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Mexico City, October 30, 2006 – Today on a visit to the border area, U.S. Ambassador Antonio O. Garza, Jr. inaugurated the first Secure Entry for Travelers Rapid Inspection or SENTRI lane at the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo crossing. SENTRI lanes permit passenger vehicles and their occupants enrolled in the program to cross the border more quickly.
 “The new SENTRI lane will facilitate trade between our two countries that is already at $35 million dollars per hour, day in and day out, everyday of the year,” said Ambassador Garza.
“This new lane will make life easier for the thousands of people who cross the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge everyday between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo,” added the Ambassador. “SENTRI lanes use advanced technology to promote our goal of an efficient and secure flow of people between our two nations.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Ralph Basham, Tamaulipas Governor Eugenio Hernández Flores, Mexican Customs Commissioner José Guzmán Montalvo, Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas and Nuevo Laredo Mayor Daniel Peña Treviño also attended the ceremony.
In the afternoon, Ambassador Garza participated in a groundbreaking ceremony for a new water treatment facility in Nuevo Laredo and the launching of a program to repair and expand the sewage treatment system. The total cost of the projects is $57.5 million dollars, $20 million of which comes as a grant from the Border Environment Infrastructure Fund of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the North America Development Bank (NADB).
 The treatment plant will benefit 380,000 residents in Nuevo Laredo and surrounding communities.
“The health and quality of life of Nuevo Laredo citizens will dramatically improve with this state-of-the-art facility for wastewater treatment,” said Ambassador Garza. “While this project will have the greatest impact on local communities, it also demonstrates that our two nations have the will and capacity to address the common concerns of our citizens.”
The Ambassador also witnessed the signing of a loan agreement of $5.6 million dollars of supplemental funding from the NADB and Nuevo Laredo’s local Commission for Potable Water and Drainage (COMAPA), the second project mentioned above. NADB President Jorge Garces, Governor Eugenio Hernandez Flores, Nuevo Laredo Mayor Daniel Peña and other local dignitaries also attended the ceremony.
“Repairing and expanding the sanitary sewer system will go a long way to eliminate raw wastewater discharges into the Rio Grande from Nuevo Laredo, thus enhancing water resources for the city. In addition, the project will extend water and wastewater service coverage to almost 100% of the local population, reducing illness and improving health for residents. And by returning the treated water to agricultural uses, we are investing in the economic vitality of the region,” added Garza.
“Environmentally responsible projects, such as the new Wastewater Treatment Plant are critical because of the scarce water resources in this area,” stated the Ambassador. “We are safeguarding a life-giving resource, and at the same time, improving the lives of local people.”
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