Industry and Academia Meet for a Binational Collaborative Project

On August 30, 2007, the U.S.-Mexico Binational Center facilitated a meeting between representatives of Grupo Mexico, Southern Cooper – Minera Mexico, Universidad de Sonora (UNISON), and The University of Arizona (UA).  The group came together to discuss a phytostabilization and community outreach project (Sonora Remedial Project) that is being funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Border 2012 Program and the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission.  Principal investigators of the project, Dr. Raina Maier (UA) and Dr. Diana Meza (UNISON), belong to the U.S.-Mexico Binational Center investigative team.  They have teamed up to develop the Center’s collaborative research project entitled, “Mine Tailings: Phytostabilization and Phytoremediation.”  The Sonora Remedial Project expands these efforts to further advance research in semi-arid remediation techniques and to develop a complementary community outreach program.  

The meeting included introductory presentations by the U.S.-Mexico Binational Center (Ms. Denise Moreno Ramirez) and Grupo Mexico (Mr. Victor del Castillo).  Following this introduction, updates were provided by the technical (project principal investigators) and outreach groups (Mr. Narciso Navarro Gomez – UNISON).  An open discussion followed these presentations during which collaborators discussed community outreach as well as details regarding the field site preparation being sponsored by Grupo Mexico.