04/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/03/2024 18:36
As environmental champions and in solidarity with coordinated regional efforts, the Port of San Diego has declared a local emergency related to the ongoing Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis. The declaration follows similar actions by the cities of Imperial Beach and San Diego, and the County of San Diego.
"Clean water and clean air are basic quality of life expectations and are needed now in our South Bay. After many years of deteriorating conditions, we are now seeing some steps in the right direction. Recently, we learned of $156 million in critical annual funding secured by Congressman Scott Peters for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. With our emergency declaration and continued regional collaboration, the Port of San Diego will continue to push for additional funding to ensure this public health, environmental, and economic crisis is solved," said Chairman Frank Urtasun, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners.
Over 100 billion gallons of untreated sewage, toxic chemicals, trash, sediment, and other pollutants have flowed into the Tijuana River Valley and out into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Imperial Beach. This is causing serious public health issues from polluted waters and airborne toxins, ongoing beach closures in Imperial Beach and Coronado, and negative impacts on the South Bay economy. Contaminated flows are directed through treatment plants under the jurisdictions of the U.S. and Mexico federal governments. However, these facilities have failing and aging infrastructure. The U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) operates the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP), and additional funding is needed to improve and expand the plant. Under Minute 328, Mexico is to replace the broken Punta Bandera Treatment Plant in Tijuana at the San Antonio de los Buenos Creek.
"The Port of San Diego is on the front lines of this fight as the state's trustee for beach and submerged lands in Imperial Beach," said Commissioner Dan Malcolm, Imperial Beach's appointee on the Board of Port Commissioners. "This crisis is sickening our South Bay communities and our beaches have been closed for nearly 850 days and counting. This environmental and public health nightmare must end! Our emergency declaration is a statement that we are still in this fight, and we will not stop advocating for every dime that is needed to STOP THE SEWAGE once and for all."
The Port of San Diego regularly collaborates with its partners to advocate for federal funding and legislative action, participates with other federal, state and regional stakeholders in the federal Eligible Public Entities Coordinating Group (EPECG) led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and supports recent air monitoring efforts in the South Bay by the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (APCD). Recent, major advancements include: