‘Stepping up’: Supervisors advance action plan for Tijuana River sewage crisis

Raw sewage flows along the Tijuana River between the borders next to Tijuana in San Diego Photo by Mike Bake REUTERS The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted - Tuesday to advance a proposed action plan in response to the ongoing Tijuana River sewage emergency Supervisors directed Ebony Shelton chief administrative officer to present recommendations to the board on Sept Supervisor Jim Desmond was the lone no vote According to information on the supervisors Tuesday meeting agenda plan options are designating a county sewage predicament chief matching funds used to improve air quality at schools with better filtration and cooling heating systems conducting an epidemiological inhabitants medical impact review on chronic hydrogen sulfide exposure an economic scrutiny on how the sewage problem has affected small businesses property values and regional tourism matching funds to help eliminate toxic hot spots Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer sponsored the proposal in partnership with Paloma Aguirre Imperial Beach mayor and a candidate for the District supervisor seat The sewage problem is also a community vitality emergency Lawson-Remer commented before the vote I hear constantly from families in my district and across the South Bay about kids who are getting sick beaches that are closed stated Lawson-Remer who represents District She disclosed the county s congressional delegation has secured million to fix the South Bay International Wastewater Recovery Plant but that will take years to finish We need a county-level plan that meets this moment clear strategic and ready to go when funding opens up she stated Voters on July will decide if Aguirre or Chula Vista Mayor John McCann will fill the District vacancy left by Nora Vargas who departed in January In a announcement after Tuesday s vote Aguirre disclosed she was glad the county is ultimately stepping up The real explanation to this outrageous predicament still depends on Washington and Mexico stepping up Aguirre revealed But that doesn t mean the county should sit on the sidelines and wait while South County families suffer Now we need to keep President Donald Trump s feet to the fire because for all his tough talk on the confines South County s sewage emergency continues to be given lip institution Aguirre added McCann didn t respond to a request for comment In a comment after the vote Desmond announced the plan didn t focus on Mexico taking more responsibility in solving the sewage obstacle and was nothing more than a bandage I appreciate the attention being given to the Tijuana River predicament Desmond noted but the proposal doesn t address the root dilemma raw sewage and industrial waste pouring into our country from Mexico He added that if Mexico wasn t polluting the county coastline there wouldn t be an issue with toxic air at our schools or general fitness hotspots ' Desmond disclosed We don t need another assessment and I don t believe appointing a sewage situation chief is going to suddenly stop Mexico from dumping sewage into San Diego he added We need real solutions not more bureaucracy City News Organization contributed to this article