ENVIRONMENTALISSUESALONG THEUNITEDSTATES-MEXICOBORDER: Drivers of Change and Responses of Citizens and Institutions

Abstract

▪ Abstract The US-Mexico border region illustrates the challenges of binational environmental management in the context of a harsh physical environment, rapid growth, and economic integration. Transboundary and shared resources and conflicts include limited surface water supplies, depletion of groundwater, air and water pollution, hazardous waste, and conservation of important natural ecosystems. Public policy responses to environmental problems on the border include binational institutions such as the IBWC, BECC and CEC, the latter two established in response to environmental concerns about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Environmental social movements and nongovernmental organizations have also become important agents in the region. These new institutions and social movements are especially interesting on the Mexican side of the border where political and economic conditions have often limited environmental enforcement and conservation, and where recent policy changes also include changes in land and water law, political democratization, and government decentralization.

The Transfer of Core-Based Hazardous Production Processes to the Export Processing Zones of the Periphery: The Maquiladora Centers of Northern Mexico

“…This concern gave rise to a host of regulations. Early U.S. efforts included the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Hernandez-Avila and Torres (1995), ITESM and InfoMexus (2002), and Liverman, Varady, Chavez and Sanchez (1999).…”

“…Various consumer products are produced for export, including furniture for several U.S. companies, auto parts for Chrysler, high-tech electronic components and compute1· disks for Sony, Ford automobiles, Foster Grant sunglasses, hospital gowns for Kimberly Clark, and garage door openers for Sears. Maquila plants also produce hazardous wastes and other substances that are not managed effectively and contaminate the air, water, and soil, as well as put workers and others at risk of death, disease, and injury (e.g., Clapp 2002a; Liverman et al 1999;Mumme 1999), but more on this below. Some of the TN Cs have introduced health, safety, and environmental standards that are equivalent to those of the developed countries, but many TNCs have not introduced such standards (Castleman 1995(Castleman , 1999; see also Garcia-Johnson 2000:chapter 5).…”

“…Covello and Frey (1990), LaDou (1998), Liverman et al (1999) (Kourous 1998;Lanrigan and Garg 2002;Ostrosky-Wegman and Gonsebatt 1996). Other problems exist, including limited public awareness of the risks associated with hazards, weak and tightly controlled labor unions, politically unresponsive state agencies, and inadequate risk assessment and management capabilities (Meredith and Brown 1995;Pena 1997:28ff;Sanchez 2002).…”

“…Structural adjustment reforms and trade liberalization as well as the general processes of globalization have compounded the problem by increasing some of the problems mentioned above and reducing the state's right/ ability ( or "infrastructural power" according to Tilly [1995:14]) to regulate the domestic market, the environment, and the health and safety of workers (Casanova 1996;Millen and Holtz 2000 ). The problem is compounded by the fact that hazardous industries are located in rapidly growing cities or "boom towns" faced with many health, safety, and environmental risks and inadequate infrastructure and services in terms of health care, housing, water, electricity, sewage and drainage, and garbage collection and disposal (Brenner et al 2000;Liverman et al 1999;World Resources Institute 1996:1-156). In other words, "throughput: '' 18 is greater than the regeneration and absorptive capacities of the Mexican bo1·der cities.…”

“…See Melville (1994) for a fascinating account of the adverse environmental consequences associated with the introduction of European grazing animals in 16th Century Mexico. is not possible to estimate the full extent of the environmental damage (ITESM and InfoMexus 2002;Liverman et al 1999;Pena 1997:283-296). Such damage is a potentially important problem because it can deplete important natural resources, disrupt the stability of larger ecosystems, and threaten human health (Brenner et al 2000;Simon 1997).…”