South Bay Mayors Call For Prioritizing Tijuana Sewage Infrastructure Funding After Massive Spill

This is Maureen Cavanaugh I am KPBS Midday Edition. California's governor is expected to declare a state of emergency over the massive's sewage spill in the Tijuana River last month. It was estimated that more than 200 billion gallons of untreated sewage flowed into the river and held beaches from Imperial beach to Coronado. Heavy rains caused accounts of a major sewer line in Tijuana and caused a spell. The issue is larger than that according to a letter sent by South Bay officials to border environmental organizations. They expressed frustration and demand action on projects to protect water already in the Tijuana River. Joining me as one of the signers of that letter. The mayor of Imperial beach and cofounder and executive director of the environmental group while the coast. The actual cause of this spill remains somewhat unclear. -- It was totally preventable if there had been a breakdown in the sewage system officials could've asked for help. I talked to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and like our city said he would have sent our crews out to help. So this really highlights the lack of communication and coordination in regard to these spills that happen all the time just not on this scale There are spills all the time and frequently have a river gauge in the Tijuana River channel. We can monitor river flow so a lot of times will notice that overnight it was like 20 by 25 million gallons or 1 million gallons and we will ask authorities after the suspect -- fact. There's -- of transparent ways to communicate. We can actually find out ourselves of the has this bill or not but that should not have to happen. There's the US-Mexico water treaty that is called the minute 320 process that is an addendum that allows cooperation about the Tijuana River. In Syria we can snapchat text Facebook tweet Skype or just plain college Heather and let each other know what is going on. There has been speculation that the delay in informing that the spell is happening gives credence to the idea or the rumor that there was -- that it was intentional. To have any reason to believe that It was intentional that authorities intentionally left that sewage fell into the river they did not identify a way to do it a test system so to allow the sewage to come into another part of the sewage system which frankly my own city has to do all the time. Intentionally did not notify anybody or ask for help. It was not like they decided to destroy the Tijuana River that they intentionally made a lot of mistakes that ended up to a huge sewage will What is the purpose of this letter that you and other South Bay mayors sent to the border environment commission. What cannot commission and the North American -- North American development think the other place that is sent the Y can I do about the problem ask They have been pushing those agencies to really fast track sewage infrastructure development in Tijuana we sent a letter like that in January so this bill only highlighted the need to push authorities to make this a priority and fast-track these improvements. That was because we thought that they were really identifying these as a priority over water quality. Needs identify the infrastructure to the sewage treatment first. If the governor does declare state of emergency over this broken sewage Trump line set a step in the right direction? I am not assuming that that will mean that he will be able to be a federal funding in Mexico. I know I'm meeting with the environmental commission today and they are also meeting with the international water agency. Part of this is that the sewage agency is managed by the state government and the federal government does not have oversight. They are asking for more federal funding hopefully and involvement which I think is a good thing. Everyone knows where we need to go so now we just need to get the money and plan to make it work. What are you hearing from residents? Every 10 years we have a major crisis that highlights the need to move or read and do you want to build new sewage plants upstream? We have two plants upstream there's been a lot of -- there has been a big stress on the sewage that has not kept pace with improvements. Last week and some beaches and Imperial beach Part of it is still closed and that happens a lot in the spring after it rains and what people don't realize is that the sewage or beach closures would happen on the South border near Tijuana and Rosarito Beach -- I think that might be a record. This is having an impact regionally. This has been going on for a really long time. Realistically what needs to happen. They need to stop the daily discharge every day. They need to get an upgrade in the system and they have the breakdowns that really lead to the sewage spills and you need to have an air of transparency or accountability. Officials do not think they can get away with dumping 1 million gallons of weekly basis. It happens all the time. And agency in Baja California In this case the water commission and EPA have done absolutely nothing to represent the interests of American interests we don't have representation on the side of the border to make sure these bills do not happen. I've been speaking with the mayor of Imperial beach. Thank you so much.