AND MY PARTNER IN THE BORDER REGION, AN AMAZING COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND
FROM THE STATE ASSEMBLY WHO IS JOINING THE HEARING THIS MORNING.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER DAVID ALVAREZ, PLEASE MAKE A SIMILAR WELCOME.
YOU ARE ALL MOST WELCOME.
AS I EXPRESSED A FEW MINUTES AGO WITH OUR PARTNERS IN THE MEDIA
WHO ARE REPORTING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO OUR CONSTITUENTS,
THE PURPOSE OF THIS SELECT COMMITTEE IS REFLECTED IN ITS NAME,
AND THAT IS, MEXICO WILL PASS CHINA AS OUR NUMBER ONE TRADING PARTNER.
WE CO-PRODUCED 40% OF OUR EXPORTS WITH MEXICO.
THE BINATIONAL DYNAMICS IN THIS REGION AROUND
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION,
INFRASTRUCTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH,
TRADE ARE VITAL NOT JUST TO THIS REGION,
BUT VITAL AND CRITICAL TO THE HEALTH,
THE ECONOMY AND THE PROSPERITY OF THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA THAT WE SERVE AND TO THIS, TO THE NORTH AMERICA, FRANKLY.
AND IT IS, FRANKLY, OFTEN AN UNDER.
UNDERSTOOD UNDERINVESTED IGNORED PART OF OUR STATE.
BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENT
IN OUR CURRENT STATE ADMINISTRATION.
WE HAVE TREMENDOUS TALENT IN OUR LEGISLATURE THAT ARE MAKING GREAT
STRIDES IN RECENT TIMES TO UNDERSTAND THIS IMPORTANT DYNAMIC,
AND IT'S REFLECTED BY THE PARTICIPATION THAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY,
BOTH THE MEMBERS THAT ARE JOINING US TODAY
AND CERTAINLY OUR DISTINGUISHED PANELISTS.
AND SO TODAY, AS CERTAINLY I SHOULD JUST GIVE YOU SOME
BACKGROUND AS TO THE CHAIR OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE.
I'VE DECIDED THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO MORE THAN
ONE TYPICAL SELECT COMMITTEE HEARING.
OFTENTIMES, SELECT COMMITTEES WILL CONVENE ONCE
IN A LEGISLATIVE SESSION, MAYBE TWICE.
BUT I ENVISION CONVENING 3 OR 4 OF THESE HEARINGS
OVER A SUCCESSIVE PERIOD OF MONTHS,
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE NATURE AND
THE UNIQUE IMPORTANCE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP
DESERVES AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, AND IT DESERVES THAT.
IN EACH OCCASION, WE TAKE TIME TO MORE DEEPLY
UNDERSTAND SOME OF THESE COMPLICATED ISSUES.
IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A LITTLE WHILE
AND THEN HAVING SOME SOME DRINKS, WHICH WE LIKE TO DO.
BUT THIS IS REAL IMPORTANT WORK BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT THE FUTURE
AND THE HEALTH OF OUR REGION AND OUR CONSTITUENTS.
AND TODAY, OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT
TRANS BORDER FLOWS AND CROSS BORDER POLLUTION
AND THE IMPACTS ON THE THE TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY
AND WHAT THAT IS DOING TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY,
TO OUR LOCAL HEALTH, TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES
AND SOME OF THE GOOD WORK TO BE TO BE FAIR,
THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND IS BEING DONE, BUT SO MANY, SO MUCH MORE NEEDS,
WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE TO UNDERSTAND
THE OBSTACLES THAT REMAIN AND HOW WE'RE
GOING TO APPROACH THOSE AND WHAT WE CAN DO BETTER TO APPROACH THOSE.
AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE OBLIGATION OF THESE
INFORMATION GATHERING SESSIONS FOR THOSE
OF US THAT HAVE THE HONOR TO SERVE IN THE LEGISLATURE,
IS TO GATHER THIS MOST TIMELY,
MOST ACCURATE INFORMATION ON A REGULAR BASIS
SO THAT WE CAN HOLD AGENCIES THAT ARE ALL
PART OF THIS SITUATION AND HAVE A ROLE IN
MITIGATING IT OR HELPING TO SOLVE IT.
HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE.
BUT MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL, TO REPORT TO ALL OF YOU,
BECAUSE THIS COMMUNITY HAS DEALT WITH THIS ONGOING
ISSUE FOR FAR TOO LONG, AND YOU HAVE A RIGHT,
YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO HAVE THE MOST TIMELY,
ACCURATE AND COMPLETE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HAS OCCURRED,
WHAT IS OCCURRING, AND WHAT WILL BE OCCURRING
OCCURRING ON THIS QUESTION.
AND TO ASK THOSE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.
SO THIS IS ABOUT REPORTING TO YOU.
AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE CONVENED THE SELECT COMMITTEE HERE TODAY.
AND ON THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC.
AND I WANT TO SAY ALSO, I UNDERSTAND THE ANGER
AND FRUSTRATION THAT IS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
MY FAMILY'S BEEN IN THIS REGION FOR OVER A CENTURY.
I HAVE GROWN UP WITH IT AS WELL AND BEEN FRUSTRATED BY IT AS WELL.
BUT IT IS NOT A PARTISAN POLITICAL ISSUE, AND IF THERE IS AN ISSUE THAT
NEEDS SERIOUS ATTENTION AND TO NOT BE POLITICIZED, IT'S THIS ONE.
THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC PARTY PROBLEM.
THIS IS NOT A REPUBLICAN PARTY PROBLEM.
THIS IS NOT JUST A FEDERAL PROBLEM,
AN AMERICAN PROBLEM OR A MEXICAN PROBLEM.
IT'S EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM.
AND THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF THIS PROBLEM THAT ARE DISPERSED
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER AND ACROSS OUR REGION,
AND IT HAS BEEN PERSISTENT THROUGH NUMEROUS ADMINISTRATIONS,
FEDERAL AND STATE.
WITH PEOPLE FROM BOTH PARTIES PARTICIPATING.
SO IT'S LONG PAST TIME WE STOP POLITICIZING PEOPLE'S
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY,
AND GET ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF UNDERSTANDING
THE PROBLEM AND HEARING FROM THE FOLKS THAT
ARE WORKING ON IT AND ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS
AND HOLDING FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE.
IT IS PRIMARILY A FEDERAL PROBLEM,
BUT THE STATE HAS A ROLE AND HAS EXERTED,
I WILL SAY, GREAT LEADERSHIP,
THIS ADMINISTRATION AND OTHERS AND THIS LEGISLATURE, BEFORE I JOINED IT,
ALLOCATED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN MITIGATION FUNDING TO PARTICIPATE
IN PROTECTING YOUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY,
FROM SOME OF THE IMPACTS OF A PROBLEM OVER
WHICH A WE'RE NOT PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE,
AND B WE DON'T HAVE THE AMOUNT OF CONTROL THAT WE WOULD LIKE.
AND SO I THINK OUR OBJECTIVE HERE IS TO HAVE A FOCUSED.
APPROPRIATE CONVERSATION.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME AND EVERYONE'S VOICE IS WELCOME TO BE HEARD.
BUT I WANT A PROCEDURAL NOTE UP FRONT.
I KNOW THERE ARE SOME PASSIONS AND WE WELCOME
YOUR PASSION AND WE RESPECT YOUR RIGHT.
TO EXPRESS.
BUT THAT RIGHT COMES WITH RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RESPECT ALL VIEWPOINTS.
IT IS TO RESPECT THOSE WITH WHICH WE MIGHT NOT AGREE.
IT IS TO NOT DISRUPT THE HEARING.
I WILL SAY WITH DUE RESPECT, YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO BE HEARD,
BUT YOU ARE NOT WELCOME TO DISRUPT THE HEARING.
IF THE HEARING IS DISRUPTED INAPPROPRIATELY
TO THE POINT THAT IT CANNOT PROCEED,
IF NECESSARY, I WILL SUSPEND THE HEARING.
I WILL ASK THE MEMBERS TO RETIRE TO AN ANTE ROOM,
AND I WILL ASK THE SENATE SERGEANTS
AND CHULA VISTA PD TO CLEAR THE CHAMBER.
I DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT, BUT I WILL IF NECESSARY.
SO LET'S PLEASE MAINTAIN RESPECT AND GOOD ORDER AND SHOW
RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER SO THAT ALL OF US CAN BE HEARD.
AND WITH THAT SAID, I WANT TO EXTEND MY APPRECIATION TO
MAYOR JOHN MCCANN AND CITY MANAGER MARIA KATCHADOURIAN
AND THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA FOR HOSTING US AND ALLOWING
US USE MY OLD STOMPING GROUNDS TO HOLD THIS HEARING.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO RETURN FROM WHENCE I CAME.
LET'S SHOW OUR APPRECIATION.
UU: TO THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA.
I WOULD LIKE ALSO, BEFORE WE TAKE PANELS TO BRIEFLY
ACKNOWLEDGE SOME OF OUR DISTINGUISHED
GUESTS AND SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIVES WE HAVE JOINING US TODAY.
THE UNITED STATES CONSUL IN TIJUANA, TOM PROUD.
WHERE ARE YOU, TOM?
CONSUL.
THANK YOU, SIR.
THANK YOU.
COUNCIL.
JOSE PRECIADO, COUNCIL MEMBER, CITY OF CHULA VISTA.
DEPUTY MAYOR.
COUNCIL MEMBER ALONZO GONZALEZ, COUNCIL MEMBER.
DIRECTOR ANDREA BETH DAMSKI FROM THE HELIX WATER DISTRICT IN GRAND.
DIRECTOR STEVE CASTANEDA FROM THE SWEETWATER AUTHORITY
AND A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER AND COLLEAGUE AS WELL.
GOOD TO SEE YOU, SIR.
ROBERTO ALCANTARA FROM THE SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM MANY OFFICES.
ANGEL MARQUEZ FROM THE OFFICE OF SOME GUY NAMED ALEX PADILLA,
US SENATOR CANAVAN.
WE HAVE RYAN WILLIAMS FROM LAPHONZA BUTLER'S OFFICE.
US SENATOR LAPHONZA BUTLER.
CESAR SOLIS IS HERE WITH CONGRESSMAN SCOTT PETERS.
JANINE BRYANT, REPRESENTING COUNCIL.
CONGRESSMEMBER JUAN VARGAS.
MATT RIBBLE FROM CALIFORNIA STATE SENATOR CATHERINE BREAKSPEAR.
HAYDEN IS HERE WITH ASSEMBLY MEMBER,
OFFICE OF ASSEMBLY MEMBER MARIE WALDRON.
ANDREW HARVEY IS HERE WITH SAN DIEGO COUNTY CHAIR NORA VARGAS'S OFFICE.
AND FROM THE OFFICE OF MAYOR MCCANN.
WE HAVE AMANDA ANGULO AND.
AND GONZALO GONZALO ROJO FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATE PRO TEM TONI ATKINS.
ALL RIGHT.
I THINK I'VE SHARED SOME ONGOING THOUGHTS
ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS DIALOGUE.
I WILL FIRST GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MY COLLEAGUE, SENATOR RASO,
IF SHE HAS ANY DESIRE TO MAKE ANY OPENING COMMENTS
BEFORE WE TAKE PANELS AS WELL AS ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
AND IT'S TOTALLY YOUR DISCRETION.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO.
BUT I THOUGHT I'D AFFORD IT.
NOT.
SHOULD WE GO RIGHT TO THE PANEL, OR DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS?
ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
S2: GOOD MORNING.
AND I'M NOT.
S3: OKAY.
I JUST WANT TO THANK THE SENATOR FOR INVITING ME.
THESE KIND OF ISSUES, WHILE THEY MAY BE
DIFFERENT IN THE AREA OF LOS ANGELES,
THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR IN THE SENSE OF HAVING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
THAT PARTICULARLY HURT OUR COMMUNITIES, LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES.
AND SO I'M VERY INTERESTED FROM THAT POINT OF VIEW,
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING AND LISTENING
TO EVERYONE WHO'S GOING TO SPEAK TODAY.
THANK YOU.
SENATOR.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
S4: THANK YOU TO SENATOR PADILLA AND SPECIFICALLY WANT TO MAKE
SURE WE ALL ACKNOWLEDGE AND RECOGNIZE SENATOR DURAZZO,
WHO MADE THE TRIP DOWN HERE TO LEARN ABOUT THESE
REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES TO ALL OF US.
WE'VE ALL LIVED WITH THIS.
THOSE OF US WHO'VE LIVED HERE OUR WHOLE LIVES, OUR ENTIRE LIVES,
AND THE FACT THAT SHE'S TAKING TIME TO COME AND LEARN ABOUT THIS
SO THAT SHE CAN ALSO BE UNDERSTAND THESE ISSUES AND BE AN ALLY
WITH US AT THE STATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE ACTION TO THIS.
THAT, AS WAS ELOQUENTLY ALREADY INTRODUCED BY SENATOR PADILLA,
REQUIRES ACTION TO BE TAKEN.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU WHO THERE HASN'T BEEN ONE PUBLIC SPACE THAT
I HAVE BEEN IN WHERE THIS ISSUE HAS NOT COME UP, RIGHTFULLY SO.
AND I THANK YOU FOR FOR THAT.
AND I THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO ONCE AGAIN
ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THIS IMPORTANT DISCUSSION.
IT REALLY IS AS SIMPLE AS IT'S AN ISSUE OF JUSTICE TO ACCESS TO WATER,
TO CLEAN WATER, TO OUR BEACH.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO LIVE DOWN HERE, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 700 DAYS.
IT'S UNHEARD OF ANYWHERE ELSE OF LACK OF ACCESS.
AND IT REALLY JUST COMES DOWN TO THAT.
SO NOW IT'S MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING
THE STEPS TO TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE.
SO I WANT TO THANK SENATOR PADILLA AGAIN
FOR CONVENING US TO HAVE GOOD DIALOGUE,
PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE TO MOVE THIS FORWARD.
THANK YOU, SENATOR.
THANK THANK YOU, ASSEMBLYMAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE SOME DISTINGUISHED PANELISTS WHO
HAVE TAKEN TIME TO REARRANGE THEIR BUSY
SCHEDULES TO COME AND BE PRESENT AND INFORM US ABOUT WHAT IS OCCURRING.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME THE FIRST PANEL DEALING WITH FEDERAL ISSUES,
THE FEDERAL ACTION PLAN TO ADDRESS CROSS BORDER.
AND WELCOME TO COME FORWARD TO THE TABLE, MARTHA GUZMAN,
WHO IS THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION NINE,
AND BE FOLLOWED BY SALLY SPENCER, WHO IS THE SECRETARY FOR
THE US INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION.
DIRECTOR.
GUZMAN, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU TAKING THE TIME.
PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE WHEREVER
YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST AND OKAY,
I GUESS I'M BEING ALREADY CORRECTED.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE.
IBWC SECRETARY UPFRONT AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THE DIRECTOR.
I'M ASSUMING IT'S ALSO BECAUSE OF TIME CONSTRAINTS.
SO SECRETARY, WELCOME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, DIRECTOR.
S5: THANK YOU.
CHAIRPERSON.
PADILLA.
SENATOR.
DURAZZO.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
ALVAREZ.
MY NAME IS SALLY SPINNER.
I'M THE UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL
BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION,
UNITED STATES AND MEXICO.
I AM BASED HERE AT OUR SAN DIEGO FIELD OFFICE.
I'M ACCOMPANIED BY MORGAN ROGERS,
WHO IS OUR AREA OPERATIONS MANAGER HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
AND WE'LL PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THAT MAY ARISE.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING DR.
MARIA ELENA HINER.
SHE'S THE UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER OF THE IBWC.
SHE WAS APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO.
AND SHE'S NOT HERE BECAUSE SHE'S ACTUALLY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,
MEETING WITH THE CALIFORNIA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
TO SHARE WITH THEM WHAT THE CHALLENGES,
PROGRESS, AND NEEDS ARE FOR OUR SAN DIEGO TIJUANA SANITATION PROJECTS.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO I'M GOING TO BE TALKING TODAY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS
THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING AT THE BORDER,
THE ONGOING REPAIRS THAT WE ARE UNDERTAKING IN ORDER TO BRING
OUR SANITATION PROJECT INTO COMPLIANCE WITH ITS PERMIT,
AS WELL AS PLANS FOR REHABILITATION OF
THE EXISTING PLANT AND EXPANSION OF
OUR TREATMENT CAPACITY IN SAN DIEGO FOR WASTEWATER COMING FROM MEXICO.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS A MAP THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT WE CONSIDER
TO BE THE CURRENT WEAK POINTS AT OUR PLANT.
I'M GOING TO START WITH THE RED CIRCLE
THAT'S AT THE LEFT OF YOUR SCREEN,
WHICH IS THE SAN ANTONIO DE LOS BUENOS
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN MEXICO.
IT'S ABOUT SIX MILES SOUTH OF THE BORDER.
BASICALLY, IT'S NOT FUNCTIONING.
IT'S PROVIDING MINIMAL TO NO TREATMENT OF WASTEWATER.
YOU GO DOWN THERE AND YOU SEE A RIVER OR
A CREEK OF SEWAGE THAT FLOWS INTO THE OCEAN.
AND WHEN THOSE CURRENTS HEAD NORTH ALONG THE COAST,
IT IS IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
PIPELINE, ONE A, WHICH IS THEY'RE KIND OF IN THE BOTTOM.
IN THE MIDDLE IS A PIPELINE THAT CONVEYS MEXICAN WASTEWATER
TO THE SAN ANTONIO DE LOS BUENOS AREA AND TO THE COAST.
IT WAS DAMAGED IN JULY OF 2022.
AS SOME OF YOU ARE AWARE, WHO TRAVELED TO TIJUANA REGULARLY,
THEY'RE CONSTRUCTING A NEW HIGHWAY ALONG
THE BORDER THAT HEADS OUT WEST TOWARDS PLAYAS.
AND AS PART OF THAT CONSTRUCTION,
THEY ACTUALLY WERE DOING SOME BORING AND DRILLED A HOLE IN A PIPELINE
CAUSED THAT TO RUPTURE THAT THEN THE FLOW FROM
THAT PIPELINE UNDERMINED THE OTHER PIPELINE.
AND IT ALSO FAILED.
AND SO AS A RESULT OF THAT,
IT'S CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE HAVING.
AND I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT IN MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT SHORTLY.
JUNCTION BOX ONE, WHICH IS THE RED CIRCLE AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN,
IS A STRUCTURE THAT HELPS TO CONTROL FLOW,
THAT COMES INTO OUR INTERNATIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT,
AND IT HAS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE.
SO WE CANNOT LIMIT FLOW TO THE PLANT.
AND THAT HAS ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CHALLENGES
THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT NOW.
THE INTERNATIONAL COLLECTOR IS ANOTHER WASTEWATER PIPELINE.
IT IS FUNCTIONING, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE HIGH FLOW IN THE PIPELINE,
IT'S SUBJECT TO OVERFLOW.
OVERFLOW.
IT'S OLD.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT A NEW PIPELINE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION,
AND THAT IS ONE OF THE MINUTE 3 TO 8 PROJECTS.
