San Diego can continue to dredge debris in the Tijuana River Valley. Thursday a judge rejected a temporary restraining order that would have stopped the project.
San Diegans For Open Government has filed a lawsuit to stop the dredging in the Tijuana River Valley. The group wanted the restraining order arguing the project violated environmental laws and didn’t qualify for the emergency status the city council had given it. San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders says clearing out the river channel is vital to prevent flooding.
“With just two inches of rain last year we lost livestock, horses and almost lost people. If it hadn’t been for the swift water rescues folks from the fire and life rescues department we would have lost some people. This is a situation we really want to get on top of and that’s the reason we’ve moved so quickly,” he says.
Ian Trowbridge is the plaintiff in the lawsuit. He says the city has known for years the river valley was a problem. He says declaring a state of emergency allows San Diego to ignore environmental laws during the dredging.
