Sinema introduced and passed legislation making today’s agreement possible to transfer ownership of the Nogales international pipeline
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema today announced a historic agreement between the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and the City of Nogales to transfer the ownership of the International Outfall Interceptor (IOI) to the United States, made possible by her historic Nogales Wastewater Improvement law.
Today’s agreement lays the groundwork for the transfer of ownership of the Nogales IOI to IBWC for critical infrastructure improvements strengthening public health and safety. Sinema’s law is contingent on the agreement – which individuals of both parties and all levels of government have sought for decades.
“Thanks to our law, we’re delivering a solution for Nogales decades in the making. Today’s agreement is the first step in finally strengthening public health and safety in Nogales by giving the U.S. control of the IOI,” said Sinema, who originally introduced the Nogales Wastewater Improvement law.
The agreement gives the IBWC full legal access and the right to perform operations and maintenance on the IOI, and provides an agreement of the amount of water Nogales will put into the IOI. It is the first step in enacting Sinema’s Nogales Wastewater Improvement law.
Families in Nogales have faced challenges with untreated wastewater coming from Mexico and overflowing into streets during storm events. Sinema’s law streamlines the ability for the government to respond to crises on the US-side of the border and authorizes full funding for operations and maintenance into the future.
Additionally, drug smugglers in Mexico use the IOI to send narcotics and other illicit goods through the pipeline from the Mexico side of the border to be retrieved on the U.S. side. This pipeline is being used as a tunnel for illicit trafficking – directly below the Customs and Border Protection DeConcini Port of Entry. Sinema’s law authorizes the construction of a drug screen at the border to catch the illicit materials cartels send into Arizona communities before they can be retrieved.
Nearly half of all the fentanyl seized by Customs and Border Protection and Drug Enforcement Administration in the entire United States is seized in Arizona. Sinema’s law better prevents these drugs from entering the country. Transferring the ownership of the pipeline, and authorizing the construction of a critical drug screen at the border, would rectify what amounts to an immediate risk to the local community, but also address nationwide security concerns as Sinema focuses on combating cartel trafficking.
The law also requires the federal government to initiate discussions with Mexico to ensure Mexico uses and pays for its fair share of the IOI.