MINUTE 328, OF COURSE, IS THE US MEXICO AGREEMENT
THAT WE SIGNED IN 2022 THAT PROVIDES ABOUT A HALF
BILLION IN US AND MEXICO INVESTMENT TO ADDRESS
THE BORDER SANITATION PROBLEM AT SAN DIEGO.
TIJUANA NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS JUST A PICTURE OF SOME OF THE CONDITIONS
THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING AT THE PIPELINE.
ONE A RUPTURE.
THIS IS IN THE SMUGGLERS GULCH AREA KNOWN
AS MATADERO CANYON ON THE MEXICAN SIDE.
AND YOU CAN SEE JUST THAT GEYSER OF SEWAGE
THAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.
IT IS A VERY STEEP AREA.
IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING PROJECT.
IN ADDITION TO WHICH THEY HAD TO GET THE PIPELINE SHIPPED IN FROM CHINA.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THEY HAVE COMPLETED THE PROJECT.
THEY ARE STARTING TO RUN SEWAGE THROUGH IT TO PRESSURIZE THE LINE,
AND WE EXPECT IT TO BE FULLY OPERATIONAL IMMINENTLY.
I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WAS
EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THIS PIPELINE.
THEY FIXED ONE OF THEM VERY QUICKLY IN ABOUT
A MATTER OF WEEKS AFTER IT FAILED IN 2022,
AND THE US SECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION,
THE US CONSULATE AND CONSUL GENERAL,
TOM RHEA AND HIS STAFF ARE HERE TODAY,
AND OTHER US GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS REALLY ENGAGED REPEATEDLY
AND CONSISTENTLY WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT TO ACCELERATE,
ACCELERATE THE REPAIR OF THIS PROJECT.
IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED IN APRIL OF 2024,
AND WE CERTAINLY LET OUR MEXICAN OFFICIALS KNOW OF THE IMPORTANCE
OF THIS REPAIR TO THE RESIDENTS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY,
TO THE OPERATORS OF THE INTERNATIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT,
AND WE'RE PLEASED THAT THEY HAVE JUST
COMPLETED THE REPAIR OF THAT PROJECT.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS IS A GRAPH THAT SHOWS THE TRANSBOUNDARY WASTEWATER
FLOWS IN THE TIJUANA RIVER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
THE BLACK LINE AT THE TOP OF YOUR SCREEN IS THE FLOWS IN 2023,
AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT HIGHER BILLIONS OF GALLONS.
THIS, I THINK, REFLECTS THE RAINY WINTER THAT WE HAD IN 2023.
ALSO, THE IMPACTS OF HURRICANE HILARY, AS WELL AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE
FAILURES ON THE MEXICAN SIDE WITH THAT PIPELINE ONE A FAILURE.
WE DID HAVE ADDITIONAL FLOW IN THE TIJUANA RIVER AS WELL
AS TO THE INTERNATIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
WHEN WE SEE FLOW IN THE RIVER, IT IS A COMBINATION
OF STORMWATER MIXED WITH WASTEWATER, GROUNDWATER.
THERE'S EVEN SOME POTABLE WATER IN THERE FROM TIME TO TIME.
BUT WE PARTICULARLY SEE THE PROBLEM WHEN WE HAVE STORMWATER FLOWS
THAT EXCEED THE CAPACITY TO CAPTURE AND TREAT THOSE VOLUMES.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY
EXPERIENCING AT THE SOUTH BAY INTERNATIONAL
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IS FLOWS THAT
EXCEED THE PLANT'S DESIGN CAPACITY.
THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING SINCE WE HAD THE PIPELINE
FAILURE IN MEXICO IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.
WE HAVE HAD EXCESS FLOWS FOR 12 OF THE LAST 14 MONTHS,
AND THIS IS ALSO CAUSING EXCEEDANCES IN OUR WATER QUALITY PERMIT.
THE EXCESS FLOWS ARE DUE TO THE PROBLEMS WITH JUNCTION BOX ONE,
THE FAILURE OF THAT WHERE WE CAN'T DIAL BACK AND LIMIT THE FLOWS COMING
INTO THE PLANT AS WELL AS THE PIPELINE ONE A RUPTURE IN MEXICO.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE RIGHT HAND OF THE SCREEN SOME
OF THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE CAUSED BY EXCESS FLOWS.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE YOU'RE DRIVING YOUR CAR 24 OVER SEVEN,
100 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE INTERSTATE,
AND YOU JUST DON'T HAVE TIME TO STOP
AND CHANGE THE OIL AND PUT AIR IN THE TIRES.
THE PRIMARY SEDIMENTATION TANKS, WHICH YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN THERE,
THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE ON THE LEFT
AND ON THE RIGHT IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
THEY'RE BASICALLY NOT FUNCTIONING.
AND SO THAT'S CREATING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH
SOLIDS REMOVAL FROM THE WASTEWATER FLOW.
AND THAT AGAIN IS AFFECTING THE PERMIT AND WATER QUALITY.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH CHALLENGES ALREADY,
WE HAD A TROPICAL STORM THAT HIT THIS AREA AT THE END OF AUGUST.
IT FLOODED PART OF THE PLANT AND IT BROUGHT A RIVER OF TRASH,
SEDIMENT AND DEBRIS INTO THE PLANT,
WHICH CAUSED WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS AND FAILURES
ABOVE AND BEYOND THOSE THAT WE
WERE ALREADY EXPERIENCING DUE TO THE CONTINUOUS
EXCESS FLOWS AT THE PLANT.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THOSE PICTURES IS THE HEADWORKS.
THE TOP LEFT IS WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE DURING DRY CONDITIONS.
THE RED LINE IS SHOWING HOW HIGH THE WATER
CAME DURING THE TROPICAL STORM,
AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE BOTTOM PHOTO YOU CAN SEE SOME STUFF KIND OF
FLOATING THERE WITH ALL THIS STANDING WATER AT THE HEADWORKS.
SO THIS REALLY EXACERBATED THE CHALLENGES THAT
WE WERE ALREADY EXPERIENCING AT THE PLANT.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THOSE ARE WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE.
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
WELL, WE ARE UNDERTAKING STEPS TO BRING THE PLANT BACK INTO
COMPLIANCE WITH ITS PERMIT BY AUGUST 15TH OF 2024,
AND WE ARE MAKING INCREMENTAL PROGRESS DURING THAT TIME.
STARTING THIS FALL.
AND THAT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AUGUST OF 2024.
WE AWARDED $10 MILLION IN REPAIR WORK
USING OUR FISCAL YEAR 2023 FUNDING,
AND WE ARE ALSO REDIRECTING $8 MILLION FROM OUR BUDGET,
FROM OTHER PROJECTS IN OUR BUDGET TO ADDRESS
THE IMPACTS OF TROPICAL STORM HILARY.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE REPAIRS THAT WE HAVE UNDERWAY.
THE INFLUENT PUMPS WILL BE INSTALLED IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY OF 2024.
SO THAT'S GOING TO HELP BRING ADDITIONAL
PUMPING CAPACITY AND REDUNDANCY FOR US.
THE HOLLISTER PUMP STATION, WHICH WE HAD A FAILURE
OF FOR FOLLOWING THE TROPICAL STORM.
IT IS BACK IN OPERATION AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO GET ADDITIONAL PUMPS IN.
THREE OUT OF THE FOUR ARE NOW BACK IN OPERATION.
JUNCTION BOX NUMBER ONE IS BEING REPLACED AS A DESIGN
BUILD PROJECT THAT WAS AWARDED THIS FALL,
AND WE EXPECT IT TO BE COMPLETED IN EARLY 2025.
BUT WE ARE ALSO UNDERTAKING A TEMPORARY REPAIR
AND THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
UM, FOR THE UNSTABILISED SLUDGE STORAGE TANKS.
WE ARE UNDERTAKING SOME WORK THERE AND FOR THE PRIMARY.
TANKS YOU SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT,
WE HAVE REHABILITATION OF ONE OF THEM IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE FINISHED IN EARLY 2024,
AND THE OTHERS WILL BE REHABILITATED MOSTLY
DURING THE FIRST HALF OF 2024.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THAT'S THE REPAIRS FOR THE EXISTING
PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING.
BUT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE EXPANDING THE EXISTING
SOUTH BAY INTERNATIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMITMENTS
THAT WE MADE UNDER MINUTE 328,
WHICH WAS SIGNED AGAIN IN THE SUMMER OF 2022.
OUR OBJECTIVE WITH THE 328 PROJECTS IS
TO REDUCE TRANS BOUNDARY FLOWS BY 90%,
AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DOUBLING,
DOUBLING THE CAPACITY OF OUR EXISTING SOUTH BAY
INTERNATIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
IT'S GOING TO GO FROM 25 MILLION GALLONS
PER DAY TO 50 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE REHABILITATING THE EXISTING PLANT.
AS WE WERE ASSESSING THE CURRENT CONDITIONS,
WE REALIZED THAT MANY OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE PLANT
HAVE REACHED THE END OF THEIR LIFE CYCLE AND NEED
SIGNIFICANT REHABILITATION AND REPLACEMENT,
AND THAT IS GOING TO BE PART OF THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE UNDERTAKING.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE ADDING A PEAKING FACTOR.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE SEWAGE COMES IN AT
THE SAME RATE 24 OVER SEVEN, 365 DAYS A YEAR.
SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO TEMPORARILY TREAT FLOWS
OF UP TO 75 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT RELIABLY AND TO
BE ABLE TO MEET OUR PERMIT REQUIREMENT.
THE TOTAL COST OF THIS EXPANSION AND REHABILITATION
PROJECT IS ABOUT $600 MILLION, PLUS OR -30%.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE SOLICITATION, WE'RE PUTTING THIS OUT TO BID IMMINENTLY.
WITHIN DAYS IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR 45 DAYS.
WE HAVE ABOUT $290 MILLION STILL AVAILABLE
IN THE US, MCA APPROPRIATIONS.
THERE ARE OTHER EPA AND US BWC FUNDS THAT WE EXPECT
TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS IN FY 2024.
AS YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, WE DON'T YET HAVE
A FEDERAL BUDGET FOR THE FULL YEAR,
BUT WE ARE EXPECTING ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO APPLY.
AND PRESIDENT BIDEN, RECENTLY, IN HIS SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING REQUEST,
ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL $310 MILLION SO THAT WE CAN COMPLETE
THE 50 MILLION GALLON PER DAY PLANT WITH PEAKING FACTOR.
WE ARE CONTRACTING A PROGRAM MANAGER TO KEEP THE PROJECT ON SCHEDULE,
AND WE ARE ALSO ASSIGNING TWO EXPERIENCED US
IBWC EMPLOYEES TO THIS PROJECT FULL TIME.
NORMALLY OUR STAFF, WE'RE A SMALL AGENCY.
THEY'RE JUGGLING MULTIPLE PROJECTS,
BUT WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AND THE SCOPE OF THIS,
AND THEREFORE WILL BE DEVOTING FULL TIME STAFF TO OVERSEE THE PROJECT.
NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE FUNDING REQUESTS THAT I MENTIONED WAS MADE AT THE END OF OCTOBER,
AND THIS IS 310 MILLION FOR STATE FOREIGN
OPERATIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS.
WE GET OUR APPROPRIATION THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT
OF STATE APPROPRIATIONS BILL.
AND THIS GOES TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSIONS AND SPECIFICALLY
THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION.
WITHOUT THE $310 MILLION IN SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDS,
IT WILL DELAY COMPLETION OF OUR PROJECT BY THREE OR MORE YEARS.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE WON'T HAVE ENOUGH FUNDING FROM THE GET GO TO START,
AND WE'LL HAVE TO TO PHASE IT AS THE FUNDING BECOMES
AVAILABLE WITH ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS.
AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, THAT ALSO INCREASES
YOUR OVERALL COSTS OF THE PROJECT.
IT COSTS MORE IN THE FUTURE THAN IT COSTS TODAY.
AND SO THERE WILL BE INFLATION AND ADDITIONAL
RAMP UP NEEDED WITH EACH PHASE.
S6: NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO I THINK THE THREE MAIN MESSAGES THAT WE WANT TO
LEAVE WITH YOU TODAY IS WE ARE UNDERTAKING REPAIRS.
WE HAVE REDIRECTED FUNDING FROM OTHER PROJECTS TO PRIORITIZE THIS
IN ORDER TO MEET PERMIT COMPLIANCE BY AUGUST 15TH, 2024.
AND WE WILL BE MAKING INCREMENTAL PROGRESS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
THE SOLICITATION FOR THE SOUTH BAY INTERNATIONAL
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION
PROJECT IS GOING OUT TO BID IMMINENTLY, SO WE'RE ON TRACK WITH THAT.
AND PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS REQUESTED AN ADDITIONAL
$310 MILLION IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
AND SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY THAT I BRING FOR YOU TODAY.
AND I'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR
GUZMAN TO SPEAK BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU.
SECRETARY, I THINK I WILL PROCEED.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME IS WE'LL TAKE THE REGIONAL DIRECTOR'S TESTIMONY,
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT SHE IS UNDER SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS.
AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE BOTH OF YOU FOLLOWING
THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR'S
TESTIMONY WILL TAKE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR BOTH OF YOU.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH.
AND PLEASE WELCOME MARTHA GUZMAN.
THANK YOU.
S7: GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
IT'S REALLY AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY
TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE WORK THAT MANY
OF YOU IN THE ROOM HAVE DONE FOR A MUCH LONGER
TIME THAN I HAVE ON THIS PROJECT.
BUT TO REALLY HIGHLIGHT ALL OF THE COLLECTIVE WORK,
AS YOU MENTIONED, SENATOR, FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES, LOCAL,
STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS AND LEADERS
ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER AND TALKING
ABOUT REALLY NOT JUST TODAY'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS,
BUT REALLY HOW WE LOOK AT THIS FOR THE LONG TERM IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY
SO THAT WE'RE NOT BACK HERE IN 15, 20 YEARS WITH THE SAME ISSUE.
I WANT TO ALSO JUST RECOGNIZE MY EXPERTS HERE,
LILY LEE AND TARA FLINT SILVA,
WHO WILL BE ABLE TO STAY FOR THE REMAINDER
OF THE HEARING AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THEY REALLY KNOW MUCH MORE.
THE DETAILS, AS I'M GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE REDUNDANCY
WITH MY COLLEAGUES AT BWC, BECAUSE REALLY,
WE'RE HERE TO HIGHLIGHT HOW WE MOVE FORWARD
TODAY AND HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AS A WHOLE.
LET ME START BY GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND
ON HOW THIS ALL BEGAN FOR OUR INVOLVEMENT,
AS YOU KNOW, AS A FEDERAL AGENCY,
WHERE WE PLAY THE ROLE OF MOSTLY THE REGULATORY SIDE,
BUT ALSO THE FUNDING SIDE,
PRIMARILY THROUGH THE STATES, THROUGH THE STATE REVOLVING FUNDS.
BUT IN 2020, DUE TO ALL OF THE REALLY THE INSIGHT
AND THE FORESIGHT FOR MANY OF THE LOCAL LEADERS,
AS YOU SAW IN THE SECRETARY'S SLIDES,
THE 20 YEARS OF 2020 WERE ALREADY SHOWING A SPIKE PROBLEM.
THE LEADERSHIP WAS ABLE TO SECURE CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATION AT
THAT TIME OF $300 MILLION UNDER THE US-MEXICO-CANADA AGREEMENT,
WHICH WE WE REFER TO AS USMCA, TO HELP ADDRESS THIS POLLUTION ISSUE.
AND THAT'S WHERE OUR ROLE BEGAN,
BECAUSE THE APPROPRIATION WAS GIVEN TO US AS
A BROAD TASK TO TAKE ON THIS POLLUTION ISSUE.
IT'S A REALLY KEY POINT TO HIGHLIGHT, BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE THINK WE
GOT THE APPROPRIATION FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT OUT THE DOOR,
AND IT REALLY WAS A MUCH BROADER DIRECTION AND
THE DIRECTION TO DO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY,
WHICH WAS TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC.
SO WE BEGAN TO EVALUATE AND IDENTIFY THE BEST
OPTIONS FOR ADDRESSING THIS CONTAMINATION.
WE CONTRACTED WITH SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY,
WHICH I KNOW IS HERE TODAY IN 2020,
AND THEY EVALUATED THE IMPACTS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE
SOLUTIONS ON BEACH WATER QUALITY.
THE RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT BOTH THE SAN ANTONIO DE LOS BUENOS
PLANT AND THE TIJUANA RIVER IMPACTED THE BEACH WATER QUALITY,
BUT THAT REDUCING WASTEWATER FLOWS FROM THE SAN ANTONIO
DE LOS BUENOS WOULD HAVE THE GREATEST BENEFIT.
THESE FINDINGS HELPED US REALLY EVALUATE
WHAT THE POTENTIAL PROJECTS WOULD BE.
AND AS YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FAST FORWARDING
TO WHAT SECRETARY JUST ADVANCED,
WHICH IS THAT IN AUGUST OF 2020,
WE REALLY STARTED TO EVALUATE ALL THE RANGE OF
THE POTENTIAL POTENTIAL ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.
AND THIS INCLUDED LOOKING AT AN ESTIMATE OF PROJECT FEASIBILITY,
IMPACTS, COSTS AND ALTERNATIVES.
AN IMPORTANT PART THAT LET ME SEE, NOT GETTING THERE YET,
BUT AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS WAS TO REALLY LOOK
AT WHAT ALL THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WANTED.
SO A LARGE PART OF OUR ROLE HAS BEEN THE CONVENING ROLE.
WE CONVENED A GROUP OF 19 GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO CONSULT
AND PROVIDE INPUT ON THE QUICKEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE APPROACH.
SOME OF YOU I KNOW MANY OF YOU IN THE ROOM ARE PARTICIPATING,
HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
THIS IS WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE ELIGIBLE
PUBLIC ENTITIES COORDINATING GROUP.
IT HAS MET 14 TIMES SINCE IT WAS CREATED,
AND WE HAD OUR MOST RECENT UPDATE IN OCTOBER.
WE ALSO HAVE HOSTED TEN PUBLIC MEETINGS TO SOLICIT INPUT AND TO
TRY TO KEEP THE PUBLIC AS INFORMED AS POSSIBLE ON THE PROGRESS.
SO AS A RESULT, EPA AND BWC ARE REALLY FOCUSING
ON WHAT WAS TALKED ABOUT ALREADY,
WHICH IS THE EXPANSION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TREATMENT
PLANT TO 50 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
IN JULY OF 2022, WE TRANSFERRED FUNDS TO
THE BWC TO PERFORM A DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION OF
THE EXISTING SOUTH BAY INTERNATIONAL TREATMENT
PLANT AND DEVELOP MORE REFINED COSTS.
AND IN MAY OF THIS YEAR, THAT STUDY ESTIMATED
THAT THE COST TO EXPAND THE PLANT,
INCLUDING ALL THE NECESSARY REHABILITATION THAT WAS JUST TALKED ABOUT,
WOULD BE ABOUT THREE TIMES THE INITIAL ESTIMATE.
THIS NEW COST ESTIMATE WAS WAS.
