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Battle Erupts in Congress Over South Bay Sewage Treatment

Sewage runoff from Tijuana has been polluting San Diego beaches for decades. And federal officials continue to argue over proposed solutions. The battle erupted again Tuesday in Washington. Eric Niile

Battle Erupts in Congress Over South Bay Sewage Treatment

Sewage runoff from Tijuana has been polluting San Diego beaches for decades. And federal officials continue to argue over proposed solutions. The battle erupted again Tuesday in Washington. Eric Niiler reports from Capitol Hill.

Seven years ago Congress agreed to build a sewage treatment plant in Mexico to treat Tijuana's wastewater.

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Now the Environmental Protection Agency wants to abandon that project and instead upgrade the South Bay treatment plant for $66 million.

San Diego Democrat Bob Filner told EPA officials at a hearing that he'll block that plan.

Filner: The Congressman from the district is going to fight that appropriation every step of the way. The people are going to the court for your process. They will go to court on many different grounds. And you will never see the light of the day of that project.

Filner wants the Mexico project instead.

The House and the Senate are in disagreement over whether to provide the money.

From Capitol Hill, Eric Niiler, KPBS news.