Good Neighbor Environmental Board meets about U.S.-Mexico border region environmental infrastructure

The Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB), a Presidential advisory committee, recently discussed environmental infrastructure requirements along the U.S.-Mexico border, including the state of the Rio Grande River and on-going resiliency efforts.

“The meetings in Brownsville,Texas and interaction with local officials and community members helped the board clearly understand the regional environmental challenges that the region faces,“ GNEB Chair Paul Ganster said. “Board members from other regions along the border with Mexico and from Washington, D.C., gained a new appreciation of the unique nature of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.”

The board, which is managed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reviews environmental issues in the border region and provides a yearly report to the President’s environmental advisory group. GNEB includes officials from the four U.S. states along the border — including representatives from state and local governments, businesses and nonprofit groups — and nine federal agencies.

“The border region, like many communities throughout the country, has health problems that can be linked to environmental pollution,” EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry said. “Bringing together local leaders, state and federal partners, and local citizens will help us assure families in the border communities can be safe where they live and play.”