NewsLocal News

Actions

Public meeting being held to discuss how to stop sewage runoff from Tijuana River

Posted at 10:53 AM, Dec 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-12-05 13:55:49-05

IMPERIAL BEACH (CNS) - The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission will hold a public forum Thursday to discuss pollution in the Tijuana River and its effects on coastal waters.

Karla Mendez, a representative of San Diego City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno's office, will discuss Moreno's participation in the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce's annual Washington, D.C., delegation in September. While in the capital, Moreno and other local officials in the delegation discussed pollution in the Tijuana River Valley with federal officials, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California.

Libre Energy Corporation President and mechanical engineer Dan Hendrickson, Citizens for Coastal Conservancy Executive Director Leon Benham and IBWC civil engineer Dawi Dakhil will also discuss environmental issues along the U.S-Mexico border and potential solutions during the meeting.

Sewage flows in the Tijuana River have polluted waters off the county's southern coast for decades, prompting routine closures of the shoreline as far north as Silver Strand and Coronado. Local and state officials have also filed lawsuits against the IBWC over the last year, alleging negligence for the health and safety of county residents.

On Tuesday, a group of local officials, including Moreno, introduced a resolution calling for federal action to rectify the pollution in the valley. Multiple city councils and government agencies will vote to approve the list of recommended actions in the coming weeks.

The forum is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Tijuana Estuary Meeting Room at 301 Caspian Way. Residents can also call the IBWC's office at 619-662-7600 for more information about the meeting.