Stef Tonkin has called Jacumba Hot Springs home for about a year now. She lives in a small trailer park, located on the northeast side of town.
Although Tonkin hasn’t lived in Jacumba long, the place and the people have grown on her.
“There are some incredibly wonderful folks out here,” Tonkin said. “(I) started falling in love with different people because everybody's unique here.”
But recently, living in Jacumba hasn’t been easy for her. In November, construction began on a more than 600-acre solar facility that’s about 1,000 feet from her home.
Residents and business owners said the project is kicking up a lot of dust — despite county requirements to keep it to a minimum.
This is more than just an annoyance for Tonkin. She has Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and the added dust has had a significant impact on her health.
“For me, I’m on oxygen and the amount of dust — it was noticeable prior to them ever breaking ground, but it was dealable,” She said. “I have been hospitalized several times recently because of having flare-ups with my COPD, because of the amount of dust and dirt … the lung impact is really bad.”
The massive project has been controversial since it was first proposed a half-decade ago. Some residents and business owners said it will damage the character of Jacumba — known for its rustic landscapes, hot springs and spiritual vibe. Most recently, local tribal leaders said they were not properly consulted on how the project would impact the culturally important land.
In 2021, residents filed a lawsuit to stop the project. But the developer, BayWa r.e. Americas — a Germany-based company with a Carlsbad headquarters — prevailed and now estimates that the site will be operational this year.
BayWa r.e. Americas announced last month that the project has secured $416 million in funding. The energy it generates will help power homes that rely on San Diego Community Power, a local energy provider.
However, in approving the project, the county required steps be taken to keep the dust to a minimum, including pausing construction grading on especially windy days. Residents and business owners said BayWa r.e. Americas has not always abided by this requirement.
Earlier this month, residents and community leaders spoke with county staff and BayWa r.e. Americas at a public meeting about the dust concerns.
Among the meetings’ leaders was Jeff Osborne, who co-owns the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel. He asked county staff and the developer’s representatives about the project’s required dust mitigation guidelines. Specifically, he asked what steps are taken to reduce dust when the town faces high winds.
“It says that you are supposed to prohibit construction grading on days when the wind gusts exceed 25 miles per hour,” Osborne said. “Have you guys stopped project grading because of the wind thus far?”
“Not that I’ve seen,” said a representative from BayWa r.e. Americas.
Osborne replied back: “I have a weather station right here in town and since Nov. 1, there's been 16 days with gusts over 25 miles an hour.”
KPBS requested an interview with BayWa r.e. Americas. A spokesperson declined the request but responded to emailed questions.
In its email, the company said it monitors wind on the site in multiple ways and has not observed wind conditions exceeding 25 mph since the start of construction. It said the company determines conditions via daily forecasts from publicly available weather services and an on-site anemometer, a device that measures wind speed.
The company also said they water the grading areas multiple times a day.
Osborne questions their weather monitoring. He operates his own weather tracker at the hotel and points to multiple days since November when wind gusts exceeded 25 miles per hour.
“I don't believe that they haven't recorded wind speeds over 25 mph,” Osborne said. “We're literally just a few hundred feet from the job site.”
A county official told KPBS on Friday that it will monitor the weather station at the Jacumba airport and alert the developer when winds exceed 25 mph.
Back at the trailer park, Tonkin said she doesn’t attend the community meetings because of her health. She said she’s not sure what to expect from the project moving forward, but she watches it all unfold from her trailer.
“A lot of people — this is the only place they can afford to live,” Tonkin said. “So you're pretty much stuck here regardless of what goes around you.”
Residents are directed to call (562) 442-0729 if they see excess dust coming from the project.
