FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

EPA - 1942 - Good Neighbor Environmental Board - Presidential

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Good Neighbor Environmental Board	Agency Name	Environmental Protection Agency
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	1942
Original Establishment Date	9/12/1994	Committee Status	Chartered
Actual Termination Date		Committee URL	https://www.epa.gov/faca/gneb
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	35
Terminated This FY	No	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	DFO
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix	Mr.
Current Charter Date	5/29/2024	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Eugene
Date Of Renewal Charter	5/29/2026	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Green
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority		Designated Federal Officer Phone*	(202) 564-2432
Establishment Authority*	Presidential	Designated Federal Officer Fax*	(202) 564-8129
Specific Establishment Authority*	EO 12916	Designated Federal Officer Email*	green.eugene@epa.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	9/12/1994
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	Yes
Committee Function*	Non Scientific Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Continue
Legislation to Terminate Required	No
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The Good Neighbor Environmental Board issues an annual report to the President and the Congress on environmental and infrastructure needs along the U.S. border with Mexico. These reports incorporate public input from its border-community meetings as well as its diverse membership. Environmental issues along the border are greatly complicated by other issues such as immigration, security, cultural diversity, poverty, cross-border trade, and other issues. The board is uniquely positioned to identify current and emerging issues of concern within this complicated policy arena, and advise the federal government and U.S. - Mexico border states on how best to allocate its resources to address these concerns. To accomplish its purpose, the board maintains a close working relationship with the chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the President's environmental advisor. Across EPA, the board maintains a relationship with EPA's regional offices, especially those along the southwest border serving as both an information resource and as an objective provider of feedback. Thus, its recommendations have a direct effect on Agency operations.
How is membership balanced?*	The Good Neighbor Environmental Board was created by the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative Act of 1992 (7 U.S. Code Section 5404) to advise the President and the Congress concerning environmental and infrastructure issues and needs within the States contiguous to Mexico. The Act requires that board membership include a representative from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and representatives from other appropriate U.S. federal government agencies; from the state governments of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas; local/county, tribal governments; and from private organizations, including community development, academia, health, environmental, and other nongovernmental entities involved with environmental and infrastructure problems along the southwest border.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The committee expects to meet approximately three times a year. Meetings may occur every four months, or as needed and approved by the DFO and the chair. Meetings may be held virtually or in a hybrid (virtual and in-person) format. During this fiscal year, the board held one hybrid meeting.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	The Good Neighbor Environmental Board was established pursuant to the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative Act, 7 U.S.C. Section 5404 and Executive Order 12916. The GNEB is currently operating under the authority given in Executive Order 14109, dated September 29, 2023.
Why close or partially close meetings?	N/A
Recommendation Remarks	All members are Tier 1 (parent committee members). There are no Tier 2 (subcommittee) members serving.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	Yes	Action Reorganize Priorities*	No
Outcome Trust In Government	No	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	Yes	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	No	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	Yes
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	No	Action Comment	As stated above, it is difficult to draw a direct line between the board's recommendations and actions taken within the federal governments and the governments representing the four border states. However, the board's advice and the background information it provides to support its advice increasingly are being referenced by media, academic institutions, businesses, government programs, and other organizations.
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	Yes	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	Increased understanding of the role of binational cooperation in addressing environmental challenges along the U.S.-Mexico border. Although the board advises the U.S. President, its mission is to examine environmental and infrastructure issues along the U.S.-Mexico border. Since environmental issues in the region span the international boundary, solving problems and identifying opportunities through binational cooperation has become a major thread that is woven throughout the board's advice/recommendations.	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	The recommendations the board makes tend to call for broad institutional and policy changes that should be taken by numerous federal and state agencies that have environmental and infrastructure programs in the U.S. - Mexico border region. In some cases, the recommendation is in the form of cooperation and partnerships between the United States and Mexico. This process often is incremental and takes place over a long time frame and therefore is difficult to measure.	Grants Review Comment	Not Applicable
