Ramirez pledges to solve water problems

David Peregrino
El Paso Times
Tuesday, August 7, 2001

Nearly five months after President Bush nominated him to be commissioner of the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, former Mayor Carlos Ramirez took his oath of office at the commission's West El Paso headquarters Monday.

In front of a crowd of relatives, supporters and commission employees, Ramirez and his counterpart, Mexican Section Commissioner Arturo Herrera Solís, pledged Monday to work together to solve water-supply problems on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ramirez's appointment became official July 30, concluding a confirmation process that began in March.

"We have some big challenges," Ramirez said. "We're going to be making sure that we meet the needs of the people and meet the needs of the environment."

Ramirez will be paid a $145,000 annual salary to oversee the U.S. Section of the commission, which has an annual budget of about $30 million and fourteen offices along the 1,952-mile U.S.-Mexico border. The commission is responsible for applying boundary and water treaties, construction and operation of wastewater-treatment plants, flood control, and operating international storage reservoirs.

In the weeks leading up to his confirmation, Ramirez was paid as a consultant to the commission. Commission officials said he was eligible for $50 hourly fees. His total consultant pay to date was not available Monday, officials said.

Ramirez cast his plans for the commission in broad terms, saying the commission will work closely with the North American Development Bank Border Environmental Cooperation Commission on border infrastructure projects. He did get specific about the need for Mexico to offer more money to border projects. He said he was struck by the immense size of Mexican border cities during recent visits.

"The Mexican government has to commit more resources," he said.

He also said he would work to see that the agreements between the U.S. and Mexican sections of the commission are enforced.

In March, Mexico pledged to repay a years-old water debt by delivering 600,000 acre-feet of water to Texas farmers along the southern Rio Grande by July 31.

But because of recent lack of rain, Mexico was able to provide about 300,000 acre-feet by that date, IBWC spokeswoman Sally Spener said.

However, the agreement has a low-rainfall contingency plan that extends the date of delivery to Sept. 30, Spener said.

David Peregrino may be reached at dperegrino@elpasotimes.com For more information: www.ibwc.state.gov