WE GOT THIS DETERMINATION POST THE FEDERAL
FY 24 PRESIDENT'S BUDGET PROPOSAL.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED ALREADY, THIS IS WHY THE ADMINISTRATION
HAS PROPOSED THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.
SO FOR THIS THIS IS A VERY KEY POINT, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT,
WITHOUT THAT FUNDING, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A PHASED APPROACH,
ALTHOUGH WE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE MOVING FORWARD
WITH THE 50 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
OKAY.
SO I'M GOING TO SWITCH A LITTLE BIT TO THE NEXT SLIDE
HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE COLLABORATION WITH MEXICO.
AND AGAIN BOTH FOR THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS.
BUT THIS TYPE OF PARTNERSHIP IS OBVIOUSLY
NEEDED FOR THE ONGOING SUSTAINABILITY.
AS PART OF THIS USMCA FUNDS, THERE WAS A REAL EFFORT
TO REALLY LEVERAGE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH MEXICO.
AND IN JULY OF 2022, EPA AND MEXICO'S NATIONAL WATER
COMMISSION CONAGUA SIGNED A BINATIONAL AGREEMENT.
THIS AGREEMENT IS CALLED THE STATEMENT OF INTENT.
IT IDENTIFIED THESE 17 PROJECTS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SHORT TERM,
WHICH REFLECTS A COMMITMENT OF $330 MILLION IN US DOLLARS
AND $144 MILLION IN US DOLLARS FOR MEXICO.
AS OF TODAY, MEXICO HAS SECURED OVER
$50 MILLION TOWARDS THAT COMMITMENT.
NEXT SLIDE.
JUST VERY RECENTLY, NOVEMBER 13TH,
PRESIDENT OF MEXICO LOPEZ OBRADOR ANNOUNCED
PLANS FOR THE MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO ACTUALLY CARRY
OUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW 18 MILLION
GALLON PER DAY WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT AT SAN ANTONIO DE LOS BUENOS BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
THIS IS A TOTAL OF $31 MILLION THAT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT,
AS WAS DISCUSSED ALREADY,
THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE COASTAL WATER QUALITY.
IS AND THIS.
WE COULD WELL TALK A LITTLE BIT OF THE WORK
WE CONTINUE TO DO WITH THE MEXICAN SIDE,
BUT THIS IS A REALLY A TREMENDOUS COMMITMENT
MADE BY THE PRESIDENT OF MEXICO.
IN ADDITION, AS WAS ALREADY HIGHLIGHTED,
MEXICO REPLACED A 42 INCH BROKEN SEWER LINE THAT CARRIES
WASTEWATER TO THE COAST AND IS CURRENTLY REHABILITATING
THE INTERNATIONAL COLLECTOR,
WHICH CONVEYS FLOWS TO THE INTERNATIONAL TREATMENT PLANT.
ALL OF THESE, AS SALLY MENTIONED, WILL HELP WITH THE PROBLEM.
WE CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE COORDINATION WITH MEXICO.
WE'VE HELD OVER 40 BINATIONAL MEETINGS WITH ALL THE LEVELS
OF THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IN THE LAST TWO YEARS ALONE.
THIS HAS INCLUDED MEETINGS THAT US AMBASSADOR TO MEXICO, KEN SALAZAR,
HAS REALLY TAKEN A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN CALLING HIS MEXICAN COUNTERPARTS
AND REALLY SEEKING FURTHER DEVELOPMENT ON ALL THESE PROJECTS.
MY BOSS, THE EPA ADMINISTRATOR MICHAEL REGAN,
HE CAME OUT IN AUGUST OF 2021,
WHICH IS BEFORE I STARTED IN THE ROLE AND ALSO MET WITH
THE ON THE TIJUANA SIDE WITH THE GOVERNOR OF BAJA,
AND REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ISSUE.
SO AS MANY PEOPLE HERE, THIS WORK HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR MANY YEARS,
AND OF COURSE MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER HIND,
JUST THIS AUGUST, WE'RE IN MEXICO CITY MEETING WITH THE MEXICO TREASURY,
WHERE WE ALSO WERE LED BY AMBASSADOR SALAZAR, TO REALLY STRESS, AGAIN,
AS THEY WERE MAKING THEIR APPROPRIATION DECISIONS ON THE IMPORTANCE
OF MAKING SAN ANTONIO DE LOS BUENOS AN INVESTMENT PRIORITY.
NEXT SLIDE.
S8: OKAY.
SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY REDUNDANT,
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HITTING THE POINT HERE,
WHICH IS THAT WE HAVE A PHASED APPROACH RIGHT NOW
GIVING THE LIMITED FUNDING THAT WE WERE GIVEN.
AND YOU KNOW, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM
IT'S A VERY BIG CONSTERNATION FOR US AS AN AGENCY
BECAUSE MOST OF OUR FUNDING WE WORK ON THIS IS NOT
A DIFFICULT PROJECT IN TERMS OF LIKE NEW INNOVATION.
THIS IS A BREAD AND BUTTER WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT.
BUT MOST OF OUR FUNDING GOES THROUGH THE STATES.
BECAUSE THIS IS A FEDERAL AGENCY, WE REQUIRE THAT
FEDERAL APPROPRIATION DIRECTLY FOR THE PROJECT.
IT'S NOT LIKE THE STATE REVOLVING FUNDS THAT FUND MOST
WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND SO I DO ALSO, THOUGH, JUST WANT TO EVEN THOUGH
WE'RE RESTRICTED WITH THAT MAIN FUNDING
AND REQUIRE THESE TYPES OF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS
OR APPROPRIATIONS IN THE BUDGETS, WE DO.
WE ARE TRYING AS EPA TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN IN
AND AROUND WITH THE FUNDING THAT IS ELIGIBLE,
LIKE A VERY SMALL AMOUNT THAT WE PROVIDED TO THE AIR DISTRICT
FOR TESTING ON THE AIR IMPACTS OF THIS SEWER SLUDGE,
AS WELL AS OTHER FUNDING THAT WE HOPE TO MAKE AVAILABLE,
BUT NOT DIRECTLY TO OUR FEDERAL SISTER AGENCY.
SO THAT'S THE CONSTRAINT.
AND AGAIN, JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPACTS
OF HAVING THAT FINANCIAL SHORTFALL.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORK
TOGETHER WITH ALL OF OUR LOCAL PARTNERS.
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND ALL THE LOCAL LEADERS HAVE
BEEN A TREMENDOUS PARTNERSHIP AND LEADERSHIP.
AND REALLY FINDING SUCCESS IN THIS SUPPLEMENTAL IS
THE HOPE FOR THIS NEXT FEW MONTHS AND BEYOND,
AND THEN WORKING TOWARDS THE SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
TO ONCE AGAIN NOT BE HERE IN THE FUTURE,
BUT REALLY FINDING THOSE PATHS THAT ARE MORE SUSTAINABLE.
OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SENATOR.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ADMINISTRATOR.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENCE, SECRETARY, AS WELL.
AND I GUESS I'LL BEGIN JUST GENERAL GENERICALLY, BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL,
I WANT TO EXPRESS DIRECTLY THAT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE
YOUR DEDICATION AND PROFESSIONALISM.
WE ALSO APPRECIATE THE TREMENDOUS TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
THAT SURROUND SOME OF THE ENGINEERING
AND PLANNING AROUND NOT JUST MAKING DETERMINATIONS
AROUND DEMAND AND CAPACITY,
BUT HOW THAT'S ACHIEVED FROM AN ENGINEERING
STANDPOINT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
STANDPOINT AND THEN HOW IT'S REGULATED AND FINANCED.
BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO TAKE A MOMENT AND JUST
GIVE SOME GENERAL VOICE, IF I MIGHT, TO.
I THINK JUST FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE NOT ENGINEERS
AND WHO ARE NOT ATTORNEYS AND WHO ARE NOT FEDERAL REGULATORS
AND WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND SO OFTEN THE TECHNO SPEAK THAT THOSE
OF US IN GOVERNMENT SOMETIMES GET LOST IN THE WEEDS.
AND I KNOW WHAT'S ON THEIR MINDS.
AND I THINK MAYBE THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF
MAYBE TAKE A MOMENT TO SORT OF GIVE SOME BASIC,
FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, LIGHT,
SHED SOME LIGHT ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HEAR.
I KNOW THAT THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER HEARS.
NO DOUBT ALL OF US WILL HEAR ON THIS QUESTION.
GOING BACK TO THE MID 1940S, DURING WORLD WAR TWO,
WHEN WE HAD THE INITIAL INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT,
AND WE SET UP THE STRUCTURE,
WHICH ULTIMATELY LED TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CURRENTLY IN THE IB,
WC, THE WHOLE CONSTRUCT WAS CREATED.
UNDERSTANDING THEN THAT THIS WAS A BINATIONAL PROBLEM
FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATURAL STANDPOINT,
THAT THERE WOULD BE FACTORS IN DYNAMICS THAT COULDN'T BE UNDER
THE CONTROL OF A POLITICAL BOUNDARY, THAT THEY WERE JOINED TOGETHER.
AND THAT CONSTRUCT WAS ESTABLISHED TO ANTICIPATE, TO ANALYZE,
TO MAXIMIZE COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION BETWEEN TWO SOVEREIGN
STATES AROUND CONNECTED INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMON IMPACTS,
SO THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE A BREAKDOWN IN THAT COMMUNICATION,
THERE WOULDN'T BE A DISCONNECT IN COORDINATION ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY SO THAT WE,
YOU KNOW, TO BE FRANK, WOULDN'T END UP IN THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN.
THAT CONSTRUCT WAS DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE BREAKDOWN IN COORDINATION.
AND I THINK WAS A VERY APPROPRIATE AND IN MANY
WAYS DID ITS JOB FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
I THINK WHAT'S ON THE MINDS OF A LOT OF MY CONSTITUENTS IS.
HOW DID WE GET TO THIS PLACE WHERE, WITH RESPECT TO
THE UTTER INABILITY TO ANTICIPATE, ON THE DEMAND SIDE,
THE EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN THE TIJUANA METROPOLITAN REGION,
IN POPULATION, IN INFRASTRUCTURE,
IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENTS, RUNOFF INTO THE WATERSHED,
THE FACT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE COULD PLAY A ROLE IN HAVING SIGNIFICANT
INDIVIDUAL WEATHER EVENTS THAT WOULD HAVE AN OUTSIZED
IMPACT ON CAPACITY AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT IN TIME,
COMBINED WITH THAT NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT NEW POPULATION.
THIS WAS WELL, FORESEEABLE.
AND I THINK A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE WONDERING WHAT ARE
THE MAJOR IMPEDIMENTS TO HAVING THAT, OR WHAT WERE THE IMPEDIMENTS,
THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT PREVENTED A TIGHTER COORDINATION, COLLABORATION,
AWARENESS ON BOTH SIDES ABOUT THESE ARE THE FUTURE CAPACITY DEMANDS.
THESE ARE THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THAT.
HOW DO WE BEGIN NOW, EARLIER THAN TODAY
AND EARLIER THAN THE LAST FIVE YEARS?
ANTICIPATING THAT, PLANNING FOR THAT AND THINKING ABOUT
HOW WE MIGHT PAY FOR THAT, WHAT WAS THE BREAKDOWN?
BECAUSE WE CREATED A STRUCTURE THAT WAS DESIGNED
TO PREVENT US FROM BEING WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND I KNOW THAT LAY FOLKS, WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE,
HOW WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE AND PLAN MORE EFFECTIVELY.
THAT SAID, I WILL SAY, IN FAIRNESS, I AM GRATEFUL TO THIS
ADMINISTRATION IN RECENT YEARS FOR PLAYING CATCH UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE STRIDES THAT WE'VE MADE.
IT'S NOT AN EASY SITUATION.
AND I WANT TO ALSO, IN FAIRNESS, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
BUT I THINK IF EITHER OF YOU COULD JUST
GENERALLY SHED SOME LIGHT ON THAT,
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF QUESTIONS THAT I GET.
AND I KNOW THE MAYOR GETS, WE GET FROM OUR
CONSTITUENTS IS THIS WAS FORESEEABLE.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT BREAKDOWN?
WHAT WERE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES AND WHAT ARE THE MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT WE
STILL FACE TODAY IN OUR BUDGETING APPROACH AND OUR PLANNING APPROACH,
AND HOW WE MANAGE THE TIMELINE OF GETTING THESE CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED IN A TIMELY MANNER.
EITHER ONE OF YOU DON'T WORRY.
NO, MA'AM.
IT'S BETTER IF YOU GO TO THE MIC.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR INDULGING.
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
YES, IT HAS BEEN A LONG AND FRUSTRATING ROAD FOR MANY PEOPLE,
AND THE ORIGINAL ADVANCED PRIMARY PLANT
WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE MID 1990S,
AND A SERIES OF THINGS OCCURRED OVER MORE THAN A DECADE BEFORE
WE WERE EVEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE SECONDARY TREATMENT.
SECONDARY WAS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL 2011.
FIRST IT WAS GOING TO BE ACTIVATED SLUDGE.
THEN THERE WAS SOME LITIGATION AND OBJECTION TO THAT.
IT WAS GOING TO BE KMMA PONDS.
THEN THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS AND OBJECTIONS TO THAT.
SO WE COULDN'T GET FUNDING TO BUILD KMMA PONDS.
SO THEN THERE WAS A PRIVATE COMPANY THAT CAME IN
AND THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD THE TREATMENT IN MEXICO,
AND WE WERE GOING TO PUMP THE ADVANCED PRIMARY TREATMENT
UPHILL TO MEXICO FOR SECONDARY TREATMENT.
AND THEN THERE WAS LITIGATION.
AND SO THIS WAS ALL GOING ON.
SO WE DIDN'T EVEN ACHIEVE SECONDARY UNTIL 2011.
WE DID EXPAND THE SECONDARY TREATMENT IN 2018,
BUT PART OF IT HAS BEEN DUE.
TO AS SECRETARY, IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT YOU JUST AND FORGIVE ME,
BUT ONE OF MY GOALS IN CONVENING THIS IS TO
CLEAR THE AIR AND INFORM OUR CONSTITUENTS,
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO UNDERSTAND.
SOME OF OUR PARTICIPANTS MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT
YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY SECONDARY TREATMENT.
CAN YOU JUST BRIEFLY EXPLAIN WHAT THAT A WATER
QUALITY STANDARD IS IN THE UNITED STATES,
AND WHY AND WHAT THAT WHY IS THAT RELEVANT
TO FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE WONDERING?
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SECONDARY TREATMENT IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF
TREATMENT AND IS REQUIRED BY OUR PERMIT.
WE HAD WE WERE OPERATING UNDER THE ADVANCED PRIMARY LEVEL,
REALLY ON A TEMPORARY AND INTERIM BASIS,
BECAUSE THE CONSTITUENTS REALLY WANTED TO MAKE
SURE THERE WAS SOME LEVEL OF TREATMENT,
EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDING AND AGREEMENT
TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SECONDARY,
WHICH IS THE HIGHER LEVEL OF TREATMENT THAT
PROVIDES BETTER QUALITY OF THE EFFLUENT
WHEN IT'S DISCHARGED INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN
THREE AND A HALF MILES OFFSHORE.
BUT ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FACED WERE BUDGETARY LIMITATIONS.
OUR AGENCY WIDE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET FOR MOST OF
THE LAST DECADE WAS 26 TO $33 MILLION A YEAR.
WE ARE AN AGENCY THAT HAS RESPONSIBILITY
ALONG THE ENTIRE US MEXICO BORDER.
WE HAVE ANOTHER INTERNATIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN ARIZONA.
WE CONTRIBUTE TO ANOTHER ONE IN MEXICO.
IN THE STATE OF TAMAULIPAS, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE
FOR HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MILES
OF RIO GRANDE FLOOD CONTROL LEVEES,
AS WELL AS LARGE INTERNATIONAL STORAGE DAMS.
SOME SOME OF THE LARGEST DAMS IN THE COUNTRY ON THE RIO GRANDE,
AS WELL AS DIVERSION DAMS AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND SO WE HAD A LIMITED BUDGET TO ADDRESS
THE MULTIPLE NEEDS OF THE AGENCY.
ONLY $4 MILLION WAS INVESTED IN CAPITAL REPAIRS TO OUR SOUTH BAY PLANT.
DUE TO THE BUDGETARY LIMITATIONS FOR THE PERIOD OF 2010 THROUGH 2020.
OTHER THAN THE SECONDARY UPGRADE AND EXPANSION
THAT I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO.
AND.
BUT WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THAT?
WE DID REALIGN $18 MILLION FROM OUR FY 2023 BUDGET
TO THIS PROJECT TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE NEEDS,
AND THAT'S TO SOME EXTENT IT'S ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL.
AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT FOREVER.
BUT IN RECOGNITION OF THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE IN,
COMMISSIONER HEINER PRIORITIZED THIS
AND PRIORITIZED THE FUNDING FOR THAT.
WE'VE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURES IN MEXICO.
THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY ANTICIPATED.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT WAS DUE TO A BIG STORM
OR JUST THE SITUATION WE HAD LAST YEAR.
THEY WERE DOING CONSTRUCTION, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON,
THEY DIDN'T CHECK THAT THERE WAS A SEWER PIPELINE UNDER
THE GROUND BEFORE THEY STARTED DOING THE BORING.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES THAT'S A BIT OUT OF YOUR CONTROL AND,
YOU KNOW, THE THE EXCESS FLOWS AND THE TROPICAL STORM.
HILARY, I THINK WERE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT
CONTRIBUTED TO THAT OVER THE YEARS.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
I WOULD JUST SAY COMPARATIVELY, OBVIOUSLY,
WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING,
YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF PLANTS IN OUR REGION AND.
IT IS JUST SO UNIQUE THAT YOUR OPERATING BUDGET
IS DEPENDENT ON A FEDERAL APPROPRIATION.
MOST WASTEWATER FACILITIES HAVE A UTILITY BASE THAT YOU RAISE RATES ON.
IF YOU NEED THAT LONG TERM, YOU HAVE THAT LONG TERM PLANNING ELEMENT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH PARTISAN POLITICS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL,
THEY WERE UNDERFUNDED UNDER DIFFERENT
ADMINISTRATIONS AND ARE DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE ACROSS THE BORDER.
WE WERE JUST IN NOGALES A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO.
TERRIBLE NEEDS OF INVESTMENTS THERE.
PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY DYING BECAUSE OF THE FLOOD
ISSUES WITH THEIR WASTEWATER FLOWS.
SO THAT'S THE ISSUE.
THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THERE'S BEEN CONTINUOUS UNDERINVESTMENT,
AND THE STRUCTURE IS SO UNIQUE IN THE SENSE THAT
IT IS SUBJECT TO THIS FEDERAL APPROPRIATION.
AND ADMINISTRATOR.
I DO APPRECIATE THE CANDOR THERE IN THAT RESPONSE,
BUT IT'S ENLIGHTENING FOR A LOT OF US,
AND I THINK THAT'S BEEN PART OF IT,
IS THE UNIQUE NATURE OF THE FEDERAL ALLOCATION PROCESS,
AND ALSO THE POLITICS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
THAT HAVE GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF CONVERSELY,
RUNNING TO CATCH UP AND RUNNING AWAY FROM THE BORDER PROBLEMS IN
WAYS THAT ARE REALLY INAPPROPRIATE NO MATTER WHO'S IN CHARGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR FOLKS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUFFERING.
