Program to Improve Air Quality in Mexicali: 2000-2005

CONTENTS 1. FOREWORD...................................................................................................3 2. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................5 3. GENERAL CHARACTERISTIS .................................................................... 16 3.1 Historical background ...........................................................................16 3.2 Socioeconomic characteristics..............................................................19 3.3 Urban and road service characteristics ................................................ 24 3.4 Air quality management in Mexicali and its binational airshed ............. 27 3.5 Previous air quality studies and programs in Mexicali-Imperial Valley..................................................................................................... 33 4. AIR QUALITY................................................................................................ 45 4.1 Air quality standards and effects from pollutants..................................45 4.2 Meteorological conditions ..................................................................... 50 4.3 Air quality diagnostics ...........................................................................57 5. EMISSIONS INVENTORY............................................................................ 82 5.1 Energy balance ..................................................................................... 82 5.2 Fuel characteristics ............................................................................... 84 5.3 Emissions inventory .............................................................................. 87 6. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES, GOALS AND GENERAL STRATEGIES ........111 6.1 Objectives ...........................................................................................111 6.2 Strategies and actions .......................................................................112 6.3 Goals...................................................................................................130 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY.........................................................................................132 ANNEXES........................................................................................................136 Annex A. Air quality monitoring and metropolitan index...........................136 Annex B. Air quality summary tables for 1997-1998................................143 1 Program to Improve Air Quality in Mexicali 2000-2005 Annex C. Health effects from pollutants ...................................................147 Annex D. Summary of the calculation of emissions reductions, investments and costs ..............................................................154 Annex E. Technical lineaments of a vehicular emissions testing program.....................................................................................159 Annex F. Mexican air quality standards ...................................................172 Annex G. 1983 La Paz Agreement and Annex V .....................................175 Annex H. Mexican vehicle emissions standards ......................................185 Annex I. Glossary of terms......................................................................211 2 1. FOREWORD The Program to Improve Air Quality in Mexicali 2000-2005 represents the joint effort between the public, the local economic sector, and the three levels of government, to design and implement a set of actions with the purpose of controlling the sources of pollutants that affect air quality in the city. Mexicali plays an important role in the Mexican national economy due to its urban, demographic, manufacturing and entrepreneurial dynamics, as well as its proximity to the United States. This makes Mexicali, along with Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, one of the most important border cities. The city’s growth brings along social and economic benefits, but also problems related to urban development and the provision of infrastructure and services, which generate environmental problems, in particular the deterioration of air quality. The proliferation of a large number of industrial, commercial and service activities, as well as the acceler- ated growth of its vehicular fleet, have had an adverse impact on air quality in Mexicali. This is especially due to the poor condition of privately owned vehicles and the public transportation system; and, especially because of the importation of used vehicles that are generally found in poor working condition. Further- more, the situation is accentuated through particulate matter and dust emissions generated by urban clandestine burns, agricultural burns, and unpaved road emissions. Although there have been isolated attempts at solving this problem, these have not always been successful, nor have they come up as a result of coordinated strategic planning by the three levels of government. This has caused resources and efforts to fade away, decreasing the effectiveness of these efforts. Furthermore, the presence of Mexican and US authorities with different responsibilities and jurisdictional structures in the Mexicali-Imperial Valley Region; the existence of urban conglomerates with varying levels of development; and, the diversity of agricultural, commercial and service activities; require the need for integrated and complex approaches toward solving the air pollution problem. The Program to Improve Air Quality in Mexicali 2000-2005 proposes 27 concrete measures that will allow, in the interim, the gradual reduction of air pollution in the city, until air quality standards are eventually met. The development of these measures was a joint effort between municipal, state and federal environmental authorities, members of the academic community, and non-government organizations. The program seeks to become a set of guidelines to be followed, whose benefit will not only impact Mexicali but also the rest of the binational airshed. The solution to atmospheric pollution in this airshed will only be feasible if people living and working in the region become involved and if the authorities coordinate their efforts adequately to enforce the necessary measures. The continuing follow-up of the achievements in the development of the Program will help evaluate its efficiency and provide direction. This document consists of two separate parts; the first includes chapters two to four and presents a general overview and a diagnosis of the current air quality situation, as well as a review of the major efforts undertaken to this date to control air pollution. The second part includes the first emissions inventory that was developed for Mexicali, in its entirety, as well as a description of the Program’s objectives, goals, and proposed actions. The contents of each chapter are briefly described in the following paragraphs. Chapter 2 includes a general frame of reference of the reasons for developing the Program. Chapter 3 addresses the general characteristics of Mexicali, briefly outlining the city’s historical evolution, as well as the socioeconomic, urban and transit characteristics. Also, it includes a summary of the air quality research studies of recent years and the main conclusions that have been drawn regarding the Program to Improve Air Quality in Mexicali 2000-2005 understanding of pollutant emissions, formation and behavior in the binational airshed. Chapter 4 presents a discussion of Mexico’s current air quality standards and a review of the general health impact from pollutants, as well as statistics and trends for the different pollutants measured by the monitoring network. It also contains a brief description of the prevailing meteorological conditions. Chapter 5 presents the energy balance for the different fuels and the emissions inventory identifying de- segregated pollution sources in four different sectors: industry, commerce and services, transportation, and, soils and vegetation. This inventory was developed with the financial and technical support from the Western Governors Association (WGA), California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the US Environ- mental Protection Agency. (USEPA). Chapter 6 explains the objectives and goals of the Program; it also describes specific control measures for each sector, naming the parties responsible for implementing these measures, as well as an estimate of the expected emissions reduction. Finally, the document has a bibliographic section and a series of technical annexes in support of each chapter. The Program To Improve Air Quality in Mexicali 2000-2005 is available on the web page of Instituto Na- cional de Ecología, at: http://www.ine.gob.mx. The document can be downloaded from this site. 4 2. INTRODUCTION Economic development and air quality in the region The city of Mexicali, Baja California, is set in a strategic location along the United States-Mexico border, emerging as a farming zone of great potential in the first part of the twentieth century. Agricultural activity in Mexicali began in 1904, with the first use of irrigation. The first crop that was introduced at that time was cotton, with disastrous results during the first several years. It was not until 1912 that production of this crop was strengthened and consolidated. During the 1930s and 1940s, the seeding of cotton and manufacture of vegetable oils and fat were the main manufacturing industries. In 1937, the agreements to declare the border region a Aduty-free zone@ were established, allowing Mexicali

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