Momentum for environmental infrastructure projects continues in Coahuila

(San Antonio, Texas) – The North American Development Bank (NADB) will continue to work in close coordination with in-coming Coahuila Governor Humberto Moreira Valdés and his administration, to promote the financing of new environmental infrastructure projects in benefit of the border communities in Coahuila.

NADB Managing Director Jorge C. Garcés commented that the commitment to achieve environmental sustainability expressed by Governor Moreira in his inaugural speech “is consistent with the Bank’s mission, and by working together we will succeed in bringing the projects currently under development to fruition.”

Among the projects under development which are expected to be certified by the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) in 2006 and thus have access to NADB financing, are comprehensive water projects in Ciudad Acuña and Piedras Negras.  Wastewater projects are also being analyzed for Región 5 Manantiales and Región Carbonífera.

The communities of Ciudad Acuña and Piedras Negras are currently constructing improvements to various sanitary sewer systems and collectors that form part of their respective wastewater collection and treatment projects.  The total cost of both projects is US$135 million.  NADB is contributing US$32.9 million towards the costs of the projects, which will improve the quality of life for about 245,000 residents.

NADB funding is a combination of loans and grants.  The grants are provided through the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund (BEIF), which operates with contributions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

It is also important to highlight the support provided to the local water utilities for personnel training and institutional strengthening studies. NADB has awarded more than US$500,000 in technical assistance to fund four studies, including user registry updates and rate studies.

In addition, 17 utility professionals from various communities in Coahuila have attended training modules through the NADB’s Utility Management Institute (UMI), and thanks to recent promotional efforts, ten more professionals from Piedras Negras, Acuña, Monclova and Frontera will participate in the 2006 UMI program.

To date, NADB has approved more than US$704 million in loans and grants for 90 environmental infrastructure projects that will benefit residents on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

For more information on the NADB, visit www.nadb.org.

The North American Development Bank, created under the auspices of NAFTA, is a financial institution established and capitalized in equal parts by the United States and Mexico for the purpose of financing environmental infrastructure projects along their common border.  As a pioneer institution in its field, the Bank is working to develop integrated, sustainable and fiscally responsible projects with broad community support in a framework of close cooperation and coordination between Mexico and the United States.

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