AND SO I DO APPRECIATE AND RESPECT THAT CANDOR BECAUSE IT'S
WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS SEEN IT, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR IT.
I JUST WANT OTHER FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
JUST TO GET BACK TO THAT ANTICIPATORY PLANNING POINT I MADE EARLIER,
WE'VE MADE A DETERMINATION ON THE INTERNATIONAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT
TO DOUBLE CAPACITY HERE TO 50 MGD MILLION GALLONS PER DAY STANDARD.
CAN YOU JUST SHED A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT ON ON HOW WE
GOT TO THAT ASSESSMENT AND WHAT WERE THE FACTORS
WE CONSIDERED IN MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE AN ADEQUATE
FUTURE CAPACITY THAT WE'RE BUILDING TOWARDS,
AND WE'RE NOT GETTING INTO A PLACE WHERE WE SPEND A BUNCH OF MONEY,
TAKE A LOT OF TIME, BUILD NEW INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND THEN FIVE MINUTES AFTER IT'S UP AND RUNNING,
SAY, OOPS, IT'S INADEQUATE TO MEET THE DEMAND.
HOW DID WE GET TO THAT NUMBER?
ARE WE CONFIDENT IN THAT NUMBER?
YEAH.
WELL, OKAY.
THERE'S A COUPLE OF ANSWERS HERE.
ONE IS THE POPULATION GROWTH THAT YOU REFERRED
TO WAS FACTORED INTO THE PLANT NEED.
BUT THIS WAS A PUBLICLY ENGAGED PROCESS.
I MEAN PEOPLE MY COLLEAGUES HERE AT THE REGIONAL BOARD,
THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MUCH LARGER SIZE
FULLY PROTECTIVE OF EVERY SCENARIO,
ESPECIALLY WITH THE EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
HAPPENING NOW WITH CLIMATE CHANGE.
I THINK WHAT WAS FINALIZED IN THE ROD GIVES US
OPTIONS ACTUALLY DEPENDENT ON THE FUNDING.
BUT ALL OF THOSE MAJOR FACTORS LIKE POPULATION GROWTH,
LOOKING AT THE HISTORICAL FLOWS,
LOOKING AT THOSE OTHER LIST OF PROJECTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER,
ANOTHER ELEMENT IS REALLY WHAT THE FUTURE IS, FOR EXAMPLE,
WITH THINGS THAT SEEM NOT TOO FAR AWAY, WHICH IS THE COLORADO RIVER.
THE TIJUANA IS ALSO DEPENDENT ON THE COLORADO RIVER.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE REUSE
OPPORTUNITIES ON THE TIJUANA SIDE.
IBWC IS THROUGH THEIR LEADERSHIP, AND WE'RE PART OF THIS ALSO
ARE FUNDING A REUSE FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE TIJUANA SIDE.
SO THERE IS ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER LOOKING AT THE LONG TERM
FLOW NEEDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED AT THE ITP,
WE DO FEEL VERY CONFIDENTLY THAT WE DO HAVE TO GET TO 50 PLUS THAT
PEAKING FACTOR THAT WILL BE SUSTAINABLE FOR SOME TIME TO 2050.
LOOKING AT MY COLLEAGUES HERE, 2050, 2040, SO IT IS CONTINUOUS.
IT'S NOT ONE AND DONE.
IT'S BUT IT'S DEFINITELY THE INVESTMENT NEED RIGHT NOW.
AND I JUST MIGHT ADD TO THAT,
THE BIGGER PROJECT THAT WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF COMMUNITY INTEREST
AND SUPPORT FOR IS WHAT WE WERE REFERRING TO
AS THE TIJUANA RIVER DIVERSION PROJECT.
AND SO THAT WOULD EVEN WITH THE EXPANSION THAT WE HAVE DURING WET
WEATHER EVENTS WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF FLOW IN THE TIJUANA RIVER,
WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CAPTURE AND TREAT THOSE BIG STORM EVENTS.
AND SO ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WAS ANALYZED
IN THROUGH THE NEPA ANALYSIS,
THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION AND STUDY THAT WAS UNDERTAKEN,
WAS A PROJECT TO ACTUALLY DIVERT THE FLOW
FROM THE TIJUANA RIVER AND THE US.
IBWC WILL INITIATE A PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY OF THAT PROJECT
THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE RECORD OF DECISION.
SO IT WOULD CONDUCT ANALYSIS FOR THE REQUIRED INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR THE TIJUANA RIVER DIVERSION.
SO THAT'S AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD, LOOKING FOR THE LONGER TERM
NEEDS OF THAT LARGER TIJUANA RIVER DIVERSION PROJECT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALL RIGHT.
I'LL TURN TO MY OTHER COLLEAGUE, SENATOR DURAZZO,
OR SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL,
FOLLOWED BY ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
YOU KNOW, IN LOS ANGELES, WE WENT THROUGH A VERY PROBABLY
THE WORST ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER WITH EXIDE,
AND IT JUST KEPT GETTING PUT OFF FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS,
BUT IT JUST KEPT GETTING PUT OFF.
AND NOT ONLY WAS IT CAUSING ENORMOUS DAMAGE
TO THE HEALTH OF THE RESIDENTS,
BUT IT WAS COSTING MORE EVERY YEAR THAT WENT BY.
IT JUST COST MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
SO I'M JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THIS IN SUCH
A WAY THAT WE DON'T END UP HAVING TO PAY LITERALLY
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE BECAUSE WE'RE DOING
THE PIECES AND THERE'S AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY.
BUT FRANKLY, WE END UP HAVING TO PAY SO MUCH MORE.
AND THAT'S WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE IS IS GOING ON HERE.
SO.
HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT?
THAT THIS DOESN'T KEEP GETTING PUT OFF IN SUCH A WAY THAT'S GOING
TO CAUSE MORE DAMAGE AND MORE HARM IN MANY, MANY WAYS.
AND THE SECOND IS IF YOU COULD ADDRESS I READ IN
THE NOTE SOMEWHERE ABOUT EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS
AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY OR WILL
TO DO TO USE EMERGENCY DECLARATIONS TO.
I GUESS SPEED UP THE PROCESS IS THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD IT,
BUT IF YOU COULD COMMENT ON BOTH OF THOSE, I APPRECIATE.
THANK YOU.
SURE.
MAYBE I'LL, BY THE WAY.
MAYBE I'LL GO WITH THE ORDER.
THAT EXIDE CONTINUES TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR US,
AND WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE FEDERAL SUPERFUND LISTING.
IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE BOTH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
ARE GOING TO BE CONTINUOUSLY INVOLVED WITH THE COMMUNITY THERE,
AND NOT JUST ON THE BOUNDARIES OF EXIDE,
BUT THE LARGER COMMUNITY DEALING WITH
LEGACY OF LEAD FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES.
AND THAT'S THAT'S A MODEL WE WANT TO ACTUALLY CONTINUE TO DO HERE,
WHICH IS WHERE WE CAN PULL THOSE STATE RESOURCES,
WHERE WE CAN PULL THE FEDERAL RESOURCES,
WE WANT TO PUT THEM TOWARDS THESE SOLUTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, RIGHT NOW, MOST DIRECTLY,
WE'RE FOCUSED ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL.
BUT IN THAT LONGER TERM IS TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP
A TIGHTER FRAMEWORK FOR MORE SUSTAINED FUNDING.
AND EXIDE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT,
WHERE YOU PASS THE BATTERY FEE FOR CONTINUED REVENUE THERE.
AND OF COURSE, THE POTENTIAL SUPERFUND LISTING WILL HAVE
ONGOING SUPPORT FROM THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD ANALOGY.
THE.
VERY DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES, BUT THE ANALOGY OF REALLY
BEING ALL IN AND COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
ON THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION.
YOU KNOW, THE THING WITH THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR
IS THAT WE DID ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK ALREADY.
THAT WAS WHAT GOT US HERE,
TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS THE PROJECT WE WANTED TO DO.
WE HAVE THE RECORD OF DECISION THAT ALLOWS US TO
MOVE FORWARD PROGRAMMATICALLY ON MANY PROJECTS.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE OF EMERGENCY
DECLARATION IS BYPASSING ENVIRONMENTAL.
THAT IS A DECISION FOR THE PRESIDENT, OBVIOUSLY,
BUT I THINK WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
WE BELIEVE VERY YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HEARD FROM BWC EMINENTLY NEXT WEEK,
I BELIEVE IS THE ISSUANCE OF THE RFP.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY AT THAT PLACE NOW OF BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'M SORRY.
JUST A QUICK FOLLOW UP, SENATOR.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE TOOL OF HAVING AN EMERGENCY
DECLARATION IS NOT NEEDED, IN YOUR OPINION?
BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN RAISED BY.
IT'S A DECISION FOR THE PRESIDENT.
OKAY.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK HERE.
LOCALLY, LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE JOINED IN.
ASKING WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS THE REAL ADDED
VALUE IS THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING.
HE'S.
THANK YOU, SENATOR.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ.
THANK YOU.
I THINK I SHOULD START OFF BY JUST MAKING A FEW COMMENTS,
WHICH WILL PROBABLY APPLY TO ALL THE PANELS.
AND THAT'S SENATOR PADILLA ALREADY VERY ELOQUENTLY
STATED HOW PASSIONATE MANY OF US ARE,
AND CERTAINLY OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE.
AND IN SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT THAT I'LL ASK TO ALL THE PANELS.
I WILL TRY TO SUBDUE THE PASSION THAT I AM TRYING TO EXPRESS
THAT THAT THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS HAVE EXPRESSED TO US,
BECAUSE IT'S JUST REALLY FRUSTRATING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD IS.
IT'S BEYOND FRUSTRATION AT THIS POINT.
BUT LET ME ASK ABOUT.
UH, SENATOR PADILLA DID A WONDERFUL JOB OF SETTING
THE STAGE OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN AND HOW WE GOT HERE.
I AM, AND I KNOW HE IS TOO.
MUCH MORE INTERESTED ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
AND THERE ARE A FEW THINGS IN THE PRESENTATION
THAT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT SO THAT.
ALL OF US ARE VERY CLEAR ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
THE ONE THAT STANDS OUT THE MOST AND THEY'LL ASK ABOUT IT IS
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT WE DO NOT RECEIVE THIS FUNDING.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED FOR FROM CONGRESS, WHICH IS NOT.
YOU KNOW, UNREASONABLE, UNFORTUNATE GIVEN STATE
OF CONGRESS POTENTIAL, WHICH MEANS A DELAY.
AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS SO THAT THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS
WHAT THAT MEANS AND THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.
I ALSO WANT TO ASK MORE ABOUT THE EMERGENCY DECLARATION,
BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF OUR LOCAL OFFICIALS,
LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY HAS BEEN DEMANDING AND CALLING ON,
AND CERTAINLY US, AS MANY OF US AS LEGISLATORS HAVE BEEN REQUESTING.
AND SO I WANT TO ASK MORE ABOUT THAT.
SO LET ME LET ME START ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
SO.
IF YOU COULD PULL UP.
IF THE FOLKS WHO ARE CONTROLLING THE SLIDES COULD
PULL UP THE SLIDE REGARDING THE NEXT STEPS.
AND I THINK THE FIRST IS LIKE SLIDE NUMBER EIGHT, I BELIEVE IT'S.
SORRY 11.
IF YOU COULD PULL UP ITEM 11, THE STATUS OF THE EXPANSION PROJECT.
THE SOLICITATION IS GOING TO BE POSTED RELATIVELY SOON.
THERE'S A 45 DAY RESPONSE PERIOD,
AND THIS WOULD BE JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR NOW,
THIS WOULD BE A SOLICITATION ONLY FOR THE FIRST.
WOULD IT BE FOR THE ENTIRE PROJECT, THE $600 MILLION PROJECT,
A PORTION THEREOF, IF WE DO NOT.
IS THIS FOR PHASE ONE?
WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS SOLICITATION FOR?
IS IT FOR WHAT'S FUNDED OR WOULD IT REQUIRE MORE FUNDING?
SO EVEN IF WE GOT A RESPONSE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BUILD
THAT PROJECT UNTIL WE GOT THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ONE OR DO YOU.
S9: WANT ME TO?
GO AHEAD.
YEAH.
SO WE'RE PUTTING OUT THE SOLICITATION.
OUR INTENT IS TO DO A 50 MILLION GALLON PER DAY PLANT.
AND IT'S A QUESTION OF FUNDING THAT WILL DETERMINE
THE SCHEDULE FOR COMPLETING THAT PROJECT.
RIGHT.
AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO PHASE
IT BASED ON THE AVAILABLE FUNDING.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 300 MILLION NOW.
WE NEED ABOUT ANOTHER 300 MILLION.
AND SO IF WE DON'T GET THE SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING,
WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN WITH THE EXISTING AMOUNT.
AND THEN AS ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMES IN YEAR AFTER YEAR,
WE WILL PHASE IT AND IT WILL TAKE LONGER.
SO FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT ENGINEERS OF PLANTS,
IF YOU'RE ROUGHLY GETTING 50% OF THE TOTAL
COST OF A 50 MILLION GALLON PLANT,
ARE YOU ROUGHLY BUILDING A 50% OR 25 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY PLANT?
IS THAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE AS A RESULT OF OF AT LEAST WHAT
WE KNOW WE HAVE IN THE BANK SITTING THERE READY TO GO.
SO SO WE BELIEVE THAT WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN THE OUT YEARS.
IT'S NOT JUST THE 300 MILLION WE HAVE NOW, BUT EACH YEAR IN THE FUTURE,
WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION FUNDING THAT WE WOULD
BE ABLE TO PUT INTO IT, TO BE ABLE TO COMPLETE IT.
AND WE ANTICIPATE ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THE WAY
THAT WE ANTICIPATE PROCEEDING IS IT'S NOT LIKE
YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL EVERYTHING'S DONE AND YOU
TURN ON THE SWITCH AND YOU START TREATING IT.
WE THINK THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO PROVIDE
ADDITIONAL TREATMENT INCREMENTALLY,
SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE GET THE EXTRA 300 MILLION TO
BE ABLE TO TURN ON THE SWITCH AND IMPROVING THE TREATMENT.
LET ME JUST JUST SAY THAT I THINK PART OF THE FRUSTRATION
SOMETIMES FROM ALL OF US AND CERTAINLY FROM CONSTITUENTS,
IS THAT WE IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS,
AND YET WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE.
SO I WANT TO BE AS CLEAR AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN BE WITH ME HERE,
GIVEN WHAT YOU WHAT YOU DO KNOW,
WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY MEAN IN TERMS OF LET'S JUST PRETEND
THAT WE'RE IN A SCENARIO WHICH AGAIN, IS NOT UNREASONABLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, GIVEN THE STATUS OF CONGRESS,
THAT WE DO NOT GET 300 MILLION
AND THAT MAYBE YOU DO GET SOME MONEY EVERY YEAR ON THE OUT YEARS,
WHAT CAN WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO
BUILD WITH THE MONEY THAT YOU HAVE NOW?
HOW MUCH ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TREAT IN TERMS OF WATER?
ASSUMING THAT THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN ANY FUTURE YEAR,
I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE WHEN THE BIDS COME IN.
BUT IT'S YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT YOU HAVE A BY THE WAY,
I WANT TO MENTION ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE'RE ALL WORKING ON COLLECTIVELY,
THAT CONGRESSMAN PETERS, CONGRESSMAN VARGAS,
THE ENTIRE SAN DIEGO DELEGATION REALLY
HAS BEEN ALSO CHAMPIONING A PROVISION
THAT WOULD GIVE THE AUTHORITY FOR THE BWC TO RECEIVE EXTERNAL FUNDINGS.
FOR EXAMPLE, STATE FUNDING, SO THAT IN ANY SCENARIO IN THE FUTURE,
WE COULD JUST THINK OF MORE OPTIONS AND BE MORE CREATIVE.
AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A SMALLER POT,
ONGOING FUNDING AT EPA THAT IS ON BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE
AND THAT FUNDING IS MUCH SMALLER.
WE'RE SWEEPING THAT MONEY TO ADD TO THIS POT.
RIGHT.
THAT MEANS NOTHING FOR NOGALES, NOTHING FOR MEXICALI, YOU KNOW,
AND EVERY YEAR THAT WE HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
ARE WE GOING TO SWEEP IT AGAIN TO MAKE PROGRESS ON THIS PROJECT?
THAT'S GOING TO BE A DECISION THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
WE WANT TO HAVE THAT SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE BEING A LITTLE BIT OBTUSE HERE IS BECAUSE
WE'RE GOING TO SCROUNGE WE'RE GOING TO SCROUNGE.
WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME TO THE GOVERNOR
AT SOME POINT FOR A CONTRIBUTION.
IF THEY GET THIS AUTHORITY TO SEE HOW WE MAKE IT WORK,
WE'RE GOING TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MOVE.
S10: WE LIVE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS TOO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE BEING A LITTLE
BIT UNCLEAR BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET.
IF IT DOES NOT, DO YOU GO TO WHAT'S.
A SHORT.
CONGRESS.
IT'S JUST THIS IS VERY SIMPLE.
IT'S A CONGRESSIONAL DECISION.
CLEARLY THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED FOR THE FUNDING.
YOU ALL WANT THE FUNDING.
YOU ALL CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THE ONLY BARRIER AT THIS POINT IS THIS CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING,
WHICH AGAIN,
I SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE, OUR LOCAL DELEGATION
IS ON THE FRONT END AND SUPPORTING.
RIGHT.
BUT IT'S YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE MAJORITY AS WE KNOW.
AND SO BUT I DO.
WANT TO LEAVE YOU AND GIVE YOU ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO.
TO ANSWER IN A MORE DIRECT WAY WHAT WHAT OUR CONSTITUENTS,
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY CAN ACTUALLY EXPECT WITH THE FUNDING
THAT'S THERE IN TERMS OF I DON'T WANT IT
TO BE 45 DAYS FROM TOMORROW OR WHENEVER YOUR YOUR
RFP GOES OUT AND YOU GET BACK BIDS THAT SAY.
YOU DON'T HAVE $6 MILLION.
WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
AND THEN WE'RE FACING THE PUBLIC AGAIN SAYING WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT I REALLY DO THAT.
WE SAY THIS IS WHAT WE THINK WE CAN DO.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONSTRAINTS THAT YOU'RE UNDER.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YOU'VE CHOSEN TO BE UNDER.
IT'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HANDED.
IT'S WHAT WE'VE ALL BEEN HANDED.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST PROVIDE THAT CLARITY TO CERTAINLY
THE PUBLIC THAT'S HERE TODAY AND ALL
THE OTHER CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE INTERESTED.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU ONE, ONE OTHER OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THAT.
AND SO I THINK I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT
WE ARE PLANNING TO BUILD A 50 MGD PLANT,
AND I THINK IT'S MORE AN ISSUE OF HOW LONG IT TAKES TO BUILD THE PLANT,
BECAUSE WE WILL RECEIVE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS IN OUT YEARS, RIGHT?
