New Publication Offers Perspectives on BECC

The Border Environment Cooperation Commision (BECC) is a binational (U.S.-Mexico) institution created in 1993 to evaluate and certify border environmental infrastructure projects submitted for funding to the North American Development Bank (NADBank; also established in 1993).

The goals of Perspectivas are to inform the public about BECC-related activities and to promote dialogue among readers. The editors encourage the submission of articles and letters presenting pros and cons of various issues and discussions of how individuals and groups in the community might be affected. Submitted materials may be in either Spanish or English. As far as possible Perspectivas will also publish calendars, agendas, and summaries of BECC and NADBank meetings and meetings of their advisory committees; and lists of potential proposals and abstracts of their content.

Perspectivas is made possible by the C. S. Mott Foundation, through a project whose goals are to increase community awareness of BECC, and to make it more accessible to all border residents and organizations. The project's participating partners are: The University of Arizona's Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, the Nogales branch of El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, El Colegio de Sonora, and the Texas Center for Policy Studies.

BECC Meeting Report

Terry Sprouse and Robert Varady
Udall Center

BECC met for the first time in Ciudad Juárez, the site of its permanent location. At the meeting the Commission introduced newly-appointed General Manager, Roger Frauenfelder, and Deputy General Manager, Luís Raúl Domínguez.

In view of the contentious first meeting in November 1994, at which BECC was criticized for adopting procedural rules that limited openness, the organizers of this session tried hard to stimulate participation and to be attentive to the public. From the deliberate messages of each official speaker to the organization of working sessions for the attendees, the key theme was responsiveness. By and large, this strategy was effective and there was little if any evidence of discontent over the proceedings.

More than 300 people attended the meeting, with perhaps a third from Mexico. The first event was a general session chaired by BECC President Jorge Bustamante of COLEF. He introduced the BECC Commissioners (all were present), the members of the two national advisory committees (the Mexican members are very recent appointments), and the Manager and Deputy Manager of NADBank, Alfredo Phillips Olmedo and Victor Miramontes.

Two Types of Projects Identified

General Manager Frauenfelder emphasized two points: the need to elicit public input and involvement, and the urgency of approving projects for NADBank funding. Frauenfelder pointed out that two types of projects will be considered: new undertakings and projects already under way. Existing projects will have priority since these already will be partially completed and can provide immediate accomplishments to a skeptical Congress. In this regard, Frauenfelder expects to present several possible projects to the Commission at its next meeting in Tijuána on July 28, 1995.

The critical first step, according to Frauenfelder, is to have acceptable criteria for reviewing submissions. He urged the audience to submit ideas and pointed out that the day's workshop-oriented program was meant to collect such ideas. Draft project criteria were promised for early June. [The draft criteria were in fact distributed on June 1. Copies are available for review from BECC.]

Frauenfelder noted that BECC is willing to offer technical assistance to communities that lack the capacity to prepare fundable proposals. BECC will establish procedures for making such assistance available on request.

Input Solicited from Attendees

After the opening session the meeting was organized into four working groups: water pollution, wastewater treatment, municipal solid waste, and "related environmental priorities." Each group was further divided into tables of six to ten persons. The participants were given background documents related to BECC criteria and project assessment and asked to review the material, elect spokespersons, and present their table's findings to the rest of the working group. The results were collected by BECC staff and distributed to BECC for consideration.

As the presentations by spokespersons were made to the BECC Board, there was an opportunity for questions or responses from the Board, but there were relatively few responses. The commissioners seemed overwhelmed by the excessive number of criteria suggestions. Perhaps at the next meeting this procedure will be modified so that only a few of the best responses are made orally.

Presentations were also made to the Board by groups and individuals who had submitted requests 15 days prior to the meeting.

Udall Center Presentation of Criteria to BECC

The Udall Center presented a set of criteria for environmental sustainability and public participation at the Juárez meeting. An abstract follows:

Our comments are based on the results of a survey of participants in a symposium, "Potential New Stresses to the Border Environment," held in Bisbee, Arizona, February 26 to 28, 1995. The event was organized by the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona, and the International Transboundary Resources Center at the University of New Mexico. The respondents were asked to identify the most important criteria for (1) environmental sustainability, and (2) public participation.

