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United States and Mexico to Exercise Hazardous Material Release Response

Release Date: 11/22/2010
Contact Information: Dave Bary or Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(DALLAS - November 22, 2010) Today, U.S. and Mexico federal, state, and local agencies will exercise a full scale response to a hazardous materials incident on the U.S. Mexico border. This exercise is in support of the U.S./Mexico joint contingency plan and the existing local sister city emergency plan. The exercise will test the multi-agency binational response to a hazmat incident immediately south of the Santa Teresa /Jeronimo Port of Entry. The event will occur between 10 a.m. and noon where it is anticipated that the port of entry will be closed to both north bound and south bound traffic as part of the event.

U.S agencies participating in this event are the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, Dona Ana County Emergency Management, New Mexico State Police, and Dona Ana County law enforcement.

Mexican agencies participating in this event include PROFEPA, Cuidad Juarez Fire Dept and Civil Protection, Mexican customs, CLAM, FOX COMM, Federal Police Transit, and other local stakeholders.

The overall goal of this exercise is to test response and communications on both sides of the U.S/Mexico border.