Thread: Mexican sewage again spills into U.S.

Sewage again spills into Tijuana River Valley

By Mike Lee, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 2:05 p.m.

The sewage overflow in the Tijuana River Valley didn't reach as far west as the bridge at Dairy Mart Road, according to a federal report.

A second major sewage overflow in Tijuana since the start of June has sullied the Tijuana River Valley in southern San Diego County.

More than 2.7 million gallons of sewage-tainted water coursed through the dry river bed on July 7 and 8, according to state and federal reports.

The spill came just more than a month after more than 2.1 million gallons of sewage crossed the international border downstream at the base of a canyon known as Smuggler’s Gulch.

Both are among the largest wastewater accidents to affect San Diego County since 2000. Because both incidents started in Mexico, California regulators have little leverage to issue fines or cleanup orders like they typically would do if a local city caused the problem.

Officials at the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board said Tuesday they are considering how to handle both incidents together, likely in the form of a consultation or letter requesting details about the incidents in hopes of improving reporting protocol and upkeep of sewage facilities along the border.

Senior engineer Brian Kelley at the regional board said he’s seen numerous similar problems over the past three decades.

“It’s somewhat frustrating,â€

send the clean up bill to the city government and make them pay for the clean up

I have to laugh. All of the strict poullution laws Ca. has passed or wants to pass, and this happens. Proof they have no REAL control over pollution.

Originally Posted by cjnoho

I have to laugh. All of the strict poullution laws Ca. has passed or wants to pass, and this happens. Proof they have no REAL control over pollution.

LOL AND WELCOME TO ALIPAC cjnoho!

Originally Posted by cjnoho

I have to laugh. All of the strict poullution laws Ca. has passed or wants to pass, and this happens. Proof they have no REAL control over pollution.

CA. laws can't control what happens in Mexico. U.S. laws are ineffective too.

This isn't a new problem. The Federal government told CA. to stay out of it years ago because it was an International problem, not a state problem, since the sewage flows across the U.S. Mexico border. The Bush administation gave Mexico $66 million U.S. taxpayer dollars to build a sewage plant, and there are still problems, and we are still paying for it.

One complication is that $66 million would pay for only about two-thirds of the San Ysidro expansion.

Bajagua officials have said their plant would treat at least 59 million gallons of wastewater a day. They would finance the construction costs upfront, but U.S. taxpayers ultimately would pay for the facility and its operation over two decades. The bill is estimated at $600 million.

$66 Million to Improve Sewerage Treatment from Tijuana River

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-96355.html