Organization Name:

I. Contact Information

II. Description of Organization

Organization, Mission, and Goals:

Haztraks, the U.S./Mexico Hazardous Waste Tracking System, was created jointly by the U.S. EPA and the Mexican Environmental Ministry to track the movement of hazardous waste between the U.S. and Mexico. Article 55 of Mexican Environmental General Law requires that hazardous waste generated by maquiladoras (U.S. manufacturing plants in Mexico) using duty-free "in bond" raw materials, must be returned to the country of origin for disposal. As a result of the 1983 bilateral La Paz Agreement, U.S. consents to the importation of hazardous waste from Mexico when the shipment complies with U.S. laws. Also, other (non-maquiladora) Mexican generators often ship their hazardous waste to the U.S. for disposal. Currently, the only waste the U.S. is shipping to Mexico is from U.S. steel companies. This waste is shipped to Zinc Nacional located in Monterrey and is recycled for zinc recovery.

III. Organization's Involvement in U.S.-Mexican Border Environment

Environmental Media:

hazardous waste
cooperative enforcement and compliance

Current Border Environment Projects and Activities:

Haztraks primarily supports the enforcement and compliance programs of environmental regulatory agencies.

Past Border Environment Projects and Activities:

Haztraks has supported dozens of enforcement actions involving non-compliant hazardous waste shipment activities producing over $500 thousand dollars in penalties.

Future Border Environment Projects and Activities:

IV. Data Sets not on the Internet:

company database - company relational information

manifest database - approx. 35 mb

tsd notification database - approx. 25 mb

Mexican guia ecologica database - approx. 25 mb

V. Additional Information:

U.S. data sets which are not on the internet may be requested through the Regional EPA office under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Mexican data sets are not available under U.S. FOIA.