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Saldana and Simmons argue merits of Bajagua proposal

By Amy Isackson / Border Reporter,  KPBS Public Broadcasting
Published November 14, 2005 at 9:00 PM PST
This story was published more than 19 years ago.

Assemblywoman Lori Saldana and retired law professor Robert Simmons debated the merits of the proposed Bajagua border sewage treatment plant Tuesday. The San Diego Bar Association sponsored the event

Assemblywoman Lori Saldana and retired law professor Robert Simmons debated the merits of the proposed Bajagua border sewage treatment plant Tuesday. The San Diego Bar Association sponsored the event for a group of environmental attorneys. KPBS reporter Amy Isackson has more.

Bajagua is a proposal by two San Diego businessmen to build a $200 million sewage plant in Tijuana. Bajagua supporters say it will purify Tijuana's sewage to comply with the United States' Clean Water Act. The court has ordered U.S. federal officials to comply by fall 2008.

Longtime Bajagua critic, Assemblywoman Saldana says the project is poorly engineered and does not address Tijuana's runoff.

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Saldana: "It will necessitate increased costs to pump that sewage uphill 12 miles away; increase the risk of sewage spills; it will increase the flow out the outfall that is already contributing to water pollution."

But proponent, Robert Simmons, says Bajagua will not only bring Tijuana's sewage outfall up to federal standards it will also help solve Tijuana's water shortage.

Simmons: "This plant will make it possible to recycle for reuse increasing volumes of water that will be applied to eastern Tijuana uses, commercial, industrial, park."

Both Saldana and Simmons have been environmental advocates for years. The Bajagua project has sharply divided the environmental community. Amy Isackson, KPBS news.

Amy Isackson
Amy Isackson was the border reporter at KPBS from 2004 to 2011. She covered breaking news and feature stories on California-Mexico border issues and immigration, for local and national broadcast. Amy got her start in public radio by pitching a series of stories about rural New Zealand - horse dentistry and sheep sheering - to Radio New Zealand's "Country Life" program. She then worked with Peabody Award-winning radio producers Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson, to help create the Sonic Memorial, a series of stories on the World Trade Center before, during and after 9/11. Amy's work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press Television-Radio Association of California and Nevada, the California Chicano News Media Association, and the San Diego Press Club. She won the Sol Price Prize for Responsible Journalism in 2009 from the Society of Professional Journalists for her story about high school students smuggling people and drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border. Prior to venturing into the wonderful world of public radio, Amy worked for Yahoo! Inc. for nearly five years as an editorial surfer, associate producer and broadcast communications manager. She majored in Latin American History at Williams College. She grew up in San Diego and made frequent trips south of the border.
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