Trump border wall construction begins

By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Homeland Security said it began construction Tuesday on the prototypes for President Trump’s new border wall.
In a short notice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the building began in San Diego on eight prototypes, which had been awarded over the summer.

Four of the prototypes are concrete walls and four are nonconcrete designs, all selected from dozens of proposals submitted by contractors earlier this year.

“We are committed to securing our border, and that includes constructing border walls,” said Ronald Vitiello, acting deputy commissioner at CBP.

The agency released a video showing equipment being unloaded and the ground being dug out at the site.

The prototypes are designed to test out new approaches, materials, strategies and technology as Homeland Security pushes forward with Mr. Trump’s goal of a border wall.

The designs are between 18 and 30 feet, and will be evaluated on how well they deter climbers, how well they withstand breach attempts and what sort of awareness they allow agents who patrol the border. The prototypes are expected to be finished within 30 days.

“Moving forward with the prototypes enables us to continue to incorporate all the tools necessary to secure our border,” Mr. Vitiello said.

Agents — and Mr. Trump — say visibility through the wall is critical for knowing what’s going on in Mexico, helping agents avoid ambushes or other potential dangers, as well as spot migrants or smugglers preparing to try to cross.

The concrete designs are less useful right along the border, officials said, and will likely be used as secondary fencing set back a bit.

About 354 miles of the 1,952-mile border are currently protected by some form of wall. Another 300 miles have vehicle barriers, which allow easy penetration by pedestrians or animals but are designed to stop trucks and cars from barreling over the border.

Mr. Trump during the campaign said he wanted to see a border-long wall, but more recently has said between 700 and 900 miles need a barrier. It’s unclear whether that’s a total number or is in addition to the current fencing.

His 2017 budget called for money for replacing some outdated parts of the current wall, while his 2018 plan asked for $1.6 billion to erect 32 miles of new fencing in Texas, another 28 miles of new levee wall, also in Texas, and 14 miles of replacement fencing in San Diego.

The House has approved the money, but the Senate has yet to take up the bill, and Democrats have announced they will try to derail any legislation that includes border wall money.

There is enough money in the current 2017 budget to pay for the prototypes.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...uction-begins/

September 27, 2017

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said the construction worker wasn't paying attention when he took a backwards "misstep" and fell 40 feet down a hole at the foundation of one of the border wall prototype projects in south San Diego County

By Cassia Pollock

A man plummeted 40 feet down a hole while working at a construction site on one of the U.S.-Mexico border wall prototypes in south San Diego County Wednesday, officials confirmed.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson Carlos Diaz said the worker survived the fall without serious injuries and promptly returned to work at the site in Otay Mesa.

Diaz said the worker was not following protocol and, as he walked backward at the site, fell into a 40-foot-deep hole. The worker was not paying attention, and Diaz classified the accident as a "misstep."

Diaz said the worker was hoisted out of the hole and was evaluated for injuries at the scene. He was not hurt and promptly returned to his duties.

Diaz said workers set up a double layer of plywood at the site to prevent this type of accident from happening again. Officials said the worker was digging the foundation for one of the border wall prototypes at the time of the accident.

Construction did not pause during Wednesday's incident.


Bulldozers continue flattening out dirt around the area by the corner of Enrico Fermi Drive and Via De La Amistad. Six companies will build eight different prototypes of the border wall proposed by President Donald Trump for the U.S.-Mexico border.

Four of those prototypes will be made of concrete and the others of different materials. The wall will be built not far from the current U.S.-Mexico border wall. No other information was immediately available.

At this point, the company that the man works with is unknown.

Diaz said a so-called "emergency protocol" was put into effect following the man's fall, although he couldn't elaborate on details of that process.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca...448283803.html