Number Of Recommendations*	353	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), in conjunction with the board, selects the topics for its annual report to the President and the Congress. Topics and level of specificity of recommendations varies widely, but in general cover actions related to major environmental concerns including air, water, energy, and waste as well as cross-cutting actions including collaboration and communication. Earlier reports tended to have many recommendations in numerous areas. More recently, reports have focused on a single topic, thereby allowing the board to be more specific in its recommendations.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	60.00%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	Because the board's recommendations are broad, involve multiple partners, and are submitted with the recognition that full implementation will take multiple years, will occur incrementally, and should be based on sustainability, it is difficult to determine an exact percentage of its recommendations that have been fully implemented.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	40.00%	Access Publications	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	The board's annual reports are widely distributed throughout various federal agencies, the border state governments of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas, as well as numerous other organizations in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Increasingly, those who help to shape U.S. environmental policies are referring to the board's work during their deliberations and their on-the-ground projects to improve environmental quality in the border region. Board members from participating federal and state agencies regularly report out on progress being made within their respective agencies.	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	Not Applicable
Agency Feedback Comment*	On behalf of the President, the chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality who serves as the President's environmental advisor will provide a formal response to GNEB’s advice and recommendations.	Narrative Description*	The Good Neighbor Environmental Board reports to the President and the Congress; it does not report to the EPA. Therefore, its recommendations implicitly apply to EPA as well as other federal and state agencies. The Good Neighbor Environmental Board expected outputs from fiscal year 2023 through fiscal year 2025 are to hold approximately eight official meetings and transmit a series of four comment letters, including the publication of two comprehensive reports to the President and the Congress. The comment letters will address timely and relevant issues that arise between issuance of the board's annual report. The overall outcome measures are threefold: The long-term outcome is to improve the environment, health and safety conditions of the communities along the U.S. border with Mexico. This outcome will be achieved by providing timely, useful advice to the President (via the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality) on environmental and infrastructure issues along the border. The medium-term outcome is to help shape and redefine environmental policies that contribute to the desired long-term objectives. The short-term outcome is to provide a forum for open dialogue between board members, border communities, and the U.S. public on the most important environmental issues facing the border region. Prior to fiscal year 2025 and in consultation with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the GNEB's work plan previously consisted of the following charge topics for this year's reporting period: 1—Challenges to drinking water availability and potential technological solutions to improve access and resilience in communities within the U.S.-Mexico border region; 2--The capacity of border cities to manage environmental infrastructure challenges; 3--A review of the La Paz Agreement – past and present – with recommendations for future collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico—Arizona border region; and, 4—community resiliency to confront severe weather events in the border—El Paso, TX, Las Cruces, NM, and Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Region. The series of charge topics will target critical environmental challenges and provide recommendations for effective federal, state, local/county, tribal and community cross coordination of services and resources. The GNEB supports both EPA’s mission and the Administrator’s priorities. It also promotes the protection of human health and the environment by providing advice and recommendations on how the federal and the border state governments can most effectively leverage its resources for maximum environmental protection along the U.S. border with Mexico. Through the balanced point of views comprising its membership and the networks the members maintain, the GNEB is positioned to strengthen and build partnerships across the border region with multiple local, state, and business/industry stakeholders, federal agencies and tribes as well as Mexican sister agencies. Subsequently, the GNEB is poised to pivot for the undertaking of new charge topics and will continue to work in consultation with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to develop and select relevant environmental matters of importance that further advance the Administration's priorities.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$0.00	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$0.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$3,500.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$32,890.00	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$0.00
4. Payments to Consultants*		4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$0.00	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$0.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*		6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$0.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs	$11,900.00	10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*	$0.00
11. Total Costs	$48,290.00	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$0.00
Date Cost Last Modified	7/28/2025 6:03 AM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	1.50
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	2.00	Est Cost Remarks
Cost Remarks

Interest Areas

Category Area Environment Environmental Issues Government Federal Government

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