Environmental Sustainability

Participants identified the single most important criterion for assuring environmental sustainability of proposed projects to be project design. They felt that projects must be designed with clear considerations of their impact on the environment and on the community over time. Projects must include both community and regional planning, clearly define the problems to be solved, and offer feasible alternative options that address environmental issues, benefits, and potential disadvantages. Projects should also integrate knowledge from various sources, including: academia, government, business, and the community.

Two other environmental criteria were proposed. The first was to promote equity within and between communities and across generations--specifically to assure equal or improved access to the natural resources affected. The second was to build local capacity to monitor and manage the local environment. For example, by linking organizations such as businesses and NGOs with communities, those with expertise and experience can teach, train, and work with other community-based projects.

Public Participation

How can maximum public participation be guaranteed in the project's implementation? The respondents felt that the project's design should include public input as a significant factor and not merely as a formality. BECC and NADBank themselves can demonstrate their commitments to public participation by hiring staff members who genuinely believe that public input is important. "Checks and balances" should be included in the project to minimize potential manipulation of the public so that participation does not end up being merely a way to legitimize decisions already made by the most influential or vested interests.

Those answering the survey also felt that it was very important that (1) individuals and groups from the affected communities be included in the project, (2) that the project plan include adequate community outreach efforts, and (3) the project be developed and approved in a transparent manner. Sufficient advance notice and outreach on the part of BECC/NADBank was seen as essential. The print media, airwaves, and electronic mail (such as the BECCNET) should be used to transmit information and encourage dialogue.

Conclusions

Projects must be designed with clear and explicit consideration of their impact on the environment and the community over time, and public input should be designed into the project to guarantee maximum public participation in the project's implementation.

A complete version of the suggested criteria is available from the Udall Center.

BECC on the Internet

BECCnet

We would like to encourage you to become a member of BECCnet a newly-established bulletin board/ listserver--an Internet service that connects you to BECC-related activities and news.

The BECCnet was established by the Udall Center at the University of Arizona to disseminate information about BECC and NADBank to concerned community groups and the general public. In addition, BECCnet establishes a dialogue among individuals and groups in the U.S., Mexico, and elsewhere.

It is expected that participants in these dialogues will include BECC, NADBank, and NACEC (North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation) board members, government officials, university researchers, and local community groups and individuals. Topics on the BECCnet will include discussion and analysis of BECC activities, data availability and gaps, training opportunities, dates and reviews of conferences and workshops, and announcements of grant availability and employment opportunities--in short, the same subjects to be aired in this publication.

BECCnet is intended to foster constructive communication between interested parties at all levels. Through the free flow of information and exchange of ideas from multiple perspectives, truly representative and informed decisions can be made.Members of BECCnet are under no obligation to participate in ongoing discussions. Some subscribers merely want to monitor other people's ideas.Or, you may wish to respond to messages. There is no charge for joining BECCnet and there are no forms to fill out.

Subscribe to BECCnet

Email Services in Mexico

Two companies are offering e-mail/internet services within Mexico: La Neta and the Red Digital Integrada (RDI). La Neta is a network servicing primarily nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). It operates with two systems, one of them with Fidonet Technology, the other with Internet. As of now all of La Neta's nodes are in Mexico City. For other state users, the Fidonet reduces the cost of long distance calls.

