Beach lovers celebrated the reopening last week of much of the Imperial Beach shoreline after being barred from the waves for nearly a year due to sewage outfall from the Tijuana River.
“One of our guys said he went in the water for the first time the other day and he shed a tear,” said Imperial Beach Lifeguard Lt. Art Ayala. Repairs to part of the city of Tijuana’s ailing sewage system combined with changing ocean swells resulted in a dramatic fall in bacteria levels along the shoreline, much of which had been closed since December.
But local officials said the ongoing Tijuana River sewage crisis is far from resolved. And they expressed a mix of frustration and cautious optimism during a panel discussion about the river at Voice of San Diego’s Politifest.
“It frustrates me that we’ve been talking about this for decades,” said San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas.
Yet, Rep. Scott Peters pointed to signs of progress. He said a key Mexican sewage plant is expected to start working early next year. And all panelists agreed that the new head of the federal agency in charge of treating cross-border sewage is far more engaged than her predecessor, who was appointed by President Donald Trump.
Local officials, too, are getting creative. Later this month, directors at the San Diego County Association of Governments are expected to discuss a novel proposal from Imperial Beach leaders to carve out toll revenue from the Otay Mesa border crossing and use it for sewage treatment and other cleanup efforts. The 1-percent environmental set-aside could generate up to $25 million annually.
Perhaps it says something about locals’ desperation that the toll set-aside originated in part from a half-joking conversation several years ago between community leaders, who proposed levying what they called a “Sewage Handling Infrastructure Toll” on border crossings. (I’ll let the reader deduce the acronym.)
“The last 20 years, it’s been terrible,” said Imperial Beach Councilmember Mitch McKay, who helped to brainstorm the toll idea. “We wanted to get everyone’s attention to get the money flowing.”
Election Season Is Upon Us
Social media accounts, mailboxes and lawns across South County are filling with ads, brochures, lawn signs and fundraising appeals. Yes, it’s election season. From now until November, I’ll be covering local races in depth. For now, here’s a preview of a few notable contests.
In Chula Vista, two local political veterans are vying to fill the City Council seat vacated by Andrea Cardenas, who, along with her brother, Jesus Cardenas, pleaded guilty earlier this year in a pandemic fraud scheme.
Cesar Fernandez is an after-school program supervisor and a Chula Vista Elementary School District board member. Rudy Ramirez is a local business owner and former Chula Vista City councilmember.
The race has already turned bitter, with both candidates leveling attacks and outside groups spending thousands of dollars. A group of local parents is circulating a petition to recall Fernandez from his school board seat. This race is high on my reporting priority list. Reach out with tips if you have them.
In Imperial Beach, two City Council incumbents – John “Jack” Fisher and Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez – are fending off a roster of challengers that includes the president of the local chamber of commerce.
City Council incumbents in National City also face challengers. Jose Rodriguez and Marcus Bush are defending their seats at a time when voters are paying close attention to Council ethics. Two years ago, councilmembers voted to give themselves $100,000 spending accounts, a move that remains controversial.
Batteries by the Bay
Spurred by environmentalists, the Port of San Diego is undergoing a major shift to electric power. New developments include an all-electric tugboat, electric cargo cranes and increased use of electric trucks.
Downwind residents in National City and other industrial centers applaud efforts to clean the air. But there’s a downside, some say. National City Mayor Ron Morrison recently voiced concerns about a Port plan to install 70 truck battery charging stations in his city. A truck battery fire last week near the Port of Los Angeles highlighted the potential safety hazards of electric vehicle batteries.
Morrison said he worries a similar accident in National City could send toxic fumes toward local households. “We’ve ended up being the dumping ground for the Port,” he said. “We get the stuff no one else wants.”
Port spokesperson Brianne Page said the charging station plan is set to undergo a thorough environmental review that will address such concerns. “The Port [is] committed to ongoing conversations,” Page said.
Nice to Meet You
Last but not least, a bit about me. I’m the new South County reporter for Voice of San Diego. I’m excited to report the news in a place that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. My goal is to help you understand your community and hold decision-makers to account.
I grew up in Long Beach and started my journalism career at The Orange County Register, where I covered cities, religion and state politics in Sacramento (including Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was governor – that was an adventure).
Most recently, I was an editor at a national religion magazine in New York called Guideposts, where I worked with writers around the country on stories about how religious faith affects people’s lives.
My wife, Kate, and I moved to New York when she got a job there in 2005. We thought we’d stay a couple years then return home to the West, where we both grew up. We ended up becoming New Yorkers and raising kids in Manhattan. But we never lost sight of home, and I’m so happy to be back in California, covering the place I love.
South County reminds me of where I grew up. It’s diverse, proud, scrappy and sometimes overlooked by its more glamorous neighbors. You can help me report our region’s story by sending tips, suggestions or anything else to jim.hinch@voiceofsandiego.org. I love hearing from readers, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Thanks for reading!
In Other News
Sweetwater Authority board members got some sobering news last week from engineers studying planned upgrades to the Sweetwater reservoir dam. The dam’s south spillway needs major repairs that could cost close to $25 million. The agency is conducting the evaluation as part of a comprehensive overhaul effort that was given added urgency after heavy rains in 2017 damaged the Oroville dam in northern California, prompting evacuations. Lurking in the background: a 1916 storm that overtopped the 136-year-old Sweetwater dam. Board members bemoaned the ongoing project as a “money pit” and joked that, as costs rise, they might have to start looking for pennies beneath seat cushions. You can watch the discussion about the dam here.
It’s not just city officials begging the federal government to help clean up the Tijuana River. Last week, second graders at San Diego Global Vision Academy wrote letters to President Joe Biden urging him to declare the South County sewage crisis a national emergency to speed up funding. “We need you to save the ocean,” second grader Naima Bivens wrote. “Imperial Beach is very dirty. Can you please say this is an emergency?” Students also tested water from South County beaches and compared it with samples from elsewhere. Students “don’t have to wait until they are grown up to have the power to make change,” said teacher Diana Cherry. (10 News)
Sounds like Mexico needs to implement the toll more than we do. Their sewerage plants have been off-line for decades, causing the problem. They could have a reduced or zero rate for Mexico residents.
What this board did at Loveland Reservoir a few years ago proved that Castaneda and Martinez are fully capable of causing disasters. A failure of theirs around the decades-neglected FEMA High Hazard Sweetwater Dam would be magnitudes worse. This doesn’t change their priorities one bit.
It’s imperative that all optional Sweetwater Authority projects be put on hold entirely. All Authority projects, especially the Sweetwater Dam, must driven and overseen by State or Federal regulators. This external management is crucial until the dam is thoroughly evaluated and brought up to safety standards.