Who We Are
The Office of Border Environmental Protection (OBEP) is a specialized branch of the ADEQ Director's Office that focuses on the border region of Arizona across the boundary from the Mexican state of Sonora and is located in Tucson at the agency's Southern Regional Office. OBEP's emphasis is on cross-border or transboundary issues that impact Arizona's environment and its citizens. This entails working in a binational and bicultural setting to facilitate efforts aimed at improving air quality, waste management and water quality conditions in Arizona border communities. These efforts are further supported through ADEQ's collaboration with other organizations and programs addressing environmental issues along the U.S.-Mexico border region. For purposes of projects or activities undertaken by OBEP, this area is defined in the 1983 La Paz Agreement as a 100 kilometer (62.5 mile) buffer zone on either side of the international boundary between the United States and Mexico.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Border Environmental Protection is to protect public health and the environment in Arizona border communities by facilitating efforts that address environmental problems with a transboundary link and enhancing collaboration with other border-focused programs.