La Neta's fees are:
Subscription: N$100.00
Monthly fee: N$30.00 (includes one hour of connection)

For more information contact:

Servicios Informativos Procesados, A.C. (SIPRO)
Attn.: Jacques Lefevre
Prosperidad #21 (entre José Martí, y Progreso)
Col. Escandón
11800 México, D.F.
Tel. (5)277 47 91
FAX (5)277 47 91
Email: sipro@laneta.apc.org

The RDI appears to be in almost all Mexican states and is operated by TELMEX. RDI fees are generally much higher than those of La Neta. For information on RDI contact:

Subdirección de Grandes Clientes
Gerencia Regional, Yañez 375
Hermosillo, Sonora, México
FAX: (62) 10-1876
Tel: 91-800-620 55

BECC's 2nd Public Meeting
Feedback Provided by Participants

The Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) Board of Directors and newly formed Advisory Council met on April 21, 1995, in Ciudad Juárez, with citizens representing a variety of government, business, academic, and nongovernmental organizations from the United States and Mexico. (List of Directors and Advisors attached.) The attendees participated in an interactive meeting focusing on Wastewater Management, and "Other Environmental Priorities". Recently appointed BECC General Manager Roger Frauenfelder, and BECC Deputy General Manager Luís Raúl Domínguez, also attended the public meeting. Mr. Frauenfelder expressed his enthusiasm for the public meeting process and his desire to get priority projects certified for NADBank financing.

The meeting was highlighted by a visit from Chihuahua Governor Francisco Barrios, who encouraged participants to take advantage of this historic opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of needed infrastructure in the region.

Managing Director and CEO of the North American Development Bank (NADBank) Alfredo Phillips Olmedo, also attended and participated in the public meeting. Mr. Phillips spoke of NADBank's progress and structure; he commented that Mexico and the U.S. have each contributed approximately $56 million in capital , and with additional callable capital available the Bank now has a lending capacity of $750 million.

More than 300 meeting participants rolled up their sleeves to review the project submission and certification processes of the BECC and offered constructive feedback during a plenary session to members of the BECC Board of Directors and Advisory Council.

BECC staff used all of the public commentary provided by meeting participants, both written and oral, to develop project criteria. The criteria are ready and are available for public comment.

BECC has already identified a number of potential project proposals dealing with priority environmental pollution problems in the border region.

The next public meeting of the Board of Directors will be held in the San Diego/Tijuana area on July 28, 1995. Notice of the meeting will be made available borderwide and through the Federal Register y el Diario Oficial de la Federación.

For more information regarding the BECC, April 21st public meeting, project criteria, or the upcoming public meeting on July 28, 1995, please contact Ms. Tracy J. Williams in Ciudad Juárez, at 011-52-160-29-23-95.

Letters and Comments

Please tell us what you think about BECC activities. We want your ideas and comments. Write us in Spanish or in English, but please keep your comments to no more than 250 words.

Let's Play by the Same Rules
Cyrus Reed
Texas Center for Policy Studies

At the April 21 public meeting of the BECC, General Manger Roger Frauenfelder announced that several projects would be up for certification using so-called "interim" criteria at the July 28th BECC meeting.

The suggestion to use interim criteria raises many troublesome issues. It goes against the spirit and letter of the U.S.-Mexico agreement creating the BECC, which says the public shall have "reasonable opportunity" to comment on both criteria and applications being received by the BECC. Moreover, the types of applications being considered for "interim" criteria approval are themselves good examples of why a transparent process with a developed set of criteria is so important. For example, the Nuevo Laredo wastewater treatment plant seems an ideal candidate for quick BECC certification. Mexico finds itself about $13 million short of completing the wastewater treatment plant itself, which is about 85% constructed.

Nonetheless, there are major concerns about the financial feasibility, environmental impacts and operation and maintenance of the Nuevo Laredo plant. These include:

Mexico and the US are still negotiating the agreement on water quality standards. No industrial treatment program has been developed. How the operation and maintenance of the plant will be paid for is still a mystery.

The Nuevo Laredo project is a prime example of why all projects--regardless of their construction status--should meet basic, and equivalent, criteria.

Comentarios y Reflexiones de la Reunion Abierta de la COCEF
Rosa Delia Caudillo
Oficina de Enlace de la Red Fronteriza de Salud y Ambiente

He visto con entusiasmo que el uso de ciertas metodologías para fomentar la relación cara a cara, puede rendir frutos no previstos por quienes los implementan pero valiosos para generar intercambios entre sectores sociales que de otra forma dif¡cilmente llegarían a entablar diálogos de cooperaci¢n para el desarrollo.

