Entire Book - Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research ...
Entire Book - Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research ...
Entire Book - Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research ...
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Introduction<br />
Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC), now the Texas<br />
Commission on <strong>Environmental</strong> Quality (TCEQ), certified that El<br />
Paso was in compliance <strong>for</strong> pollution sources within the city; nevertheless,<br />
El Paso continues to be a nonattainment area. The cause of<br />
continuing nonattainment, according to TCEQ, should be attributed<br />
to sources in Ciudad Juárez, where the burning of old tires, wood,<br />
and trash <strong>for</strong> fuel is common, and monitoring and en<strong>for</strong>cement at<br />
industrial sites is weak or nonexistent. It is not that Juárezenses’ attitudes<br />
toward the environment differ from U.S. attitudes (Ghosh and<br />
Molina 2002), rather, the problem is a lack of resources to devote to<br />
monitoring and en<strong>for</strong>cing air quality standards. The fact remains,<br />
however, that Ciudad Juárez and El Paso share a common airshed and<br />
until air pollution is controlled in Ciudad Juárez, El Paso will likely<br />
remain a nonattainment area, with the restrictions on economic<br />
growth that this implies. Clearly, the solution to El Paso air quality<br />
problems lies in developing a coordinated binational policy. And if<br />
the policy is to be successful, greater resources will have to be made<br />
available to the Mexican side of the border.<br />
Figure 1. An Ozone Plume Originating in Ciudad<br />
Juárez and Extending into El Paso<br />
RIO GRANDE<br />
Ciudad Juárez<br />
Juárez<br />
Mountains<br />
Franklin<br />
Mountains<br />
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory<br />
3<br />
El Paso<br />
RIVER VALLEY<br />
Emissions<br />
Emissions Plume<br />
Plume