Sacramento, California - Thanks to the persistence of Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D – Coachella) and other Imperial County air quality advocates, such as Comite Civico Del Valle, the California Air Resources Board has adopted the Imperial County 2018 PM10 State Implementation Plan and made a commitment to establish an executive office position dedicated to addressing regional border issues.

These pivotal actions taken during the December 13th board meeting follows Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia’s recent trip to Mexico City in which he was able to meet with the newly inaugurated President Lopez Obrador and Under Secretary for Environmental Protection, Sergio Sanchez, to discuss the environmental and public health plight of border communities. 

Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia has released the following statement regarding this significant feat:

“There is no wall big enough or tall enough that can protect our families from harmful air emissions.”

“Addressing border regional air quality issues is imperative; not only for the Imperial County community I represent but for those of the San Diego areas also experiencing their own unique set of border environmental concerns.”       

“Building strong binational partnerships with Mexico, our southern neighbor, and establishing a dedicated staff position for these affairs will be critical in our efforts to accelerate action, bolster enforcement, and execute our adopted plans. The mutual health of our residents and the fate of our economies are intertwined. We cannot afford to wait, California is taking the reins.”

“I am thankful to Chairman Nichols, the entire board, and the staff for all the work and sequence of activities that have led up to this point. I especially want to acknowledge all the advocates from Imperial County and Mexicali who have fought tirelessly to improve the public health reality of our community.”

To view the Imperial County 2018 PM10 State Implementation Plan: https://www.arb.ca.gov/planning/sip/planarea/imperial/sip.pdf