Es importante rescatar que en las mesas se retomaron conceptos como el de ecosistema, el de desarrollo sustentable, el de transparencia, entre otros, y que la riqueza ahí generada, no necesariamente se expresó en las síntesis presentadas en la plenaria final en la que curiosamente varios de los representantes voceros de las diferentes mesas concideran en ensalzar los esfuerzos de la Comisión para alentar la participación, y no se expusieron los puntos de controversia, las diferentes opiniones y posiciones que enriquecieron la dinámica de los grupos de trabajo, ni un buen número de propuestas que se recogieron en cada pequeño grupo.

Esperamos pues que tanto el equipo administrativo de la COCEF como el Consejo Directivo y su flamante Consejo Asesor Binacional, tengan efectivamente acceso a las sugerencias producidas por las personas en los grupos, y que quienes participamos recibamos también la memoria con relatorías y síntesis y el directorio de participantes, y que tan costosa experiencia sea de mayor utilidad para los interesados.

Participación Social
Catalina A. Denman
Programa de Salud y Sociedad
El Colegio de Sonora

Public participation (participación social in Spanish) is a key issue facing many official, private, and social institutions as we go into the next century. The issues are not simple, nor do there seem to be easy answers, and they seem to be even more complex when we deal with binational or international efforts. As the Border Environment Cooperation Commission moves forward, some of the issues it will continue to face concern the asymmetrical characteristics of public participation by both United States and Mexican groups.

There exist diverse social, economic, political and cultural differences in the region. These differences need to be understood as BECC attempts to stimulate and facilitate public participation in the discussion and preparation of proposals to be funded. Several essential elements to be considered include keeping open doors to the meetings, guaranteeing that all documents and discussions are available in both English and Spanish, working with binational groups who have experience in developing proposals, training those communities that require assistance, and last but not least, recognizing and dealing openly with the differences.

Perhaps some of these issues can be more effectively worked on at a regional, and not only borderwide level. This could be carried out by organizing training sessions within border communities with representatives of concerned government agencies, universities, private enterprise and non-governmental organizations.

Una Carta De Nogales

Sr. Editores:

Gracias por abrir un espacio en Perspectivas para nosotros los lectores. Soy residente de Nogales desde hace mucho tiempo y me preocupan los problemas ambientales de esta comunidad. Por esta razón creo que es de vital importancia para los que vivimos en esta ciudad, el conocimiento y entendimiento de las actividades de la Comisión de Cooperación Ecológica Fronteriza (COCEF). Actualmente soy miembro de la Coalición Binacional de Salud y Medio Ambiente de Ambos Nogales y quiero expresarles que todavía tenemos muchas dudas sobre la COCEF y el apoyo que brindará a nuestras comunidades el Banco Norteamericano de Desarrollo.

Espero que este medio nos permita expresar adem s nuestro particular punto de vista sobre la Comisión, así como el poder plantear nuestras dudas y mejorar el contacto con las personas adecuadas e interesadas en nuestros proyectos, con la finalidad de que estos puedan tener mejores posibilidades de financiamiento.

Creo que esta sección tendrá siempre buena respuesta del público en la medida que el boletín proporcione información reciente y verdadera.

De nuevo gracias y sigan con esta brillante idea.

Profa. Ma. Elena Burruel
Nogales, Sonora

For assistance in joining BECCnet or receiving BECC/COCEF Perspectivas via regular mail, please contact The Udall Center or call the Udall Center at (520) 621-7189.

Articles and letters are solicited, in English or Spanish, presenting pros and cons of various issues and discussions of how individualsand groups in the community might be affected by proposals to or actions by BECC. If possible send material intended for publication on diskette to:

Perspectivas
The Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy
803/811 East First Street
Tucson, AZ 85719
Phone: (520) 621-7189
Fax: (520) 621-9234