WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 29, 2008) – Strengthening environmental remediation practices associated with decommissioning power plants in Mexico is the goal of a USTDA grant awarded to the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE). The grant will be used to develop environmental, health, and safety guidelines for decommissioning, dismantling, and retrofitting closed power plants and substations in Mexico.

An agreement conferring the $328,050 grant was signed by USTDA Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Nathan Younge, on behalf of the U.S. Government. Environmental Protection Manager Vicente Aguinaco signed the grant agreement for CFE, a Mexican government-held power utility.

CFE is committed to minimizing the environmental impacts of dismantling closed power plants and substations, remediating contaminated sites, decontaminating equipment prior to salvage or disposal, and managing inactive sites over the long-term. The USTDA-funded grant will outline the environmental remediation procedures for CFE power facilities that are scheduled to be decommissioned, dismantled, or retrofitted.

The grant reflects USTDA’s continuing support of the objectives of Mexico’s 2007-2012 National Infrastructure Program. This year, USTDA has provided over $2 million in support of priority infrastructure projects that further the objectives of the National Infrastructure Program, including an environmental management technical assistance grant CFE that was awarded to CFE in February 2008 at the USTDA-sponsored U.S. and Mexico: Building Partnerships in Infrastructure conference in Mexico City.

The opportunity to provide assistance to CFE under this USTDA grant will be competed on the Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) website at www.fbo.gov. Interested U.S. firms should submit proposals according to the instructions contained in the FBO announcement. CFE will select the U.S. firm that will provide the assistance.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries. The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, early investment analysis, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair, open trading environment. USTDA's strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development. In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

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