrastructure projects along the California-Baja California border region.