California-Mexico Border Activities

This page last reviewed June 17, 2019

On May 25, 2018, the CARB Board directed staff to develop a work plan in coordination with the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District (ICAPCD) and agencies in Imperial County and Baja California, Mexico to explore additional actions to improve air quality in the border region.

Since May, CARB staff have been working with community members and agencies in Imperial County and Mexico to provide input on what priorities to include in the work plan. The Imperial County - Mexicali Air Quality Work Plan to Improve Air Quality in the Border Region lays out a set of actions and recommendations to improve air quality in the Imperial County - Mexicali border region.

CARB staff provided an update on the work plan and its accomplishments thus far at the December 13, 2018 Board hearing. Below are links to the Draft Imperial County - Mexicali Air Quality Work Plan (English and Spanish) as well as an analysis of PM2.5 air quality and meteorological data at Calexico and Mexicali.

Imperial County - Mexicali Air Quality Work Plan to Improve Air Quality in the Border Region (English)
Plan de Trabajo para mejorar la Calidad del Aire en la Region Fronteriza del Condado de Imperial - Mexicali (Spanish)

Analysis of PM2.5 Air Quality and Meteorological Data: Calexico, California, and Mexicali, Baja California (English)
Analisis de la calidad del aIre en cuanto a PM2.5 y datos meteorologicos: Calexico, California y Mexicali, Baja California (Spanish)

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Imperial County - Mexicali Air Quality Work Plan Meeting Agendas and Presentations

• July 9, 2018 Agenda
• Priorities Discussed
• August 9, 2018 Agenda
• Priorities Discussed
• September 13, 2018 Agenda
• Priorities Discussed
• November 7, 2018 Agenda
• Overview of Meeting
• February 7, 2019 Agenda
• Work Plan Update and Air Quality Trend Presentation
• City of Mexicali Network of Air Quality Sensors Presentation
• Redspira Air Quality Sensors Presentation
• April 4, 2019 Agenda
• Monitoring Network in Mexicali Presentation
• Work Plan Update and Air Quality Trend Presentation
• Analysis of PM2.5 Air Quality and Meteorological data in Calexico and Mexicali
• June 13, 2019 Agenda
• Work Plan Update and Air Quality Trend Presentation
• City of Mexicali Actions to Mitigate Emissions in the Atmosphere
• OBSER BC Vehicle Verification

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Other California-Mexico Efforts to Improve Air Quality in the Border Region

Border 2020
Border 2020 utilizes a bottom-up approach to tackling environmental issues in the border region. Programs under Border 2020 were established binationally and seek to improve air and water quality, reduce waste, strenthen emergency preparation and response, promote environmental stewardship and address environmental health. More information about the Border 2020 program can be found here.

California-Mexico Memorandum of Understanding to Enhance Cooperation on Climate Change and the Environment
In July 2014, California and Mexico signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to Enhance Cooperation on Climate Change and the Environment. This joint effort aimed to improve and protect the environment while ensuring sustainable use of natural resources to improve quality of life and increase trade and investment opportunities. The MOU was a four-year effort that ended in July of 2018 and contained four priority action areas: climate change, air quality, wildfires and clean vehicles. The MOU Fact Sheet can be found here.

California-Mexico Border Relations Council

The California-Mexico Border Relations Council (CMBRC) was created in 2006 (AB 3021, Nunez) and coordinates cross-border programs, initiatives, projects and partnerships along the California-Mexico border. The CMBRC serves as a representative body of the State of California whose goal is to continue to develop and enhance cross-border relations between California and Mexico.

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California and Baja California, Mexico Air Quality Implementation Plans

States on both sides of the border continue to identify measures they can take to improve air quality in their region by developing State Implementation Plans (SIPs) in the U.S. and ProAires in Mexico. SIPs are comprehensive plans that describe how a nonattainment area will attain national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).  SIPs are a compilation of new and previously submitted plans, programs (such as monitoring, modeling, permitting, etc.), district rules, state regulations and federal controls.

In the State of Baja California, Mexico, the government develops the Mexico ProAire, which is a program to improve air quality in Baja California. The most recent ProAire for Baja California (2018-2027) includes goals to reduce emissions from vehicles at border crossings, expand dust control, and replace agricultural burning with more sustainable practices.  SIPs and the ProAire have a common goal of identifying and implementing measures to improve air quality in a region over time.

Below is a list of the most recent Imperial County SIPs:

• 2018 Imperial County PM10 State Implementation Plan
• 2018 State Implementation Plan for the 12 ug/m3 PM2.5 Annual Standard
• 2017 State Implementation Plan for the 75 ppb 8-hour Ozone Standard
• 2013 State Implementation Plan for the 2006 24-hour PM2.5 Moderate Nonattainment Area

Below is the 2018-2027 Baja California ProAire (Spanish):

• Management Program to Improve Air Quality of the State of Baja California (2018-2027)

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California and Mexico Air Quality Data

The following websites provide air quality data for Imperial County and Mexicali.

Imperial County

• Air Quality and Meteorological Information System (AQMIS): AQMIS provides a combination of preliminary (real-time) and official (historical) data.
• Imperial Valley Air Quality: Provides air quality alerts and forecasts for Imperial County and Mexicali.
• iADAM Air Quality Data Statistics
• IVAN Air Monitoring

Baja California, Mexico

• State of Baja California Air Quality

Mexicali, Baja California

• Municipality of Mexicali Air Quality
• Historical Data
•  PurpleAir Air Quality Monitoring Data
• Redspira

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CARB has been involved in several air quality management activities in the California-Mexico border region, which will assist in the development of air quality management plans for the region. These efforts include ambient air monitoring, vehicular emissions studies, and heavy-duty diesel vehicle inspections. CARB staff presented an overview of these projects and future planning efforts on March 21, 2002.

• March 21, 2002 Presentation to the Board in San Diego, CA (PDF - 485 KB)
• Public Meeting Notice for March 21, 2002 (PDF - 57 KB) 

If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Melgoza at elizabeth.melgoza@arb.ca.gov or (916) 322-6161.