California Air Resources Board

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.

CARB staff worked 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 at the December 13, 2018 Board hearing. Staff will provide another update on the work plan and accomplishments at the July 2020 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)

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

• September 12, 2019 Agenda
  • Implementation of the Flag Program in Mexicali
  • Imperial County-Mexicali Work Plan Update and Air Quality Trends
  • Mexicali Community Monitoring Update
  • Results of Mexicali Environmental Initiatives

• December 5, 2019 Agenda (English)(Spanish)
  • New Administration Update in Relation to Air Quality Programs and New Projects
  • EPA Headquarters Border Strategy & Multi-Pollutant Approach
  • Imperial County Agricultural Burn Program
  • Imperial County – Mexicali Work Plan Update

• February 6, 2020 Agenda (English)(Spanish)
  • Utilization of the NOM-172-SEMARNAT-2019 Air Health Index
  • Implementation of the Flag Program in Mexicali
  • Imperial County – Mexicali Work Plan Update
  • EPA Region 9 Air Border Program Updates

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.

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.

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. 

• Fact Sheet: California-Mexico MOU to Enhance Cooperation on Climate Change and the Environment

California-City of Mexicali Memorandum of Cooperation on the Loan of PM Air Monitoring Sensors

In December 2018, California and the 22^nd Administration of the City of Mexicali signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to enhance the availability of air quality data to better understand the causes and severity of air pollution in the Imperial County - Mexicali border region.

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)

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

Emissions Inventory and Other Border Related Projects

• 2014 Northern Baja California Emissions Inventory Project
• Improving the CalEnviroScreen score at the US-Mexico border- San Diego State University School of Public Health