El Paso-Ciudad Juarez Air Pollution; Is Change in the Wind
Abstract
The Mexican border extends for nearly 2,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean crossing four U.S. states. Texas's border with Mexico is the longest of the four border states stretching for 1,200 miles along the Rio Grande River. The Texas-Mexican border not only offers a unique cultural interface but also a highly dynamic economy that includes tourism, agriculture, and manufacturing facilities. The primary economic development along the Texas-Mexican border has been in seven pairs of "sister cities" -- Brownsville-Matamoros, Presidio-Ojinaga, Del Rio-Ciudad Acuna, Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras, Laredo-Nuevo Laredo, McAllen-Reynosa, and El Paso-Ciudad Juarez. El Paso is located on the north bank of the Rio Grande River and is built like a horseshoe around the Franklin Mountains while its sister city, Ciudad Juarez (Juarez), is located on the eastern and northern slopes of the Sierra de Juarez. Topographically, they form a large amphitheater5 and share common air and water sheds. Environmentally, they suffer from common maladies associated with each media. The primary causes of water pollution are insufficient sewer systems and wastewater treatment facilities to support a growing population as well as direct discharges of industrial effluent into the water supplies. While El Paso-Juarez's water pollution makes other pollution "pale by comparison" in terms of environmental and health impact, its sources are readily identifiable and remedied. On the other hand, El Paso's air pollution problems are well documented, but the sources of pollution have been difficult to identify due to the lack of emissions monitoring equipment on the Mexican side of the border. Air pollution control in terms of source identification, remedial measures, and subsequent enforcement of those measures is extremely difficult in an international setting.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 30, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA284274
Entities
People
- William A. Druschel
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology