Frontera NorteSur February 2000

NorFluor Chemical Plant Recieves Additional Fine

Mexico's federal environmental agency (Profepa) announced on January 12 that they would fine Norfluor, a chemical plant in Cd. Juárez, a minimum of 20,000 salaries ($76,000 U.S.) for the chemical explosion that occurred on November 10 releasing 120 kilos of amonia. An earlier explosion on September 18 had released 600 kilos of amonia.

Maiía del Pila Leal Hernández, spokesperson for the agency, said that this is the second sanction, the first of some $15,900 U.S. was not paid by the company and they will now have to answer to the municipal government. The city's treasurer Jorge Ramos Negrete had not recieved the paperwork as of January 14. "We need the notifciation before we can proceed to cover these fines," he said.

The plant is still partially closed due to sanctions, and investigations continue into the cause of the explosions and the environmental damage that the plant is responsible for, if any.

Source: El Diario

Environmentalists Celebrate Clean Air Report

According to the Clean Air Coalition and the Assocation for Clean Air, the ozone levels only exceeded safety standards on three days during 1999. When the ozone level exceeds standards, children, the elderly and anyone with respiratory problems will suffer during the warmest part of the day, and are usually advised to remain indoors.

"We've had a really wonderful first year," said Veronica Carbajal, Air Quality Program director with the Coalition in El Paso which is behind the "Ozone Action Days." This program notifies the public when ozone levels are high and makes recommendations for how to maintain safety and avoid increasing the problem.

Although positive, Carbajal also explained that, "It is great for the region to have cleaner air, better than in previous years, but this isn't a victory because the ozone is a product of a photochemical reaction which requires high temerpatures, a lot of sun, a little wind and no rain."

Typically, the most dangerous months are between May and October. This year saw only three days exceed the standards, one each in May, July, and October

Because the condition is so weather dependent, experts have little means to predict upcoming conditions. "We are still not where we need to be," said Archie Clouse, a program manager with the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. "We can't give people a false sense of security."

When ozone levels are high, an odorless, colorless chemical is in the air that irritates the respiratory system. Typically the ozone layer above the Earth protects harmful ultraviolet rays from getting through to the Earth's surface.

Source: El Diario, El Paso Times

Reforestation Program Under Way

"Green Juárez 2000," a new city program hopes to plant 120,000 trees and 30,000 bushes for the new century according to the director of the Cd. Juárez Parks and Gardens Department. Nearly 41,000 trees and 1,000 bushes have been planted so far.

Epifanio Hernández Soltero, department director, said the program is planting a wide variety of greenery in community and public parks, sports fields and highways. The effort began last November with hopes to continue planting through March of this year when everything that is currently dormant will grow.

The City Parks and Garden Department will be in charge of maintaining the new plants and Soltero expects a 99 percent growth rate for what has been planted, most of which comes from city nurseries.

The program is planting typically regional trees like the Mezquite, Huizache, Mimbre, Palm and Palo Verde, however, flowering plants such as lilacs are also being planted.

Source: El Diario