New River omitted from funding plan
CALEXICO – Local officials are denouncing the absence of any funding for the New River in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spending plan intended to address toxic sewage flow from Mexico.
Instead, EPA is proposing to spend the entirety of the $300 million it was allocated in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on projects in the San Diego region.
The oversight prompted the county Board of Supervisors on Friday to send a letter to EPA Administrator Andrew
Wheeler and federal lawmakers expressing its “deep disappointment and frustration.”
The letter is also critical of the lack of transparency surrounding the EPA’s decision to limit the emergency assistance to one community and calls on the federal lawmakers to investigate.
“The ongoing threat to public health and the environment due to the abhorrent conditions at the New River is deplorable and immediate steps must be taken to address this crisis,” stated board Chairman Luis Plancarte in the letter.
“The Board urges you to work to ensure that the environmental remediation and restoration of the New River is a priority for all relevant federal parties.”
Recipients of the letter included Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, as well as Rep. Juan Vargas, who in a joint statement on May 12 applauded the EPA’s spending plan, which was approved as part of the USCMA trade bill.
The funds will be used for the engineering, planning, design and construction of wastewater infrastructure at the border where the Tijuana River enters the United States.
“San Diegans have suffered too long from the regular flow of raw sewage into our country from Mexico,” the lawmakers’ joint statement said. “With the full $300 million, the EPA can now lead a comprehensive and coordinated effort with the local community to build much-needed wastewater infrastructure for the region.”
The county Board of Supervisors’ letter reminded Wheeler and the lawmakers that local residents, and in particular those living on Calexico’s west side, have for decades experienced a sewage and pollution problem that San Diego-area residents have only recently encountered.
The letter further prods the federal officials to urge the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) to negotiate and adopt amendments to its treaty with Mexico that would require both governments to establish new qualitative standards for the New River as it enters the U.S. from Mexico.
In comparison to the New River, the San
Diego region currently has more stringent water quality standards in place for the Tijuana River effluent that originates in Mexico. Both stateside cites are impacted by polluted water flows that often bypass Mexico’s outdated wastewater infrastructure.
The conditions at the New River, long considered a public health and environmental hazard, and the apparent inaction of federal and state lawmakers pushed the county Board of Supervisors to declare a local emergency in November, which it then extended in February.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, District 1 Supervisor Jesus Eduardo Escobar indicated that the county should try to secure other sources of federal funding, including $220 million in potential funding from the North American Development Bank.
The city of Calexico also expressed disillusionment with the EPA’s
decision to not provide any funds for the New River.
It has long sought the funds needed to undertake the Calexico segment of the New River Improvement Strategic Plan, which calls for the undergrounding of a segment of the river from the border to Highway 98, the routing of untreated river water to the city’s wastewater treatment plant and back into the channel once treated, as well as the installation of a trash screen near where the river enters the United States.
Though some $28 million in state funds have been proposed to fund New River improvements, the funding has not yet been approved by the Legislature.
“Thanks to the collective effort and support of our community, government agencies and community-based organizations, we will continue to work with our state and federal representatives to secure the funding to implement all elements of the New River Improvement Strategic Plan,” a statement from the City Manager’s office said.
To date, about $2 million in U.S. Department of Transportation and California Natural Resources Agency funds has been expended for the preliminary engineering and planning for the New River Parkway, which will establish a greenbelt and bicycle path alongside the river’s bank.
The proposed $28 million in state funding would cover the infrastructure projects south of the Second Street bridge (Highway 98), said Assistant City Manager Miguel Figueroa.
As of Wednesday, the county hadn’t received any written response from the letter’s recipients, but was already scheduling talks with Feinstein and Vargas’ offices. For its part, the EPA acknowledged receipt of the letter.
Through an intermediary in Washington, D.C., Feinstein’s office also acknowledged the county’s frustration and committed to work with local officials, said Linsey Dale, county public information officer.
When contacted for comment, Vargas said he would continue working with the EPA to secure funding to address transboundary spills occurring within his district, which includes all of the county and a swath of the southernmost portion of San Diego County.
Binational collaboration with the IBWC is needed to ensure that funding, from both sides of the border, is used on infrastructure projects to help mitigate cross-border sewage spills, he said in a written statement.
“Our efforts in Congress are far from over,” Vargas stated. “Addressing the ongoing environmental and public health challenges created by the New River will continue to be a top priority of mine.”
The joint statement from Vargas, Feinstein and Harris’ offices announcing the $300 million for the San Diego mitigation projects stated that the lawmakers helped secure an additional $25 million in the recent government funding bill for the EPA’s Border Water Infrastructure Improvement Program.
They also secured authorization for the North
American Development Bank to fund additional projects related to water pollution, wastewater treatment, water conservation, municipal solid waste, stormwater drainage and pollution, the press release stated.
The EPA’s decision to not fund New River mitigation efforts hardly came as a surprise for Luis Olmedo, Comite Civico del Valle executive director.
Getting adequate government investment to fund the Valley’s outdated infrastructure has proven challenging through the years, and the EPA funding plan’s New River omission reflects that trend, he said.
Those federal funds could’ve helped further alleviate the impacts that binational trade, travel and pollution have locally.
“We’re one of numerous hotspots in this entire country that are not representative of the promises that this country so proudly proclaims,” Olmedo said.
On Wednesday, State Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia urged community members to call in or submit written testimony in support of the $28 million funding proposal for the New River Improvement Project.
A budget subcommittee hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. today where the funding proposal will be discussed. The hearing will be accessible through a live stream on the Assembly’s website.
In advance of the hearing, Garcia on Wednesday hosted a virtual meeting where local stakeholders coordinated their advocacy efforts.
“While we successfully ensured that the proposed $28 million for the New River Improvement Project remained in the Governor’s Budget May Revision, we must continue to present a strong, unified front to protect and secure these funds,” Garcia said in a written statement.
After the hearing’s panel presentations and member questions have concluded, the public may provide a brief public comment by using the following toll-free number: (877) 692-8957, access code 283438. Written testimony can also be submitted to BudgetSub3@asm.ca.gov.