THEY MAY BE IN THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
RATHER THAN IN THE $300 MILLION RANGE.
THAT THAT IS WHAT WE NEED.
SO OUR INTENT IS TO BUILD THE 50 MGD PLANT.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET IT DONE.
IT'LL GET DONE FASTER IF WE GET THE SUPPLEMENTAL BILL
AND HAVE ALL THE FUNDING AVAILABLE UP FRONT.
OKAY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT FUNDING BECAUSE THAT'S
WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET
TO WHERE WE ALL BELIEVE THIS NEEDS TO GO FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
THERE WAS THERE WAS A COUPLE OF MENTIONS THAT
I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU
CAN HELP US SORT OF TRY TO UNDERSTAND,
IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE FOR FUNDING?
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE.
ADMINISTRATOR, I HEARD YOU MENTION SOMETHING AND NOW YOU JUST SAID IT
AGAIN IN A RESPONSE THAT GIVES ME A LOT OF INTEREST AND HOPE HERE.
I THINK YOUR PARTICULAR QUOTE WHEN YOU TESTIFIED EARLIER TESTIMONY WAS
FUNDING GOES THROUGH THE STATES AND THAT SO THAT TRIGGERED IN MY MIND.
SO ARE THERE OTHER FUNDING SOURCES?
AND YOU HAVE MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE OTHER
LIKE THE BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE FUND SOURCE,
OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING,
OTHER POTS OF MONEY, I'LL CALL THEM,
THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT ARE PROGRAMMATIC,
PROGRAMMATICALLY APPROVED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE.
AND THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THAT, AND MAYBE I CAN ACTUALLY
I'LL HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION AFTER THAT.
BUT YOU MENTIONED SUPERFUND SUPER FUNDS ARE
CREATED IN EXTRAORDINARY SITUATIONS WHERE
THE ENVIRONMENT HAS BEEN DAMAGED SO MUCH THAT
IT REQUIRES A REAL SPECIAL ATTENTION.
SUPER FUNDS ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN FUNDING STREAM,
WHICH COULD IDENTIFY MORE DOLLARS THERE.
IN YOUR OPINION, OR IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR OPINION,
CAN YOU TALK TO ME MORE ABOUT WHAT SUPERFUND,
A SUPERFUND AT A SITE LIKE THIS, WHAT IT WOULD TAKE?
WHAT ARE THE STEPS NECESSARY?
HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THAT?
CONSIDER THAT FOR THIS PARTICULAR SITE.
OKAY, A FEW QUESTIONS THERE.
YEAH, I'LL GO BACKWARDS.
SUPERFUND IS REALLY MORE OF A CLEANUP PROGRAM.
SO YOU'RE TALKING LEAD A LOT OF ARSENIC TYPE SITUATIONS WHERE
YOU'RE TRYING TO CLEAN THE SOIL FOR THE MOST PART,
AND REUSE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF REUSE OF THAT PROPERTY.
THIS AND LET ME.
JUST ASK CLARIFYING.
AND THAT WAS THAT'S WHAT'S CREATED BY THE CONGRESSIONAL
OR THE LAW THAT CREATED SUPER FUNDS.
IT DEFINES THAT AS A PARTICULAR NEED.
SO WATER QUALITY IS NOT INCLUDED IN
THE AUTHORIZATION OF CREATION OF SUPERFUND.
SO WE HAVE WE CERTAINLY HAVE WATER QUALITY PROJECTS THAT ARE
SUPERFUND PROJECTS THAT ARE ABOUT CLEANING UP CONTAMINATION.
ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S A HUGE PART OF IT.
MOST OF IT IS FOR BENEFICIAL USE FOR, YOU KNOW,
USUALLY DRINKING WATER AS THE END BENEFICIAL USE.
I THINK THE MAIN THE KIND OF BOX THAT THIS
PROJECT FITS INTO AS A WASTEWATER PROJECT
IS REALLY UNDER OUR CLEAN WATER SAFE, OUR CLEAN WATER REVOLVING FUND.
THIS IS THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT,
YOU KNOW, JUST WAS IS A 50 BILLION,
BILLION PROGRAM THAT WAS ENHANCED BY THE BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE LAW FOR FIVE YEARS,
BUT IT'S FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, IS CREATED FOR FOR THE STATES
AND FOR THE LOCALS TO BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT THESE PROJECTS.
IT'S NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FOR A SISTER AGENCY.
WE CAN'T GIVE IT TO THE NAVY.
WE CAN'T GIVE IT TO THE FOREST SERVICE.
WE CAN'T GIVE IT TO THE BWC.
THAT'S A FEDERAL CONSTRAINT.
NOW, COULD WE GET CONGRESS TO AMEND THAT?
THAT'S A YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE KIND OF STILL IN THAT SAME BUCKET
OF REQUIRING CONGRESSIONAL ACTION TO MAKE IT ELIGIBLE.
THE ONLY SMALLER POT IS REALLY THE BINATIONAL, THE WATER,
THE INFRASTRUCTURE POT THAT IS A MUCH SMALLER BORDER PROGRAM.
AND THERE'S BEEN A LONG STANDING PROGRAM,
IS EBBED AND FLOWS THROUGH THE YEARS FROM LIKE
TEN TO UP TO 100 MILLION FOR THE WHOLE BORDER.
AND WE USE IT ALL THE TIME.
MANY OF THE PROJECTS WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY,
WE HAVE USED BOTH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER.
IT'S IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM.
IT'S A PROGRAM THAT IS IN HIGH DEMAND OVER DEMAND.
IT'S THE ONE I'M REFERENCING WHEN WE SAY
IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SHORTFALL,
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A YEARLY DECISION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING
TO GO IN THE WHAT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS.
THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS IN THAT.
LAST YEAR, 170,000,036.4.
S11: MILLION FOR.
36.4 MILLION FOR THE NATION, WHICH WE HAVE PART OF,
AND REGION SIX THAT HAS THE TEXAS AND OTHER BORDER NEW MEXICO.
OKAY.
LET ME ASK ABOUT THE DECLARATION OF AN EMERGENCY.
AND YOU'VE ALREADY STATED THAT YOU HAVE A PATHWAY FORWARD WHICH
DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY BYPASSING OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES.
ARE THERE ANY PROCESSES, PROCEDURAL DECISION MAKING, ANYTHING THAT IS.
FROM NOW UNTIL THE FIRST SHOVEL GOES IN THE GROUND,
OR WHATEVER NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR THE PROJECT TO START CONSTRUCTION.
IS THERE ANY FEDERAL REGULATORY PROCESS THAT IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED?
AND DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THAT FEDERAL PROCESS COULD BE A PROCESS THAT'S
EITHER WAIVED OR EXPEDITED AS A RESULT OF AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION.
FOR THE EXPANSION?
YES.
NO, WE'VE COMPLETED THAT.
ALL REGULATORY PROCESSES ARE COMPLETED.
OKAY, MY LAST QUESTION TO YOU.
WE ARE A STATE LEGISLATURE OR STATE.
WHAT CAN THE STATE DO TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM?
WELL, I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE LEADERSHIP THAT,
LIKE I SAID, OBVIOUSLY,
MAYOR AZUETA ALL THE WAY TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM HAVE
DONE IN REALLY ELEVATING THE ISSUE IN D.C..
I MEAN, THE FACT THAT I CAN SAY THAT THIS IS ON THE PRESIDENT'S
AGENDA IS SOMETHING THAT IS RELATIVELY ISN'T THIS YOUR THING?
SO I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE AMOUNT OF ADVOCACY THAT'S
BEEN TAKING PLACE FROM THE STATE AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP.
IT'S IT'S THERE.
WE'RE THERE.
I MEAN, WE'RE IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL.
I KNOW IT'S STILL VERY HARD TO DO ANYTHING IN THIS CONGRESS, BUT.
YOU KNOW.
OBVIOUSLY.
ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT IS REALLY
CONTINUE TO THINK CREATIVELY WITH US OUTSIDE OF THAT AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE
THAT WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE ABOUT,
AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT CREATIVITY.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO ADJUST DEPENDING
ON WHAT HAPPENS WITH THIS SUPPLEMENTAL,
WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE NEXT STAGE OF OUR CONTINUOUS RESOLUTION?
OUR AGENCIES ARE OBVIOUSLY SUBJECT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT IN THE JANUARY OR
THE FEBRUARY TIMELINE, BUT, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE ALL KIND OF LIVING IN THAT REALITY RIGHT NOW WHERE WE DON'T
EVEN KNOW WHAT THE FULL BUDGET IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE EVERY MONTH.
SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL CONSTRAINT.
BUT TO TO YOUR QUESTION ON THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE, YOU KNOW,
THERE'S GREAT PROJECTS THAT ARE HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW WITH THE FUNDING THAT
CAME ABOUT THROUGH PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS THAT YOU'VE ALL LED.
I KNOW THE REGIONAL BOARD IS LEADING WITH THE STATE BOARD,
STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD,
THE DISBURSEMENT OF SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.
I THINK THAT'S WORK.
WE WANT TO REALLY SEE FOSTER AND CREATE, WHERE WE HAVE LOCAL NGOS,
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TAKING LEADERSHIP ON SOME OF THAT IMMEDIATE RELIEF,
LIKE THE TRASH BOOMS.
THAT.
I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT IN THIS FORUM,
BUT I MENTIONED OTHER FUNDS LIKE THE MONETARY FUND.
WE ALSO JUST ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
FUNDS THAT ALTHOUGH BWC CANNOT RECEIVE THAT DIRECTLY,
THIS IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE REGION TO
REALLY SEEK THOSE FUNDS TO DO MORE PROJECTS.
THOSE FUNDS ARE FOR COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS.
THEY HAVE TO BE A MINIMUM OF 10 MILLION
TO $20 MILLION IN A VAST PROJECTS,
AND THEY HAVE TO BE SPENT IN THREE YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR THE REGION THAT IS NOT DIRECTLY,
YOU KNOW, BUILDING THOSE TANKS OR EXPANDING THE ITP IN ANY WAY.
BUT IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL
AND STATE PARTNERS TO BRING IN MORE OF THAT FEDERAL FUNDING.
ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, SENATOR PADILLA.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
SORRY.
THANK YOU.
THERE WE GO.
THANK YOU.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
JUST TO BRIEFLY KIND OF CLOSE ON THIS PANEL AND FOLLOW UP,
I THINK THE SALIENT POINT,
I THINK APPRECIATE THE WORK AND APPRECIATE
THE ARTICULATION ABOUT THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE
FACE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF HOW FEDERAL BUDGET
ALLOCATIONS WORK AND THE UNIQUE NATURE
OF THIS BINATIONAL SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGE,
IT'S REALLY AT THE MERCY OF THAT.
AND SO SOME OF THE POLICY AND LEGAL CONSTRAINTS THAT
WE'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL,
THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE A MORE DIVERSIFIED SET
OF OPTIONS FOR LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING.
CONTINGENCY FINANCIAL PLANNING,
WHICH DOESN'T JUST GIVE ME A LOT OF GREAT
COMFORT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT.
AND THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE A NON APPRECIATIVE
OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
BUT THE TESTIMONY WAS THAT EVEN THE 50 MGD DOUBLING OF CAPACITY AT
THE INTERNATIONAL WATER TREATMENT PLANT ALONE, JUST TO TAKE ONE EXAMPLE,
WHICH IS A KEY PIECE IN THIS WHOLE SEGMENT OF FLOW,
FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, LITERALLY MAY OR MAY NOT BE ADEQUATE.
IT MAY BE REVISED.
IT'S DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED TO TAKE US
TO THE YEAR 2040, WHICH ISN'T FAR OFF.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS AN INCREMENTALISM AND A LACK OF A TOTAL
ABILITY TO COMPREHENSIVELY PLAN APPROPRIATELY TO SAVE.
AS TO SENATOR RUSSO'S POINTS OF EARLY
INCREMENTAL COSTS THAT KEEP GOING UP.
AND SO IT'S SORT OF IN A STRAIGHT JACKET.
SO, I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION,
I THINK, AT THE STATE AS WELL AS BEING BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED ME TO TELL YOU THAT
THERE ARE A LOT OF POTENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS,
ENTITIES, FINANCIAL ENTITIES THAT EXIST,
NEDBANK COMES TO MIND THAT WAS DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY
TO MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AS A RESULT
OF THE ORIGINAL NAFTA ONE NEGOTIATIONS.
THESE ARE CONSTRUCTS THAT EXIST THAT ARE BINATIONAL,
BINATIONAL IN NATURE,
THAT COULD BE MAXIMIZED TO PROVIDE FUNDING STREAMS
FOR LONG TERM APPROPRIATE CAPACITY PLANNING,
FINANCIAL CAPACITY PLANNING, AND ONGOING O&M
THAT JUST INSTEAD OF WE'RE AT THE MERCY
OF CYCLICAL POLITICS IN WASHINGTON
AND BEACHES ARE CLOSED FOR A YEAR OR MORE.
AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, I SAID IT BEFORE,
AND I KNOW THE MAYOR WILL REITERATE IT.
AND I'M SORRY TO SAY IT, BUT IT'S A TRUTH THAT NEEDS TO BE SPOKEN.
IF THIS SAME SET OF DYNAMICS WERE HAPPENING IN
OTHER PORTIONS OF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA,
THIS WOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON THE PLANET EARTH.
S12: FULL STOP.
AND THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION AND A LOT OF WORK THAT
WE HAVE TO DO AS A REGION, BUT IT'S UNACCEPTABLE STILL.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE PARTNERS WITH
THE STATE IN HELPING TO UNTANGLE THAT,
BECAUSE IT SEEMS PRETTY GLARINGLY APPARENT THAT WE ARE IN NEED
OF AS MANY FINANCIAL APPLICATIONS AND RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE,
SO THAT WE ARE LESS DEPENDENT ON THE SILLINESS IN WASHINGTON,
AND THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ADEQUATE CAPACITY.
PROGRESS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE CAN PERMANENTLY, IN THE LONG TERM,
MAKE SURE THAT THE ADEQUATE FUNDING IS
THERE TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONS, PERIOD.
AND I THINK THAT'S COME THROUGH TO ME.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU HIGHLIGHTING THAT.
JUST TO FOLLOW ON THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS QUESTIONS,
I THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR PATIENCE FOR THIS PANEL.
WE WENT WAY OVER ON THIS PANEL,
BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN AND CURIOSITY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP
AND SAFE TRAVELS BACK AT THIS TIME,
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YANA GARCIA,
WHO IS THE SECRETARY OF EPA FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
AND ALSO LORI WALSH, I THINK,
SUPERVISING WATER RESOURCE CONTROL ENGINEER FOR
THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD TO BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
AND SECRETARY GARCIA, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR PARTICIPATION
TO FOCUS ON THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA'S ROLE IN THIS,
BOTH PAST AND PRESENT, AND APPRECIATE YOU AGAIN BEING HERE.
PLEASE PROCEED.
S13: OF COURSE.
THANKS FOR THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
AND THANKS VERY MUCH TO OUR FEDERAL COLLEAGUES FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
I DO JUST WANT TO NOTE AT THE OUTSET, FIRST AND FOREMOST,
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.
THANK YOU TO THE LONG STANDING LEADERS AND ADVOCATES,
INCLUDING INCLUDING MAYOR AGUIRRE HERE AND MANY OTHERS IN
THE REGION WHO HAVE FOR TOO LONG BEEN LOOKING FOR A SOLUTION.
AND I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE IN A VERY
DIFFERENT PLACE NOW THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST,
AND I THINK WE ALL CAN APPRECIATE THE PERSPECTIVE
OF SO MANY OF OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS,
MANY OF WHOM WERE INVOLVED IN YEARS OF LITIGATION DEALING WITH
THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING AT THE TIJUANA RIVER,
AND TO NOW HAVE OUR FEDERAL COLLEAGUES HERE
WITH US TALKING ABOUT COMPREHENSIVE
SOLUTIONS AND MAKING THAT PARTNERSHIP REALLY HAPPEN.
MOVING FORWARD IS A BIG STEP.
AND I WANT TO I WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE THAT AT THE FOREFRONT,
ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE, OF COURSE, ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HERE.
SENATOR, YOU YOU MENTIONED OUR US SENATOR PADILLA
HAS BEEN REALLY STRONGLY ADVOCATING
FOR A LOT OF THESE ISSUES, AS HAS THE LATE SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN.
AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE THE THREE THE ADDITIONAL 300 MILLION
PLUS IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL WERE IT NOT FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP.
SO I WANT TO START WITH THAT.
NOW.
I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE STATE'S
EFFORTS TO MAKE COMPLEMENTARY INVESTMENTS.
AND I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT WE HAVE HAD THE PERSPECTIVE
WHICH WE CONTINUE TO TAKE, THAT OF COURSE,
THIS IS LARGELY A FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY,
AS IT IS FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE,
AND IT IS A BINATIONAL CHALLENGE.
THESE ARE TRANSBOUNDARY RESOURCES.
AND THE MAIN SOLUTION IS THE EXPANSION PROJECT
AT THE ITP AT THE SOUTH BAY ITP.
AND WE'VE BEEN LONG ENGAGED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS,
AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING THE PROJECTS THAT ARE PRIORITY IN
THE RECORD OF DECISION REFLECTED IN THE RECORD OF DECISION.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE ALSO MADE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT
STATE INVESTMENTS ALONG MANY OF THE CANYONS
AND GULCHES THAT ALSO AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE SAN
DIEGO REGION AND IN PARTICULAR ALONG THE BORDER,
AND HELP TO MANAGE SOME OF THE FLOWS COMING INTO
THE SAN DIEGO REGION AND IN PARTICULAR,
AFFECTING THE ESTUARY SINCE 2019.
AND I WILL NOTE THAT GOVERNOR NEWSOM HAS BEEN A REAL CHAMPION
FOR THESE ISSUES AND IS CONCERNED ABOUT THESE ISSUES,
JUST AS YOU ALL ARE, SINCE HE CAME INTO OFFICE.
BUT SINCE 2019, AT THE START OF THE NEWSOM ADMINISTRATION,
CALIFORNIA HAS INVESTED MORE THAN $32 BILLION IN TIJUANA RIVER
VALLEY RECOVERY TEAM PROJECTS TO MITIGATE MUCH OF THE WASTEWATER
POLLUTION THAT THAT OUR COMMUNITIES SUFFER FROM.
THAT INCLUDES $9 MILLION TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN
GOAT CANYON SEDIMENT TRASH BASINS.
YOU HEARD THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THIS
IS ALSO CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN AND MANAGE SOME OF THE FLOWS.
NEARLY 5 OR 4.7 MILLION TO RURAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE CORPORATIONS.
TIJUANA RIVER TRASH BOOM PILOT PROJECT $14.25
MILLION FOR THE SMUGGLER'S GULCH IMPROVEMENT
PROJECT AND A MILLION TO FUND RECLAMATION IN THE NELSON STONE QUARRY.
IN ADDITION TO 3.3 MILLION FOR TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY
HABITAT AND HYDROLOGY RESTORATION PROJECT.
