Border 2020 Gulf Task Force
| Recent and Upcoming Local Special Events |
The Gulf Task Force is one of three sub-regional groups in the Four-State Regional Workgroup in the U.S.-Mexico Border 2020 Environmental Program (successor to Border 2012), 
which is a partnership among the U.S. EPA, Mexico’s SEMARNAT (the counterpart to EPA), the ten border states in the two countries, and U .S. border tribes. The Gulf Task Force covers Cameron, Hidalgo, Willacy, and Starr Counties in Texas and the Municipios of Matamoros, Valle Hermosa, Reynosa, Miguel Alemán, Camargo, and Rio Bravo in Tamaulipas.
Gulf Task Force Co-Leaders
Texas |
Tamaulipas |
|
John Wood |
MVZ José Dolores Rodríguez Villarreal Presidente Municipal, Río Bravo, Tamaulipas |
Committees of the Gulf Task Force
The Gulf Task Force has the following six subject-specific committees. Each committee has a U.S. co-facilitator and a Mexican co-facilitator.
| Committee | U.S. Co-Facilitator(s) | Mexican Co-Facilitator |
|---|---|---|
| Water Committee | Javier Santiago, City of McAllen | Ing. Oscar Gutierrez Santana, National Water Commission (CONAGUA) |
| Air Committee | Anjanette Jackson, TCEQ | M.C. Julio César Gómez Hernández, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas |
| Waste Committee | Joe Hinojosa, Environmental Services Dept., City of Brownsville |
Mauricio Chalons, Ecology Department, Municipio of Reynosa |
| Environmental Education | Genny Carrillo, MD, Texas A&M Health Science Center, School of Rural Public Helath, South Texas Center, McAllen Beatriz Tapia, MD, University of Texas Health Science Center, Regional Academic Health Center, Harlingen |
Alfredo Hassanille, Asociación de Maquiladoras de Matamoros, Tamaulipas Nelly Lopez, Centro de Bachillerito Tecnológico Industrial y de Servicios, Río Bravo, Tamaulipas |
| Environmental Health | Eddie Olivarez, Health Dept., Hidalgo County |
MVZ Raul Terrazas Barraza, Health Dept., Tamaulipas |
| Emergency Preparedness | Ricardo Saldaña, Fire Dept., City of Mission |
Ing. Manuel Montiel, Matamoros Maquiladora Association |
The Gulf Task Force committees have met periodically, established their priorities related to the goals and objectives of the Border 2020 Program (successor to Border 2012), and developed projects to address those priorities.
Additional Information about the Gulf Task Force
- Calendar of meetings for Border 2020's Texas-Tamaulipas-Nuevo León-Coahuila region
- Accomplishments on the Texas side, 2010-2011
- Accomplishments on the Tamaulipas side, 2010-2011 (en español)
- Recycling programs in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
- Water-related infrastructure financed by the North American Development Bank in the Texas-Tamaulipas-Nuevo León-Coahuila region
- Population data for major sister-city pairs along the border - Texas, Tamaulipas, Coahuila, and Chihuahua
Three Organizations from the Lower Grande Valley Win Statewide Awards
Three winners of the TCEQ's Environmental Excellence Awards in 2011 and 2012 have been from the Gulf Task Force area:
- In 2012 the winner in the "Civic/Community" category was the Arroyo Colorado Watershed Partnership.
- In 2011 the winner in the "Civic/Community" category was the Valley Proud Environmental Council (see the video).
- In 2011 the winner in the "Agriculture" category was the Harlingen Irrigation District (see the video).
Other Information about the Border Region
- La Paz Agreement (1983 Framework Agreement between the U.S. and Mexico on Environmental Topics)
- Binational Population Data in Sister Cities along the Rio Grande
- Border Energy web site
- Border Tire Network
