News

Laredo, Texas – During a press conference this morning, Representative Henry Cuellar (TX28) and the Office of Senator John Cornyn announced US$5.86 million in program funding awarded to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 6 for the U.S.-Mexico Border Water Infrastructure Program (BWIP), which funds technical assistance and infrastructure construction grants for high-priority municipal drinking water and wastewater projects. These funds are provided to the North American Development Bank (NADB), which administers them on behalf of EPA Region 6 for projects in Texas and New Mexico.

Rep. Cuellar and Henry Juvera, South Central Deputy Regional Director for Senator John Cornyn were joined by Mayor Pete Saenz of the City of Laredo; Mayor Enrique Rivas of the City of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas; Calixto Mateos-Hanel, NADB Deputy Managing Director, and Tricia Cortez, Executive Director of the Rio Grande International Study Center.

NADB provides grants through the Project Development Assistance Program (PDAP) and the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF) to support communities with development activities necessary for the implantation of projects that are selected by EPA through a public prioritization process. This process allows the program to target limited funding to projects with the highest benefit in terms of public health and environmental risk, cost-effectiveness, institutional capacity, and sustainability.

“We thank Senator Cornyn and Congressman Cuellar for their continued support to appropriate federal funds that help address urgent water and wastewater needs in border communities” stated Mr. Mateos-Hanel. “We have worked closely for many years with EPA to provide grant funding to communities that would not be able to fund their projects without grant resources.”

The funds awarded by Region 6 will be distributed to both NADB grant programs, PDAP is receiving $3.68 million for newly selected projects in 10 communities in New Mexico, Texas and Tamaulipas, and BEIF is receiving $2.8 million for investment in projects currently under development with PDAP, including infrastructure improvements in Vinton and Presidio, Texas as well as Anthony, New Mexico.

Projects funded in the Mexican border region, must have a direct benefit to the environment on the U.S. side. NADB coordinates with the Mexican national water agency, Comisión Nacional de Agua (CONAGUA) to ensure that the requirement for matching funds is met.

Since the BEIF program started in 1997, EPA, through the BWIP, has awarded more than $700 million to NADB to support this program. NADB has provided close to $660 million in grants for 117 projects in 92 communities, benefitting a population of 7.4 million on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border region. EPA has also awarded to date close to $42.3 million to PDAP.