SO THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN EXCLUSIVELY STATE FUNDED,
FALL INTO WHAT WE CONSIDER THE PORTFOLIO OF COMPLEMENTARY PROJECTS.
WE HOPE THAT OVER THE LONG TERM,
WE CAN SHARE IN SOME OF THE LONG TERM
O&M COSTS WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
BUT AGAIN, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS FULL FUNDING
OF THE RECORD OF DECISION PROJECTS THAT
THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE SOUTH BAY TREATMENT
PLANT AND FINDING LONG TERM O&M FOR THAT.
NOW, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THAT,
THE REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD
HAS TAKEN A NUMBER OF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS OVER THE COURSE OF MANY YEARS.
AND SO I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
THOSE WITH THE NOTE THAT GENERALLY WE
DON'T TALK ABOUT PENDING ENFORCEMENT MATTERS,
BUT THIS IS A SPECIAL MATTER.
AND I THINK FOR THE PURPOSES OF TRANSPARENCY
AND PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION,
THE WATER BOARD HAS TAKEN A NOTABLE POSITION
IN ENSURING THAT THERE IS ACCESS TO
INFORMATION AND UPDATES ABOUT COMPLIANCE
AND SOME OF THEIR ENFORCEMENT WORK.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, MY COLLEAGUE LAURIE
IS HERE TO TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
IF THERE ARE DETAILED QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THIS.
BUT STARTING IN 2018, THE SAN DIEGO REGIONAL
WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD,
THE STATE LANDS COMMISSION,
SURFRIDER AND MANY MORE, INCLUDING THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA,
LITIGATED THE TRANS BOUNDARY POLLUTION FLOW ISSUES
WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE PARTIES,
INCLUDING THE STATE, REACHED A SETTLEMENT AFTER
THE USMCA 300 MILLION WAS ORIGINALLY APPROPRIATED.
THAT SETTLEMENT MARKS A VERY IMPORTANT STEP TOWARD ADVANCING
A PRACTICAL AND DURABLE LONG TERM SOLUTION.
IN MAY OF 2021, THE SAN DIEGO REGIONAL BOARD ADOPTED MORE STRINGENT
NATIONAL POLLUTION DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.
THESE ARE HEALTH BASED STANDARDS THAT GO
INTO A PERMIT THAT IS ISSUED TO THE BWC,
AND A CEASE AND DESIST ORDER REQUIRING THE BWC TO ADDRESS LONG TERM,
DELINQUENT MAINTENANCE AND CAPACITY NEEDS AT THE TREATMENT PLANT.
MORE RECENTLY, THEY'VE ISSUED TWO NOTICES
OF VIOLATION ONE AND A TENTATIVE TIME
SCHEDULE ORDER THAT WILL REQUIRE THE BWC
TO MEET SPECIFIC PROJECT DEADLINES.
THE BWC HAS BEEN BEFORE THE BOARD AND WILL COME AGAIN BEFORE THE BOARD
IN QUARTER ONE OF 2024 TO PROVIDE UPDATES ON PROGRESS MADE.
SO THE THE INFORMATION THAT WE JUST SAW FROM OUR FEDERAL COLLEAGUES WITH
RESPECT TO DATES AND DEADLINES ARE ALL COMPLIANCE DEADLINES THAT ARE
FOLDED INTO THE REGIONAL BOARD'S WORK
AND WILL BE FOLDED INTO THE CONSISTENT
PRESENTATIONS THAT THE BWC MAKES TO THE REGIONAL BOARD AS WELL.
NOW, FINALLY, IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, IN MID SEPTEMBER,
THE SAN DIEGO WATER BOARD ALSO HELD A VERY WELL ATTENDED
INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON THE STATUS OF COMPLIANCE.
AND I NOTE THAT THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED
IN KEEPING TABS ON WHERE WE ARE IN,
IN COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING COMPLIANCE
WITH THOSE DATES AND DEADLINES SHOULD
CERTAINLY JOIN THE NEXT MEETING WHERE WE HEAR FROM THE BWC AGAIN.
WE'VE ALSO DEVELOPED TWO TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS.
THESE ARE OTHER HEALTH BASED STANDARDS,
ADDITIONAL HEALTH BASED STANDARDS FOR TRASH
AND BACTERIAL INDICATORS THAT ARE GOING TO
BE RELEASED FOR PUBLIC REVIEW IMMINENTLY.
AND TWO PUBLIC WORKSHOPS ARE PLANNED FOR MID JANUARY 2024.
SO PLEASE KEEP KEEP IN TOUCH ON THOSE.
AND FINALLY, JUST TO TO CLOSE, I THINK, SENATOR LARUSSO,
YOUR YOUR COMMENTS DRAWING THE PARALLEL WITH FACILITIES
LIKE EXIDE ARE WELL-TAKEN YOURS AS WELL.
SENATOR PADILLA, IN RELATION TO THE FACT THAT THIS
IS A COMMUNITY THAT BEARS DISPROPORTIONATE
IMPACTS FROM A HOST OF OTHER BURDENS
AND A HOST OF OTHER IMPEDIMENTS TO ACCESS.
AND IT IS THE LAST COMMUNITY FOR WHOM WE SHOULD BE DEPRIVING
ACCESS TO CRITICALLY NEEDED COASTAL RESOURCES.
AND MY COLLEAGUES AT THE RESOURCES AGENCY
HAVE BEEN PROVIDING SOME OPTIONS
FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO RECREATE IN OTHER AREAS OF THE COAST,
BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE RESIDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY BE ABLE TO GO TO
THEIR THEIR LOCAL BEACH AND BE ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT RESOURCE.
AND WE DON'T WE WE ARE VERY FOCUSED ON THE FACT
THAT THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ISSUE,
AND THAT HAS BEEN PART OF WHY I THINK IT HAS BEEN
ELEVATED TO PRESIDENT BIDEN'S DESK AS WELL.
AND I KNOW THAT WE SHARE THAT PRIORITY WITH EPA
AND OUR COLLEAGUES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS SPACE.
AND THANKS FOR YOUR ONGOING LEADERSHIP ON THIS ISSUE.
THANK YOU, SECRETARY, AND I WANT TO REITERATE
AGAIN OUR COMMUNITY'S APPRECIATION FOR
YOU PRIORITIZING THIS TIME AND COMING AND VOCALIZING,
YOU KNOW, THE STATE'S ROLE.
AND I WILL SAY, AND NOT GRATUITOUSLY,
I KNOW THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN EQUALLY FRUSTRATED,
BOTH PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY,
HAS BEEN MAKING IT DEMONSTRABLY CLEAR THAT
THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE SITUATION.
AND I SOMETIMES I KNOW THAT THAT'S A DIPLOMATIC AND SENSITIVE DANCE,
BUT I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS ISSUE, EITHER FOR YOU OR FOR
A TECHNICAL QUESTION REGARDING THE REGIONAL BOARD,
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF TECHNICAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS PENDING.
ARE THERE STAFFING, STATE STAFFING, RESOURCE INADEQUACIES,
ISSUES ON TRACKING AND ENFORCEMENT?
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF SOME OF THAT ACTION?
AND ARE THERE DEFICIENCIES THAT MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE
SHOULD BE AWARE OF FROM THE STATE'S ENFORCEMENT ROLE HERE,
WHICH IS ALSO ANOTHER AVENUE OF PRESSING THE POINT?
S14: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT QUESTION, SENATOR PADILLA.
VERY GOOD QUESTION.
CURRENTLY OUR STAFFING, WE HAVE FOUR STAFF
WORKING ON THIS MATTER ABOUT HALF TIME.
THAT INCLUDES AND AN EXECUTIVE OFFICER THAT WORKS
ON THIS MATTER PRETTY MUCH 80% OF HIS TIME,
WHICH CERTAINLY DOES DRAW AWAY FROM OTHER
MATTERS THAT THE BOARD WORKS ON.
THIS IS OUR HIGHEST ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE PRIORITY IN THE REGION.
AND AS THE SECRETARY MENTIONED,
WE HAVE PUT TWO FULL TIME STAFF ON PREPARING
A TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD FOR THIS AREA,
ONE FOR TRASH, ONE FOR BACTERIA.
THERE ARE 55 OTHER IMPAIRMENTS IN THIS AREA,
TO THE TUNE OF 8 TO 10 MORE TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOADS,
WHICH IS THE HIGHEST REGULATORY RESTRICTION WE CAN PLACE
ON A WATER BODY POLLUTANT IMPAIRMENT COMBINATION.
AND THAT WOULD TAKE FIVE FULL TIME STAFF TO WORK ON THAT.
OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICER PREPARED AN ASSESSMENT
OF THE STAFFING NEEDS LAST YEAR,
AND HE WOULD WANT A FULL TIME UNIT OF FIVE STAFF PLUS ONE SENIOR.
THIS WOULD NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO
THE SAN DIEGO WATER BOARD, BUT ALSO OUR PARTNER,
COLORADO RIVER REGION SEVEN, SO IT WOULD BE ONE
UNIT THAT COULD PROVIDE RESOURCES TO BOTH.
THANK YOU, BEN, FOR THAT.
SENATOR, ALSO, YOUR QUESTIONS FOR THIS PANEL OR.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BOTH OF YOU FOR FOR BEING HERE.
I THINK THERE WERE SOME.
UH.
IF YOU COULD JUST.
I THINK YOU ALREADY ADDRESSED IT.
BUT IF YOU COULD, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE
ON PRIORITIZING AVAILABLE STATE FUNDS,
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD ADD TO THAT.
AND THEN THE ISSUE STOOD OUT TO ME WAS TO ADDRESS
WASTE TIRES AND PLASTIC POLLUTION.
ANYTHING THAT YOU COULD SAY TO THOSE TWO ISSUES, I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU.
S15: SURE.
APPRECIATE BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
WASTE TIRES AND PLASTIC POLLUTION IN PARTICULAR.
I'LL JUST I'LL START WITH THAT BECAUSE I THINK THEY MERIT
ACTUALLY PROBABLY A DEEPER CONVERSATION ON BOTH ISSUES.
BUT WE ARE WELL UNDERWAY IN IMPLEMENTING SB 54,
WHICH WAS PASSED NOW A COUPLE OF OF YEARS AGO.
IT IT REQUIRES EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY,
WHICH IS NEW FOR US IN THE AREA OF PLASTICS.
THIS IS AN AREA OF HIGH PRIORITY FOR MYSELF AS
WELL AS THE GOVERNOR AND MY OUR COLLEAGUE,
DIRECTOR WAGNER AT CALRECYCLE, AS ARE THE WASTE TIRE ISSUES.
WE'VE LONG DEALT WITH CHALLENGES REGARDING WASTE
TIRES THAT DEAL WITH THE EXPENDITURE,
FIRST AND FOREMOST, OF STATE FUNDS IN MEXICO,
BUT ALSO HAVE BEEN LONG PARTNERING WITH OUR WITH OUR COLLEAGUES
IN BAJA CALIFORNIA TO THINK ABOUT POTENTIAL
WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE MONITORING TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE BURNING OF WASTE TIRES IS TAKING PLACE,
AND TO BETTER INCENT DIFFERENT SECONDARY USES FOR WASTE
TIRES THAT DON'T CREATE THAT KIND OF EXTREMELY,
POTENTIALLY HARMFUL NEGATIVE EXTERNALITIES
AND AIR POLLUTION BURDENS IN THE REGION.
SO HAPPY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT
THOSE EFFORTS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE,
AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIP.
YOU MENTIONED THE PRIORITIZATION OF ADDITIONAL
STATE FUNDS IN THE 2021 BUDGET,
WHERE WE FUNDED MANY OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT I LISTED,
YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME.
AND THIS CONTINUES TO BE SORT OF THE CASE IN
OUR IN OUR ADVOCACY FOR FEDERAL FUNDING.
WE HAVE TAKEN THE POSITION THAT THAT IS PRIORITY NUMBER ONE,
IS SECURING FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR THE LONG TERM SOLUTION AT THE ITP.
THAT SAID, I KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL OPEN TO CONTINUING
TO IDENTIFY WAYS THAT STATE DOLLARS MAY GO FARTHER
OR BE ABLE TO BE USED IN COMPLEMENTARY EFFORTS TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR SOME OF THE SURGES.
AS AS YOU ALL MENTIONED AT THE START,
WITH THE ADVENT OF THE THE GROWTH OF CLIMATE
CHANGE IMPACTS AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS,
WE KNOW THAT AFTER EXTREME HEAT,
LIKE WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR, WE HAVE EXTREME STORMS.
WE SAW THAT WITH HILLARY.
WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT WE WILL HAVE MORE SURGE FLOWS.
AND SO ENSURING THAT WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR THAT,
THAT WE ARE GOING TO PLAN FOR THAT MOVING FORWARD.
AND OF COURSE, KEEPING AN OPEN MIND TO ANY
POTENTIAL EXPENDITURE OF STATE DOLLARS
THAT COULD COMPLEMENT A FEDERAL INVESTMENT
IS SOMETHING THAT IS ON OUR RADAR.
THANK YOU AGAIN.
YOU MENTIONED WE SHOULD WE CAN FOLLOW UP,
BUT IF YOU CAN FOLLOW UP ON THE ISSUES
OF WHICH FUNDS COULD BE PRIORITIZED.
SURE, I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND SECOND, ANY AGAIN YOU CAN DO THIS IN A FOLLOW UP RESPONSE
IS THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR BONDS TO BE PUT ON THE BALLOT.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR GET FROM YOU YOUR OPINION ON HOW TO INCORPORATE.
THE ISSUES BEING FACED HERE INTO THAT POTENTIAL
BOND THAT COULD GO ON THE BALLOT.
SO YOU COULD FOLLOW UP.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
OF COURSE, AND I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH
YOU ON THE ON THE BOND PIECE AS WELL.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, SENATOR DURAZZO.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ.
THANK YOU.
SENATOR.
ALSO RAISED REALLY IMPORTANT POINTS ON THE BOND ASPECT ON OUR SIDE.
ON THE ASSEMBLY SIDE, I SHOULD SAY
THE THE WORK BEING LED BY SOME MEMBER,
GARCIA, WHO HAPPENS TO BE MY SEATMATE.
AND SO WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT AND HAVE
REALLY WORKED TO INCLUDE SOME LANGUAGE
THAT WE BELIEVE WILL BE PERMISSIVE TO ALLOWING MORE FUNDING HERE.
OBVIOUSLY, DEFINITELY NEED THE INPUT FROM
THE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
AND I KNOW THAT THE SENATE'S ALSO WORKING ON A BOND ON THEIR SIDE.
AND AT SOME POINT THESE WILL COME TOGETHER
AND WE'LL FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT'S GOING.
I WANTED TO ASK.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU MAYBE TO MORE CLEARLY
TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE OF VIOLATIONS.
I THINK SO LET ME JUST GIVE YOU BRIEFLY BACKGROUND.
I WAS IN PUBLIC OFFICE ONLY UNTIL 2018 WAS PART OF ALL THE EFFORTS
TO TRY TO PUSH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING,
TO SUING AND SUING THEM AND ALL THAT LEFT.
AND IN THE INTERIM, THERE WAS THE THE AGREEMENT WITH BWC,
WITH THE SORT OF SETTLEMENT, IF YOU WILL, OF THOSE LAWSUITS.
I'M JUST CURIOUS SORT OF WHERE WE STAND.
LIKE.
WHERE WE WERE WITH THAT AND WHERE WE STAND NOW IN TERMS OF THESE
VIOLATIONS THAT WE KNOW ARE OCCURRING JUST MORE CLEARLY.
IF YOU COULD LAY THAT OUT FOR ME, LIKE WHAT EXACTLY?
WHERE ARE WE?
DO WE HAVE ENOUGH?
AND I KNOW YOU ALSO HAVE TO LIMIT PERHAPS WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY,
BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE ME AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE STAND TODAY.
CERTAINLY I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU.
THE SAN DIEGO WATER BOARD WE HAVE ISSUED, AS THE SECRETARY MENTIONED,
NOTICES OF VIOLATION IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
AND WE ARE CONTINUING.
WE HAVE ONE STAFF THAT LOOKS AT THAT EACH MONTH.
IF VIOLATIONS OCCUR IN THE FUTURE, WE WILL ADDRESS THOSE AS APPROPRIATE.
LET ME ASK YOU FOR CLARITY JUST ON THAT.
SO LAST THREE MONTHS VIOLATIONS, BUT IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, RIGHT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
CORRECT.
WE WE USE THE ALL THE TOOLS THAT WE CAN IN OUR ENFORCEMENT POLICY WHEN
WE'RE DEALING WITH TRYING TO ENCOURAGE, MAYBE EVEN COERCE COMPLIANCE.
AND SINCE IT'S THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT,
WE CANNOT ISSUE THEM A CIVIL PENALTY.
SO WE DO TRY TO EMPHASIZE COLLABORATING, COOPERATING COMMUNICATION.
WE'RE ACTUALLY WE HAVE A STAFF MEMBER DOWN
AT THE TREATMENT PLANT EVERY WEEK.
THEY EITHER ATTEND THE MEETING IN PERSON ALONG
WITH OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICER SO OR VIA ZOOM.
SO TO HAVE A STAFF PERSON PRESENT AT A WASTEWATER TREATMENT
PLANT ON A WEEKLY BASIS IS TRULY UNHEARD OF.
WE WE INSPECT THE PLANT ONCE A WEEK,
SO WE ARE IN THE KNOW ON WHAT'S GOING ON AS FAR AS THE REPAIRS.
AND WE ARE ALSO REVIEWING ALL THEIR DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY PROVIDE
IN TERMS OF EXCEEDANCES OF THEIR PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
AND IF THERE ARE EXCEEDANCES, THEN WE ISSUE THE NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
AND THAT HAS HAPPENED FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS IN A ROW.
OKAY.
VERY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU.
WHAT DOES FROM THE TESTIMONY YOU HEARD EARLIER,
SINCE YOU DO HAVE THAT PRESENCE AND YOU ARE REALLY WELL VERSED,
ARE THERE ANY IS THERE WHAT IS YOUR CONCERN
ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY ACHIEVE?
A STATUS OF NO VIOLATIONS AS IT RELATES TO THEIR.
PLAN OF ACTION GOING FORWARD.
THE COMMON THREAD HAS BEEN THE CONSISTENT
FUNDING FOR OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
YOU'VE HEARD ALL MORNING ABOUT THE FUNDING NEEDED TO UPGRADE THE PLANT.
THAT PLANT, AS FAR AS A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IS REALLY IN BAD SHAPE.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED, AND IT NEEDS TO HAVE A CONSTANT STREAM
OF FUNDING TO KEEP UP WITH THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
ONCE THAT HAPPENS, WASTEWATER TREATMENT IS NOT LITERALLY ROCKET SCIENCE.
IT IS PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE VERY FAMILIAR AND KNOW HOW TO DO
IT IN ORDER TO PRODUCE EFFLUENT THAT DOES NOT IMPACT OUR ENVIRONMENT OR,
AND ALSO IS PROTECTIVE OF HUMAN HEALTH.
SO WITH THAT SORT OF FUNDING TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN A TREATMENT PLANT,
THE EFFLUENT WILL BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PERMIT.
YOU KNOW, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION TO THE EARLIER PANEL,
BUT MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND BETTER.
