By Wayne Nastri and Howard Berman, Dutko Worldwide

The regional offices of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) are tasked with implementing this nation’s environmental policy through operations and enforcement. USEPA’s mission remains straight-forward; protect human health and the environment. It’s a tremendous challenge that faces many hurdles including insufficient resources to address all the tasks at hand. These challenges are particularly acute along the US-Mexico border. The Southwest’s desert arid climate compounds drinking water and wastewater issues. Raw sewage flowing into the United States is especially problematic during wet weather. Many older vehicles, often those that can’t meet California emission standards, are sold into Mexico, compounding air quality challenges along the border. Unscrupulous individuals illegally dispose of hazardous waste along the border and often times there are either insufficient or no programs in place to adequately deal with wastes that are accumulated in the border region. Compounding these issues are the thousands of people entering the US throughout the border region, leaving behind tons of solid waste, including bicycles, clothes, and water bottles.
 Continue Reading An Update on The U.S.-Mexico Border 2012 Program

By Gerardo Hernandez Reyes,  Jose Luis Alvarez Palacio, Sergio Barajas Perez, Turenna Ramirez Ortiz and Luis F. Martinez, Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C.

In recent years, the Tax Authority Auditing Offices have begun to implement a series of revisions in the area of Foreign Trade, which have resulted in exorbitant tax calculations and fines, and created uncertainty within the industry.

These audits have focused directly on reviewing the requests for import permits filed between 2001 and June of 2003 the description of the imported merchandise, and (b) the allocated customs tariffs within the authorizations issued in connection with manufacturing programs. The auditing officers are seeking to verify  the merchandise has indeed entered the country legally.
 Continue Reading Uncertainty of the Maquiladora Plants in Mexico

By Gloria Park and Estuardo Anaya, Santamarina y Steta 

Global climate change is a very popular topic of discussion of late, both in Mexico and the United States, and particularly in California. Driven by a widely perceived consensus among scientists that global warming is currently taking place at an accelerating rate, due in large part to man-made carbon emissions, public opinion has impelled policy makers in both countries to take action. This article will compare the different approaches that Mexico and the U.S. are taking at various levels of government to address climate change issues, particularly through regulation of greenhouse gases (“GHGs”), and will analyze the resulting obstacles and opportunities for private enterprise in both countries.
 Continue Reading Public Green, Private Gold: Opportunities from Climate Change Regulation in the U.S. and Mexico