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A diverse workforce with increased ability to meet future needs is the goal of an agreement signed today by the Environmental Protection Agency, Haskell Indian Nations University, and the University of North Texas (UNT).

EPA and the two universities signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) pledging to work together on programs that support American Indian students pursuing careers in environmental fields. The agreement was signed by EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene, Haskell President Dr. Linda Sue Warner, and UNT President Dr. Gretchen M. Bataille.

"EPA recognizes the importance of working with colleges and universities to spur interest in environmental careers," Greene said. "The students of today are the environmental stewards of tomorrow. With today’s agreement, we are helping ensure our health and the environment will be in good hands."

Under the agreement, EPA will work with the universities to establish a direct track for Haskell graduates to continue environmental studies at UNT. The agreement also focuses on student employment and volunteer programs, research participation, lectures and seminars on environmental issues, and community outreach.

EPA has partnered with several academic institutions to address the shortage of students pursuing degrees in environmental sciences and to encourage the development of a diverse workforce. The purpose of today’s MOU is to reinforce the working relationship between Haskell, UNT and EPA in support of educational, research, and outreach activities with the American Indian community. It will also assist EPA in its mission of protecting human health and the environment by increasing the number of professionals in the fields of environmental research, policy and program development.

The agreement is one of many initiatives organized by EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs, which exists to enhance relationships with environmental justice communities and American Indian Nations.

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Officials from the United States and Mexico will meet to discuss environmental issues along the border, recognize environmental accomplishments to date, and commemorate the 25th anniversary of the La Paz Agreement on September 3 through 5 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

The fifth Border 2012 National Coordinators Meeting will be hosted by Mexico’s Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and participation of the 10 border states, county and local governments, representatives from U.S. tribes and Mexico indigenous communities, and a broad array of non-governmental organizations.

"As neighbors and partners, we continue to work together to create solutions for the environmental issues of our shared border," said EPA Regional Administrator Richard E. Greene. "Our efforts have led to significant progress in improving the environment and quality of life for the people of the region, and we look forward to even greater successes in the future."

Border 2012 supports projects that reduce air pollution, provide safe drinking water, and improve emergency preparedness, among others. The program is the current embodiment of the environmental partnership that began between the United States and Mexico in 1983 with the signing of the La Paz Agreement.

Under La Paz, the United States and Mexico agreed to protect, conserve and improve the environment of the border region. The agreement created a framework for the two governments to resolve environmental issues along the border and led to the creation of the Border XXI initiative. Border XXI was the predecessor of the Border 2012 program.

Since its start in 2003, the Border 2012 program has worked with its partners on a broad range of pollution prevention efforts in the region. Recent program successes include:

• removal of more than four million used tires from the border region for use as fuel or in highway paving projects;
• providing drinking water and wastewater benefits through 74 certified projects that will benefit more than seven million of the 12 million people that call the border region home;
• clean up of more than 2,500 tons of hazardous waste from the abandoned "Metales and Derivados" lead recovery facility in Tijuana; and
• the signing of 14 Pair City memorandums of understanding for emergency response.

To strengthen collaborative relationships along the border even further, SEMARNAT Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada will join EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson in signing the revised U.S.-Mexico Joint Contingency Plan during the meeting. EPA has formed several strategic partnerships over the past two years to strengthen emergency preparedness in the region.

These partnerships include tribal nations, the Border Governors Emergency Management Worktable, and the U.S. Northern Command. With these partnerships, EPA is achieving the key Border 2012 objective of providing certified, standardized capacity building to border first responders.