THE OPERATIONS HAVE A COST OF SOME SORT.
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO KNOW IT'S NOT YOUR PLANT.
BUT WHAT SHOULD BE OUR EXPECTATION?
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT GOING FORWARD AND NOT FINDING
OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION AGAIN YEARS FROM NOW.
WHAT SHOULD BE ALLOCATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON
AN ANNUAL BASIS IN THEIR APPROPRIATIONS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THIS PLANT CONTINUES TO OPERATE AND IS MAINTAINED
SO THAT IT DOESN'T SHUT DOWN LIKE IT'S NOW.
RIGHT.
VERY GOOD QUESTION.
I AM NOT THE APPROPRIATE PERSON TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER,
BUT I CAN SAY JUST NARRATIVELY,
THEY NEED THE PROPER AMOUNT OF MONEY TO MAKE
SURE A 25 MILLION GALLON PLANT RIGHT NOW,
UP TO THE 50 MILLION GALLON PLANT.
THAT THEY CAN OPERATE IT.
DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF PUMPS IN RESERVE?
DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MATERIALS ON SITE?
IF SOMETHING BREAKS DOWN,
CAN THEY SWAP IT OUT IN A RELATIVELY QUICK MANNER?
AND SO IT'S GENERALLY THAT WITH OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE.
I'LL TAKE THAT QUESTION WITH ME,
AND CERTAINLY ONE THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE ASKED TO
ENSURE THAT AS BUDGETS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS ARE
BEING PRESENTED BY THE ADMINISTRATION,
FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS,
THAT THAT'S INCLUDED BEYOND THIS TREATMENT PLANT,
WHICH IS CERTAINLY AT THE MOMENT, THE MOST CRITICAL
PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED.
WE KNOW THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED,
AND THE WORK THAT THE BOARD HAS DONE HAS IDENTIFIED.
SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS HAVE REQUIRED AND UTILIZED STATE ASSISTANCE.
WHAT IS YOUR EXPECTATION ON A GOING FORWARD BASIS?
THE SAME THAT WE EXPECT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FUND THAT PLANT
AND FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, AND CERTAINLY TO BUILD IT.
WHAT WHAT IS THE STATE'S EXPECTATION OF WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY
IS GOING TO BE ON A REGULAR, ONGOING BASIS?
SO THIS PROBLEM CAN ALSO BE.
S16: YEAH.
THAT'S A THAT'S.
A GOOD QUESTION.
SO I THINK OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE TO INVEST
IN MANY OF THE SORT OF ATTENUATED AND,
BUT RELATED PROJECTS ALONG THE CANYONS AND GULCHES THAT WILL CONTINUE.
I THINK WE ARE INVESTED IN SEEING THOSE SUCCEED
AND SEEING THEM BE EFFECTIVE OVER
THE LONG TERM TO TO GET TO SOME OF WHAT I THINK
YOU'RE YOU'RE GETTING AT ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
AND THE QUESTION AROUND COST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKELY OBVIOUS,
BUT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF EXCHANGE ON COST AND WHAT THE COST OPTIONS ARE.
WE HAVE TAKEN THE POSITION AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT
WE WOULD LIKE THE FULL COST OF IMPLEMENTATION.
FOR THE RECORD OF DECISION PROJECTS TO BE FULLY FUNDED,
THAT PRICE TAG CAN REACH AS FAR AS 900 MILLION.
AND WE ARE ALSO VERY AWARE THAT IT IS
IMPORTANT AND IMPERATIVE THAT WE TAKE
WHAT WE CAN GET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE DO NOT CAUSE ANY DELAY.
BUT I DO UNDERSCORE THAT BECAUSE THE RECORD
OF DECISION PROCESS WAS COMPREHENSIVE,
AND THERE ARE PROJECTS THERE THAT I THINK WE WOULD ALL STAND
BY AS BEING CRITICALLY NECESSARY FOR THE, THE ITP.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT.
BUT I WOULD SAY FROM THE STATE SIDE,
WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT OUR
OUR CURRENT INVESTMENTS ARE FULLY OPERATIONAL
AND EFFECTIVE OVER THE LONG TERM,
AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT WE NEED
TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
THANK YOU.
AND YOU MENTIONED THE FULL PRICE TAG, THE 900 MILLION.
THAT'S A THAT IS A ONE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
PLEASE CORRECT IT.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
THAT IS A ONE TIME INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT.
I THINK THAT.
ACTUALLY ACCOUNTS FOR A NOT NOT JUST THE ONE TIME,
BUT LONGER TERM MAINTENANCE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
I THINK ON THAT ONE I'LL ASK YOU BECAUSE
I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE A RESPONSE TODAY,
BUT I'LL ASK YOU TO ALSO PROVIDE US WHAT?
EVEN IF WE BELIEVE, WHICH I THINK WE DO,
THAT THIS IS A FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY ON ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS,
AUXILIARY PROJECTS, CANYONS,
YOU MENTIONED ALL THOSE WHAT THOSE COSTS
ARE SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE,
WE IDENTIFY THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT
POTENTIAL STATE CONTRIBUTION COULD BE.
AND IF NOT THE STATE, THEN WE CAN TALK
TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SAY,
YOU'VE GOT TO CONTRIBUTE THAT BEYOND THE ANNUAL OPERATIONS OF THE PLANT.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY, BECAUSE I HAVE THE SENATORS HERE,
WE HAVE A BILL BEFORE IN COMMITTEE IN THE SENATE,
WORKING ON TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT I BELIEVE A LOT OF US BELIEVE
THAT CALIFORNIA CAN POTENTIALLY MAKE SOME INVESTMENTS
IN ON THE MEXICAN SIDE TO HELP US EXPEDITE FIXING
THIS PROBLEM AND HELPING TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO SO.
WE HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS AS IT RELATES TO EXPENDITURE
OF STATE FUNDS ON THE MEXICAN SIDE.
HOPEFULLY, IF I CAN GET THIS BILL THROUGH THE COMMITTEE,
YOU'LL BE EVENTUALLY SEEING IT ON THE SENATE SIDE AND DEFINITELY
INTERESTED IN HEARING MORE FROM THE DEPARTMENT,
FROM THE BOARD ON HOW TO MAKE THAT A BILL THAT COULD BE A VEHICLE THAT
COULD BE USABLE FOR US TO USE FUNDS FROM US IN MEXICO IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
AND I JUST JUST I'M REMINDED FROM THE FEDERAL PLANNING
PERSPECTIVE BY MY CAPABLE ALLEGED DIRECTOR, MR.
CASTRO, THAT THE EPA'S EVALUATION ON THE COMPREHENSIVE
INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTION ESTIMATED COST OF $627
MILLION 26 ANNUALLY FOR O&M AND 1.6
BILLION OVER A 40 YEAR CYCLE AND BROKE THAT OUT AS WELL.
SO THAT HELPS KIND OF PUT A FINER POINT ON IT.
AND AGAIN, TO MY EARLIER COMMENT, I THINK THAT WE CAN
OVERCOME SOME OF THE FEDERAL LEGAL CONSTRAINTS.
WE CAN GET A LOT MORE CREATIVE TO THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS.
RECENT POINT ABOUT OTHER OPTIONS FOR SEEMS INSANE TO HAVE CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THIS IN A BINATIONAL REGION WITHOUT
PERMANENT CAPITAL FUNDING PROGRAM OR PLANNING
AND PERMANENT OPERATIONAL FUNDING,
IT SEEMS JUST INSANE TO ME.
IT'S NOT A ZOO EXHIBIT.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S NOT CALIFORNIA'S PROBLEM,
BUT WE HAVE TO SIT AND MITIGATE IT.
SO IT'S REALLY FASCINATING AND CHALLENGING,
BUT I THINK WE CAN PLAY A HUGE ROLE HERE AND APPRECIATE THE WORK
THAT YOU'VE DONE AND APPRECIATE BOTH OF YOUR AVAILABILITY
TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TO PRESENT TODAY.
THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH.
AND JUST TO CHECK IN WITH EVERYONE, INCLUDING OUR PANEL, OUR MEMBERS.
I HAVE A THE REMAINING PANEL IS A PANEL ON IMPACTS
WILL BE THE HONORABLE PALOMA AGUIRRE,
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH.
AND THEN A PRESENTATION BY DR.
JEFF BAUMAN, WHO'S ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT
SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY.
I THINK THE PLAN, IF IT'S OKAY WITH EVERYONE,
IS WE'LL TAKE THIS PANEL HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT.
TAKE THAT Q AND A, AND THEN PERHAPS WE'LL
TAKE A BRIEF BIO STRETCH RECESS,
AND WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND WRAP IF THAT'S OKAY WITH EVERYONE.
SO I WOULD INVITE MY OUR.
AND AN AMAZING LEADER IN OUR REGION AND OUR COASTAL COMMISSIONER,
THE HONORABLE PALOMA AGUIRRE, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH.
MAYOR, WELCOME.
S17: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
HONORABLE CHAIR, SENATOR DURAZZO, ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITATION AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY
TO GIVE THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH.
MY NAME IS PALOMA AGUIRRE.
I WAS ELECTED TO THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH AS MAYOR LAST YEAR.
THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AS MAYOR.
I WAS EARLIER ELECTED IN 2018 AS THE FIRST LATINA
COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH,
BUT MY JOURNEY DIDN'T START THERE AS FAR AS THIS FIGHT.
I BECAME INVOLVED IN 2005, IN THIS ON THIS ISSUE,
AFTER SURFING AND POLLUTED WATER FOR QUITE SOME TIME,
AS MANY OF US HAVE HAD TO DO IN THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH,
I LIKE TO SAY IT'S ADOPTED DAUGHTER.
I WASN'T BORN AND RAISED THERE, BUT IN 2001 I MADE IT MY HOME,
JUST LIKE MANY MORE PEOPLE HAVE BECAUSE OF ITS PEOPLE,
BECAUSE OF ITS WAVES, BECAUSE IT'S A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY.
WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF ROUGHLY 27,000 RESIDENTS.
WE ARE A MILITARY TOWN.
WE ARE A MINORITY MAJORITY COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL RESOURCES.
WE HAVE THE TIJUANA ESTUARY TO THE SOUTH,
THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO THE WEST, THE SOUTH BAY TO THE NORTH.
AND WE CONTINUOUSLY WORK TOWARDS OUR MISSION,
WHICH IS TO ENHANCE CLASSIC SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA,
A COMMUNITY THAT IS BEACH ORIENTED, A SMALL,
FAMILY FRIENDLY COMMUNITY RICH IN NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT INCREMENTAL PROGRESS, RIGHT?
I HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, BEEN ON THIS JOURNEY SINCE 2005,
HAVING BEEN PART IN MY PREVIOUS LIFE AS AN ADVOCATE,
PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION,
CITIZENS FORUM BOARD, I WAS CO-CHAIR TWICE.
YOU KNOW, WE MY COLLEAGUE HERE, CHRIS HOMER,
NATURAL RESOURCES DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH,
WE WERE INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 320 MANY WORKING MEETINGS,
MANY WORKING GROUPS.
WE WERE ASKED TO BE PATIENT BACK THEN.
THAT WAS IN 2012.
IT WAS FINALLY SIGNED IN 2015.
HERE WE ARE IN 2023 WITH MINUTE 328 AND
THE SITUATION IS AS DIRE AS IT EVER BEEN.
SO TODAY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHY THE CITY OF IMPERIAL
BEACH IS IN A FULL STATE OF EMERGENCY.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AS SOME OF YOU HAVE MENTIONED, WE ARE APPROACHING
OUR 800 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF BEACH CLOSURES.
IN THE SOUTHERN END OF OUR BEACH.
THE MAIN STRETCH OF BEACH IN IMPERIAL BEACH
HAS BEEN CLOSED EVERY SINGLE DAY THIS YEAR,
AND WE EXPECT IT TO CONTINUE TO BE CLOSED.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE CHALLENGE IS FOR THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH ARE GREAT BECAUSE
WE ARE VERY SMALL COMMUNITY WITH A VERY SMALL BUDGET.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE.
WE'RE ROUGHLY $29 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET PER YEAR,
BUT WE FACE TREMENDOUS CHALLENGES OF INTERNATIONAL DEGREE.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE HAVE BEEN SO, SO SEVERELY AFFECTED.
OUR ECONOMY HAS BEEN AFFECTED BECAUSE OF OUR BEACH CLOSURES.
I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
WE USED TO HOST INTERNATIONAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE IRONMAN,
WHERE WE WOULD HAVE TRIATHLONS, COME TO OUR BEACH,
RUN OUR STREETS, DO OUR SWIMS,
AND NOW THAT'S A THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF INCOME TO US.
THAT HAS BEEN HAD TO BE CANCELLED AS MANY OTHER OCEAN
FOCUSED EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED AS WELL,
SUCH AS SURF CONTESTS AND JUST, YOU KNOW,
OTHER EVENTS THAT BRING REVENUE TO OUR CITY.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
OUR JUNIOR GUARD PROGRAM, WHICH IS THIS WAS ONE
OF THE LAST CLASSES OF OUR JUNIOR GUARDS.
IT'S A IT'S A TREMENDOUS AND TREMENDOUSLY IMPORTANT SOURCE OF,
YOU KNOW, BUILDING OCEAN STEWARDSHIP IN OUR YOUNG GENERATIONS.
BUT IT'S ALSO A SIGNIFICANT AND IMPORTANT PIPELINE FOR OUR LIFEGUARDS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT PROGRAM HAS HAD TO BE CANCELLED
BECAUSE THE KIDS CAN'T EVEN USE THEIR BEACH.
THEY CAN'T GO OUT INTO THE OPEN WATER,
THEY CAN'T LEARN LIFESAVING SKILLS.
AND, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE SPENDING THEY ACTUALLY SPENT
THEIR FIRST SUMMER THIS YEAR WITHOUT BEING ABLE
TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM THAT SO MANY FAMILIES
RELY ON AND LOOK FORWARD TO EVERY YEAR.
AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION SO MANY OF THE NONPROFITS
THAT OPERATE IN OUR BEACHES, LIKE YMCA, CAMP SURF,
AND OTHER OUTDOOR OUTREACH THAT BRING KIDS THAT
USUALLY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE BEACH FROM,
YOU KNOW, OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY ARE UNABLE TO ACCESS OUR
OCEAN WATERS IN THE AREA OF IMPERIAL BEACH AND CORONADO.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WELL, NEEDLESS TO SAY, I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWS AND IN
THE IN THE ARTICLES AND MULTIPLE ARTICLES THAT HAVE COME OUT RECENTLY,
HOW SEVERELY THIS HAS BEEN AFFECTING OUR
COMMUNITY AS FAR AS PUBLIC HEALTH.
YOU KNOW, THE SITUATION, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT ALL MORNING, THE PIPELINE,
THE 42 INCH PIPELINE THAT BROKE ON
THE MEXICAN SIDE BECAUSE OF THE BORING,
THE INCREASED RAINFALL THIS YEAR RELATED TO
UNSEASONAL WEATHER VARIABILITY AND A NUMBER
OF DIFFERENT FACTORS HAVE INCREASED THE ODORS
THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY IN THE PAST.
AND THIS IS, I WANT TO SAY, QUITE SAD.
OUR BASELINE HAS BEEN, WELL, IT SMELLS BY THE BEACH, RIGHT?
BUT NOW THAT'S NOT EVEN OUR BASELINE.
OUR BASELINE IS NOW.
IT SMELLS AND PERMEATES EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT
OUR CITY, EVERYWHERE THROUGH NESTOR,
SAN YSIDRO AND EVEN AREAS OF CHULA VISTA THAT ARE CLOSER
TO THE 905 ARE RECEIVING SOME OF THESE ODORS.
THANKFULLY, THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL DISTRICT,
WITH A FUNDING FROM THE US EPA,
WAS ABLE TO JUMP START A PILOT PROJECT WHERE
THEY HAVE LOCATED SENSORS THROUGHOUT
DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE RIVER VALLEY WELL IN THE SOUTH SAN DIEGO AREA,
AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE INSTALLING SOME IN IMPERIAL BEACH SO
THAT THEY CAN MEASURE HYDROGEN SULFIDE AND SULFUR DIOXIDE,
WHICH ARE GASES THAT EMANATE FROM SEWAGE,
THAT HAVE THE ABILITY OR THE CAPACITY TO CAUSE HEADACHES,
NAUSEA AND DIZZINESS.
BUT SOME FOLKS, AS THE ARTICLE IN THE UNION TRIBUNE REPORTED,
HAVE TAKEN IT UPON THEMSELVES TO PUT SENSORS WITHIN THEIR OWN HOMES.
AND YOU HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE UNABLE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS,
WERE UNABLE TO OPEN THEIR WINDOWS BECAUSE
THE ODORS WERE SO STRONG AND SEVERE.
AND EVEN WITH THE WINDOWS CLOSED,
THE SENSORS WERE STILL PICKING UP SOME OF THESE GASES.
AND IT'S OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY CONCERNING WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE
WHO HAVE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED SYSTEMS AND OR CHILDREN WHO ARE,
YOU KNOW, TEND TO HAVE ASTHMA OR OTHER TYPES OF ILLNESSES.
RIGHT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
NOW, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A YEAR OF MANY FIRSTS FOR
US IN IMPERIAL BEACH AND NOT OF THE GOOD KIND.
WE UNDERWENT A OUR FIRST BOIL WATER ADVISORY BACK IN AUGUST,
WHERE A SAMPLE THAT WAS TAKEN IN THIS MAP YOU
CAN SEE THE RED AREA, THE VERY ON THE LEFT.
THE VERY LOWEST CORNER OF THAT MAP IS WHERE ONE
OF THE SAMPLES TESTED POSITIVE FOR E COLI,
AND WE WERE DIRECTED TO BOIL OUR WATER, WHICH WE'VE NEVER HAD TO DO.
AND ALSO WE WERE FORCED, WELL, NOT FORCED, BUT WE WERE,
WE WERE WE WERE ASKED TO CLOSE ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES.
IT WAS THREE DAYS THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF
OUR BUSINESSES WAS UNABLE TO OPERATE.
WE NEVER SAW THAT TYPE OF ECONOMIC IMPACT TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES,
NOT EVEN DURING COVID.
MANY FAMILIES COULDN'T AFFORD TO GO AND BUY PELLETS OF DRINKING WATER,
SO WE HAD TO DISTRIBUTE DRINKING WATER TO
OUR RESIDENTS DURING THOSE THREE DAYS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE HAD TO DISTRIBUTE DRINKING WATER DURING THOSE THOSE DAYS.
SO IT HAD TREMENDOUS PUBLIC HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS.
THIS THIS BOIL WATER ADVISORY.
WE HAVE BEEN WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION
TAKING PLACE TO DETERMINE IF THIS IS TIED
TO THE SEWAGE CONTAMINATION THAT WE NOW KNOW BECAUSE
OF SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY STUDY,
THAT THAT SEWAGE CAN BECOME AEROSOLIZED AND TRAVEL AT GREAT DISTANCES.
SO THE LIKELIHOOD OF THAT SAMPLE BEING
CONTAMINATED BY AIR, WE DON'T KNOW.
