The US section of the International Boundary and Water Commission has agreed to further testing of water, sediment and trash samples in the Tijuana River and adjacent canyons along the US-Mexico border to determine the effects of decades of transboundary flows of raw sewage to the US side of the river valley and ultimately the Pacific Ocean, awarding a five-year, $1.9 million contract to EGC-AGEISS, a joint environmental engineering firm of San Antonio.
The sampling program was developed with input from the regulatory community and the Minute 320 Water Quality Working Group created by the US-Mexico Border Management Agency to address ongoing problems with overflows of waste water. He said the testing program will characterize transboundary flows and develop a continuous storehouse of water and sediment quality data to plan future projects to mitigate the effects of pollution and make safety recommendations to residents and property owners.
“I’m glad to see the [commission] implement water quality testing long ago in the Tijuana River Valley. This public health and environmental disaster has gone on for far too long,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat who represents the nearby beach community of Oceanside, Calif. “The information gathered from these tests will provide an understanding more detailed of the problems. affecting the Tijuana River Valley, help track the progress of cleanup efforts and help us advocate for more federal resources.”
The commission also said the study will satisfy the requirement to develop and implement a monitoring program for the Tijuana River Valley as outlined in a regional water quality permit issued for the treatment plant South Bay wastewater in San Diego operated by the commission.
The monitoring program is part of the agency’s commitment to the regional regulator under a 2023 order, Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner said. “Combined with $31 million in plant repairs, the $600 million expansion we will begin soon, our monitoring of Mexico’s commitment to the Minute 328 projects, and taking urgent action to ensure cross-border flows zero during the dry season, the IBWC is taking concrete steps towards pollution prevention in the South Bay area,” he said.
But local leaders are taking parallel actions that include staff from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention interviewing local residents about ailments they experienced such as headaches or illnesses as a result of sewage flows they maintained closed the beaches of communities like Imperial Beach for more than a while. 1,000 days. San Diego County and centers are collaborating to complete the public health emergency survey. These are interviews conducted from October 17 to 19 with occupants of 210 homes randomly selected from a larger sample of 30 housing blocks, said Fernanda Lopez Halverson, county spokeswoman.
The state of emergency declared by the County Board of Supervisors in May remains in effect. At a recent public forum related to the election, County Superintendent Nora Vargas said the evacuation of the entire Tijuana River Valley may be necessary due to sewage flows. “We’re not at that point right now, but I want to make sure we’re ready if and when it happens,” he said during a panel on whether the government could fix the sewage crisis.
More litigation
Meanwhile, Imperial Beach residents filed a second class-action lawsuit Oct. 15 against Veolia Water Inc., an engineering consultant hired by the commission. at the South Bay plant, and its parent, engineer Veolia North America.
“Residents of Imperial Beach have been suffering the consequences of polluted water for too long. This lawsuit aims to secure justice for the community and hold those responsible accountable for their reckless disregard for public health and environmental safety,” said Brett Schreiber, a partner at the Singleton Schreiber law firm representing the residents.” This is not just an environmental issue. , but a public health emergency. Families here have been exposed to dangerous chemicals for years without adequate action by the responsible parties.”
The cities of Imperial Beach and Chula Vista, along with the San Diego Port Commission, previously sued Veolia and the border commission for civil penalties, and another group of Imperial Beach residents. filed a similar class action lawsuit against Veolia on September 9. The two firms representing the residents said they would add the border commission as a defendant in their lawsuits after a waiting period for taking legal action against a federal agency expires.
“We are currently reviewing this complaint, but we can already state that these allegations are without merit,” Adam Lisberg, senior vice president of communications for municipal water at Veolia North America, said in a statement. The company “has made every possible to help operate the South Bay.” International Wastewater Treatment Plant in the face of increasingly difficult circumstances. The overwhelming cause of odors and pollution affecting Imperial Beach is excessive and uncontrolled water flows waste from Tijuana, much of which doesn’t even enter the … plant.”
Lisberg added that Tijuana’s population has grown nearly 30 percent in the past 15 years, and the city’s infrastructure has not kept pace. Veolia North America said the plant was not built to withstand these conditions, with its capacity and performance overwhelmed by uncontrolled wastewater flows and damage from sludge and debris.
“This situation must be improved by stronger cross-border collaboration and comprehensive problem solving at the local, state and federal levels,” he said.
