Maquiladora Mexico to U.S. Waste shipments

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Export Guia Ecologica

1. With a guia ecologica application (Application for the import or export of hazardous waste or materials), the maquiladora notifies Semarnat and the U.S. E.P.A. of its intention to ship hazardous waste to the U.S. or import material from the U.S. to Mexico.

2. Semarnat issues an export guía ecologica approving this shipment and the E.P.A. issues a "notice of intent to export permit."

3. The maquiladora notifies Semarnat and the EPA with the actual date and quantity shipped.

4. Semarnat enters information from the export guia ecologica into the EPA database. Mexico sends its updated guia ecologica database to the U.S. on a monthly basis.

TSD Notification (export from Mexico to USA)

1. A maquiladora contracts with or makes an arrangement with a U.S. TSD facility to receive its hazardous waste.

2. The TSD facility notifies EPA and/or its state agency of its intent to receive waste from a foreign source. The state agency submits these TSD notifications to EPA monthly.

3. EPA sends its updated TSD notification database to Semarnat on a monthly basis.

U.S. Hazardous Waste Manifest

1. The U.S. importer (referred to on the manifest as the U.S. generator) prepares a prefiling copy of the manifest which identifies the maquiladora's name and address. The manifest is prefiled with U.S. Customs.

2. The waste is transported from the maquiladora to the border.

3. The waste is checked through U.S. Customs, who sends the prefiled manifests to EPA on a monthly basis.

4. An EPA/DOT authorized transporter signs the manifest, takes responsibility for the waste at the border, and ships either directly to the TSD facility or holds the waste temporarily for a subsequent transporter. In the latter case, the second transporter signs the manifest also and takes the waste to the TSD facility.

5. The TSD facility receives the waste, signs the manifest, and returns the original copy to the U.S. importer.

6. Many state agencies require the U.S. importer and TSD facility to submit copies of completed manifests. The state agency submits these completed manifests to EPA on a monthly basis.

7. EPA sends its updated manifest database to INE on a monthly basis.

Bi-National Information Sharing

1. Semarnat shares its guia ecologica, TSD notification, and manifest databases with the Federal Prosecutor for the Environment (PROFEPA) to ensure compliance with Mexican environmental laws and to support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

2. EPA corrolates the Mexican guia ecologica database with the U.S. TSD notification and manifest databases to ensure compliance with U.S. RCRA environmental law and to support the NAFTA environmental accords.