Texas, Chihuahua Environmental Officials Address Shared Concerns Along The Texas-Mexico Border, Sign Agreement

State environmental officials from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and the Chihuahua Secretariat of the Environment signed an agreement today to work together for a healthier environment along the Texas-Mexico Border.

TCEQ Commissioner Emily Lindley, TCEQ Executive Director Toby Baker, TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith, and Chihuahua Secretary of the Environment Luis Felipe Siqueiros signed the four-year memorandum of cooperation, which is intended to increase the exchange of knowledge, experience, and technology related to protecting human health and the environment.

“I am proud to collaborate with our neighbors in Chihuahua, on behalf of the State of Texas, to protect our shared environmental resources,” says Commissioner Emily Lindley.

The memorandum states that Texas and Chihuahua will work together on activities such as sharing best practices and maintaining productive communication on air quality, water quality, and waste management issues. As the two states plan environmental programs and priorities, the memorandum details coordination and partnership in cross-border issues.

“It’s a pleasure to be here in El Paso with my counterparts; I’m looking forward to great collaboration with the TCEQ on environmental issues that impact the Texas-Chihuahua border,” Secretary Luis Felipe Siqueiros explains.

Chihuahua is one of four Mexican states bordering Texas. Sister cities along the Texas-Chihuahua border, including El Paso-Ciudad Juárez and Presidio-Ojinaga, coordinate with TCEQ’s Office of Border Affairs and the Chihuahua Secretariat of Environment on environmental issues of mutual interest. The two states previously had a memorandum of cooperation signed in 1999.