ALL WE KNOW IS THAT WE HAD A BOIL WATER ADVISORY.
AND AND I'M GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF THAT.
BUT I JUST WANT TO REALLY MAKE CLEAR THE SITUATION,
THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH
HAS TO THINK THAT NO OTHER CITY HAS TO DEAL WITH.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF ONE OF OUR COASTAL FLOODING EVENTS,
WHERE YOU HAVE THE COMBINATION OF KING TIDES WITH HIGH SURF.
THANKFULLY, THIS THIS SPECIFIC EVENT,
WE DIDN'T HAVE A WINTER STORM PUSHING THE WATER ONSHORE.
WE HAVE HAD THAT WHERE WE'VE HAD EVEN MORE SEVERE FLOODING.
BUT THIS STREET IS IS A RESIDENTIAL STREET AND AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE ARE HUMAN FECES ON OUR STREETS
AND THIS SITUATION IS NOT GOING TO BE RARE.
IT'S GOING TO BECOME MORE COMMONPLACE.
SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY HAS PROJECTED THAT BY 2050,
THESE 1 TO 2 DAY EVENTS A YEAR WILL BECOME
100 DAYS RELATED TO SEA LEVEL RISE.
SO WHEN OTHER CITIES ARE THINKING OF THEIR STORMWATER
OR WATER SUPPLY AND CONVEYANCE SYSTEMS
INFRASTRUCTURE BECOMING DAMAGED BECAUSE OF
SEA LEVEL RISE AND SALTWATER INTRUSION,
WE'RE HAVING TO THINK, WELL, ALL OF THAT SALTWATER INTRUSION HAS
SEWAGE IN IT AND IT HAS A POTENTIAL TO INFECT OUR RESIDENTS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND SADLY, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE BOIL
WATER ADVISORY FOLLOWING THE BOIL WATER ADVISORY.
MY OFFICE WAS CONTACTED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT
RESIDENTS WHO LIVED ON SEACOAST DRIVE,
WHICH IS SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT
I JUST SHOWED YOU THAT HAVE DOCUMENTED
CASES OF HAVING CONTRACTED SHIGELLA AND E COLI INFECTIONS.
ONE OF THE WOMEN THAT THAT SPOKE TO US SPENT, I BELIEVE,
3 TO 5 DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND HAD TO HAVE SOMEONE,
YOU KNOW, THE NURSES AND MEDICAL ATTENDEES DRESSED
IN HAZMAT SUITS TO TEND TO HER NEEDS.
SO IT'S EXTREMELY CONCERNING THAT WE WILL
SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN,
BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT EVEN THOUGH TROPICAL STORM HILARY WAS A,
I GUESS, AN ANOMALY OF SORTS, IT IS NOT WE DON'T
THAT WE DON'T EXPECT THAT TO BE INFREQUENT.
IF ANYTHING, WE'RE GOING TO SEE MORE FREQUENT,
UNUSUAL UNSEASONAL WEATHER EVENTS.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO IT'S BEEN SAID EARLIER THAT EVERY SINGLE MAYOR IN
THIS COUNTY HAS CALLED FOR A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO HAS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THE CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH HAS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
WE HAVE COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE JOINED OUR CALL
ALL THE WAY UP TO CITY OF PACIFICA,
CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AND THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SANTA CRUZ HAS ALSO CALLED FOR A STATE OF EMERGENCY,
AS WELL AS OUR OWN COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO.
AND I JUST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE AND THANK
GOVERNOR NEWSOM FOR PRIORITIZING THIS ISSUE
BY SENDING A LETTER AND THEN REITERATING IT
WITH A SECOND LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN.
AND AND THANKFULLY, BECAUSE OF THAT, THERE HAS BEEN
THAT SUPPLEMENTAL EMERGENCY FUNDING REQUEST.
AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED EARLIER, BEING SUBJECTED TO THE CONGRESSIONAL
APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS IS NO LONGER AN OPTION FOR US.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING DIED IN NOGALES.
THAT IS SOMETHING WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S THE CASE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS WE'VE HAD CASES OF MRSA INFECTIONS.
WE'VE HAD CASES OF MENINGITIS, INFECTIONS.
OBVIOUSLY, SHIGELLA AND E COLI.
OUR LOCAL SOUTH BAY CLINIC HAS SEEN AN INCREASE
IN GASTROINTESTINAL CASES THAT THEY HAVE FOUND.
ONCE THEY PULL THAT DATA OF PEOPLE THEY'RE TREATING AND BEACH CLOSURES,
THAT TOTALLY CORRELATES.
SO THAT'S EXTREMELY CONCERNING FOR US.
SO WE ALSO, AT THE COASTAL COMMISSION HAVE SENT A LETTER
TO PRESIDENT BIDEN ASKING HIM TO USE THE FULL
EXTENT OF HIS PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY TO NOT JUST
PRIORITIZE AND MAKE THE REQUEST TO CONGRESS,
BUT TO ACTUALLY DECLARE THIS A STATE
OF EMERGENCY OR A STATE OF DISASTER.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND THIS IS JUST A GRAPHIC.
THIS WAS ALREADY COVERED BY MY COLLEAGUE, SECRETARY SPINER.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THERE'S BEEN MUCH CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE STATE OF EMERGENCY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF EMERGENCY WOULD BE HELPFUL
WHEN IT COMES TO SUSPENSION OF STATUTE.
AND IN THE BEGINNING, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT,
WE WERE INTERESTED IN SUSPENDING THE FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION.
BUT AS AS YOU HAVE HEARD TODAY, THE BIDDING
AND PROCUREMENT PROCESS IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS, THE NEPA PROCESS HAS BEEN COMPLETED,
BUT WHERE THE MAJOR ROADBLOCK THAT WE SEE IS STILL PRESENT
IS THE INABILITY OF IBWC TO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM ANY,
ANYWHERE ELSE THAN THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
THEIR CONTRIBUTED FUNDING AUTHORITY IS WHERE WE NEED TO HAVE CHANGED.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS SUBJECT TO CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL
AND THAT IS JUST A LUXURY THAT WE DO NOT HAVE ANYMORE.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CASES OF PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY SICK.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CASES OF PEOPLE WE HAVE IN IMPERIAL
BEACH AND SOUTH BAY THAT POTENTIALLY HAVE.
LOST THEIR LIVES.
THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE NEED THE FULL
SUPPORT OF OUR STATE AND OUR PRESIDENT
TO BETTER ASSESS WHERE WE STAND IN THAT AREA OF PUBLIC HEALTH,
AND TO REALLY PRIORITIZE THIS ISSUE TO THE LEVEL IT NEEDS TO BE,
WHICH IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY.
AND I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I ALREADY MENTIONED THIS.
THESE ARE THE ASKS.
I DO WANT TO MENTION ONE LAST THING BEFORE I FORGET.
THE TIJUANA RIVER DIVERSION IS A HUGE COMPONENT OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING.
IT IS LISTED IN THE RECORD OF DECISION.
AND BUT THE THING IS, EVEN WITH THE 50 MILLION GALLONS
PER DAY EXPANSION OF THE TREATMENT PLANT,
IF WE DON'T TAKE AND DIVERT LOAD OF MEDIUM SIZED
FLOWS IN THE TIJUANA RIVER FOR TREATMENT,
THAT WON'T BRING US TO 90% REDUCTION IN BEACH CLOSURE DAYS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S A FACT.
SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT AND MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE
FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR.
COMMISSIONER, VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR YOUR VOICE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE PUT IN A VERY UNIQUE POSITION IN THE STATE
AND IN THE NATION OF BEING A SOUTHERNMOST CITY IN OUR STATE AND COUNTRY,
BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRITICAL REGION,
IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION,
IT IS OFTEN DIFFICULT TO LIFT A VOICE TO POWER IN
A WAY THAT THERE ARE NO GOOD OUTCOMES SOMETIMES,
AND FOLKS ARE FOCUSED, AS I SAID, AT THE ONSET OF THIS HEARING.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR AND BLUNT, TOO FOCUSED ON
THE POLITICS AND NOT FOCUSED ENOUGH ON THE SOLUTIONS.
AND YOU HAVE BEEN PUT IN AN AWFUL POSITION BECAUSE NO
MATTER WHAT YOU SAID OR DID, SOMEBODY WAS UPSET.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO ADD MY VOICE TO YOURS AND HELP LIFT YOU UP
AND HELP LIFT UP YOUR VOICE WITH WITH OUR OWN ABILITY TO DO THAT.
AND I'M CERTAIN THAT THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER AND THE SENATOR JOIN ME IN,
THAT IS IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO BE PUT IN THAT POSITION.
YOU ARE DOING YOUR JOB AS THE MAYOR OF IMPERIAL
BEACH AND AS A CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSIONER,
AND THESE ISSUES NEED TO BE FRONT AND CENTER.
THEY NEED TO BE PRIORITIZED.
AND YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND IS ALSO UNIQUELY SUITED TO HELP US
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ABOUT THINGS THAT WE MAY BE OVERLOOKING.
WE MAY BE FORGETTING THINGS PERHAPS THE STATE CAN
DO IN THE NEAR TERM ON MITIGATION IN THE INTERIM,
UNTIL WE FIX SOME OF THE FUNDAMENTAL FEDERAL ISSUES OR WE FIND
A WAY TO GO AROUND THEM, OR WE FIND WAYS TO ENHANCE THAT.
BUT I WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT PUBLICLY TO
YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE TAKEN A LOT OF STUFF.
BUT YOU HAVE SHOWN GREAT COURAGE, POLITICAL AND PERSONAL,
AND I THINK WE SHOULD ALL ACKNOWLEDGE YOU FOR THAT.
THANK YOU.
SENATOR.
THAT WAS VERY KIND.
I'M JUST DOING MY JOB, AND I DO IT GLADLY, NO MATTER WHAT.
YES, MA'AM.
YOU ARE.
SO, REMEMBER, ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE MAYOR OR FOLLOW UP?
I KNOW YOU'VE ARTICULATED SOME.
YEAH.
AGAIN.
THANK YOU.
AND, YEAH, WE WOULDN'T PERHAPS EVEN BE HAVING THIS HEARING
IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR VOICE, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
I HAVE TO ASK THE QUESTION I ASKED THE FEDERAL FOLKS.
WHAT WHAT ELSE CAN THE STATE DO?
WHAT CAN THE LEGISLATURE DO?
WHAT CAN THE STATE DO TO BE, YOU KNOW,
CONTINUE TO NOT ONLY EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT,
BUT DEMONSTRATE IT IN WAYS THAT HELP US TO A RESOLUTION.
I THINK WHAT THE LEGISLATURE CAN DO IS BRING FORWARD
A RESOLUTION DECLARING THIS A STATE OF EMERGENCY,
EVEN IF IT'S NOT UNDER THE STAFFORD ACT.
THE CASE HAS BEEN MADE THAT THAT THAT PERHAPS IS NOT
THE BEST AVENUE TO TAKE FROM THE STATE'S PERSPECTIVE.
BUT I THINK ONE, IT WOULD CREATE AND RAISE AWARENESS,
A STATEWIDE AWARENESS,
WHICH IS SOMETHING WE NEED FROM ALL MEMBERS IN OUR LEGISLATURE.
RIGHT?
BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE VEHICLES THAT WILL GET
US FASTER FUNDING AND NECESSARY FUNDING,
SUCH AS YOUR BILL, THE NAD BAG BILL THAT WOULD GIVE
THE ABILITY OF BWC TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING,
TO HAVE SUPPORT AND TO SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE AS WELL THAT WHEN,
THAT IF AND WHEN THAT BILL MAKES IT TO THE GOVERNOR'S DESK,
HE CAN SIGN IT BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT IT IS A PRIORITY FOR US STATEWIDE.
THIS IS THERE'S NO BIGGER ENVIRONMENTAL
INJUSTICE OR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS,
AS WE'RE SEEING THE ONE THAT WE SEE HERE TODAY ANYWHERE IN THE STATE.
AND I WOULD ARGUE, IN THE NATION.
OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SENATOR.
THANK YOU MAYOR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR PATIENCE TODAY.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE DOCTOR JEFF BOWMAN UP,
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF SCRIPPS INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY.
FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
ABOUT.
I THINK INVALUABLE TOOL.
THANK YOU.
PROFESSOR.
S18: WELL, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMITTEE
FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND GIVE
A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE INTO SOME OF
THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THIS AREA.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND MUCH TIME GIVING BACKGROUND ON THIS PROBLEM.
IT'S BEEN VERY WELL DESCRIBED AND
THE FOLKS HERE ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT.
I WILL TOUCH BRIEFLY ON IF I CAN GET THE SLIDE TO ADVANCE HERE.
ON.
SOME OF THE PREVIOUS WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE
HAS BEEN ALLUDED TO SO FAR TODAY.
SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAS SHOWN,
PARTICULARLY THE PINK DYE STUDY THAT HAS SHOWN HOW THE SEWAGE
IS TRANSPORTED ALONG THE COASTLINE IN IMPERIAL
BEACH AND FURTHER NORTH WITHIN THE COUNTY.
THIS WORK WAS FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, EPA,
AND REALLY HELPED US UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS ARE MOVING AROUND OUT THERE.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO NOW IS TAKE THIS INFORMATION,
ADD A BIOLOGICAL COMPONENT TO IT,
AND MOVE IT TOWARDS AN OPERATIONAL FORECAST
MODEL TO ALLOW THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES
TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED
WITH THESE SEWAGE TRANSPORT PROBLEMS.
THE BASIC GOAL THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE HERE IS,
IS GIVEN IN THIS SCENARIO.
IF YOU'RE A IF YOU'RE A RESIDENT WITHIN SOUTH
COUNTY AND YOU'RE TRYING TO DECIDE
WHETHER YOU CAN SAFELY VISIT THE COASTLINE
ON A GIVEN DAY AT A GIVEN LOCATION,
YOU NEED A TOOL THAT CAN TELL YOU A TOOL THAT UNDERSTANDS
HOW SEWAGE IS TRANSPORTED IN THIS AREA,
AND A TOOL THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW THE BIOLOGY THAT MIGHT BE CONTAINED
WITHIN THAT SEWAGE IS EXPERIENCING THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM THAT IS WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM
THAT CONSISTS OF BOTH PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHERS AND BIOLOGISTS.
AND THIS TOOL, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING A DIRECT RESOURCE FOR RESIDENTS,
IS GOING TO PROVIDE A REALLY CRITICAL TOOL FOR POLICYMAKERS
AS WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS ARE
ACTUALLY IMPACTING THESE COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE'LL ACTUALLY HAVE A TOOL THAT'S ABLE TO TELL US.
WHAT THE RISK IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM
AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THE FUTURE.
SO AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THERE ARE REALLY TWO COMPONENTS TO THIS.
WE UNDERSTAND A BIT THE PHYSICS OF THIS SYSTEM AND HOW
WATER IS BEING TRANSPORTED ALONG THE COASTLINE.
WE HAVE A LESS OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF
THE ECOLOGY OF THE SPECIFIC DISEASE
AGENTS OR PATHOGENS THAT MIGHT BE PRESENT WITHIN THIS SEWAGE.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT ELEMENT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BIND
BOTH OF THESE FEATURES INTO A WORKING FORECAST MODEL.
THE GOAL HERE IS TO PROVIDE A REGIONAL 3 TO 5 DAY
FORECAST FOR BEACH USERS AND COASTAL COMMUNITIES.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT 3 TO 5 DAYS
INTO THE FUTURE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT
THE RELATIVE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO DISEASE
AGENTS OR PATHOGENS MIGHT BE ON.
THE STRONGLY LEVERAGES PREVIOUS INVESTMENTS
AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL BY THE NATIONAL
SCIENCE FOUNDATION AND BY THE NORTH AMERICAN
DEVELOPMENT BANK AND THE EPA.
AND I'LL MENTION HERE.
THIS DOES ALSO COMPLIMENT SOME OF THE SCRIPTS AIRBORNE PATHOGEN
RESEARCH THAT WAS ALLUDED TO IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.
SPECIAL THANKS TO SENATOR PADILLA AND
THE OTHER SAN DIEGO STATE CONGRESSIONAL
MEMBERS FOR SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS FORECAST MODEL.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET UNDERWAY WITH THIS WITH
SOME APPROPRIATIONS IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR.
OH, WE'VE BEEN MOVING FAIRLY FAST.
WE HAVE $3 MILLION IN FUNDING TO BUILD THIS PRODUCT.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE LEVERAGING HEAVILY PREVIOUS FEDERAL INVESTMENTS.
AT 4.24 SPECIFIC COMPONENTS TO THE TOOL THAT WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER.
THERE'S A COMPUTING COMPONENT, A FIELD DATA COLLECTION COMPONENT,
A LABORATORY COMPONENT, AND THEN A DISTRIBUTION COMPONENT.
VERY BRIEFLY, ON THE COMPUTING SIDE, WE NEED TO SET UP
THE HARDWARE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE FORECAST MODEL.
WE'LL BE RUNNING THIS FORECAST MODEL IN REAL TIME
FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES.
WE NEED TO DEVELOP THE SPECIFIC PATHOGEN ECOLOGY MODEL
AND INTEGRATE IT WITH THE EXISTING HYDRODYNAMIC MODEL.
WE NEED TO DEVELOP A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COMPUTER
CODE TO RUN THESE MODELS IN REAL TIME.
AS WELL AS DEVELOPED THE INTERFACE FOR PUBLIC ACCESS.
ON THE FIELD SIDE, WE ARE DEPLOYING REAL
TIME INSTRUMENT MOORINGS AND SENSORS TO
ASSIMILATE THE DATA THAT THE MODEL WILL
ACTUALLY USE TO MAKE ITS PREDICTIONS,
AND WE'LL ALSO USE THESE OBSERVATIONS TO VALIDATE THE MODEL.
I'M.
IN ADDITION TO THESE REAL TIME INSTRUMENTS,
WE WILL BE SAMPLING MANUALLY WITH VESSELS
AND ALONG THE SHORELINE TO COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING
SAN DIEGO COUNTY SAMPLING EFFORTS,
AND SO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
VALIDATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MODEL.
ON THE LABORATORY SIDE.
THE KEY THING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE HERE IS TO DETERMINE
THE LIFETIME OF THE DISEASE AGENTS OUT THERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT,
WE HAVE A VERY POOR UNDERSTANDING AS THESE SPECIFIC DISEASE
AGENTS GET OUT THERE IN THE ENVIRONMENT WITH THE SEWAGE,
HOW LONG THEY LAST, HOW LONG THEY ARE HARMFUL TO TO HUMANS.
THIS IS A KEY POINT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
ONCE WE HAVE THIS MODEL, WE'LL BE DISTRIBUTING IT VIA THE SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA COASTAL OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM, OR EXCUSE.
THEY HAVE A FAIRLY MATURE PUBLIC FACING INFRASTRUCTURE
ALREADY TO SUPPORT THE DISTRIBUTION OF DATA.
ALL RIGHT.
QUICK WORDS ON THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT.
ON THE COMPUTING SIDE, WE HAVE PURCHASED ALL OF THE HARDWARE
AND WE ARE EXPECTING DELIVERY BY MARCH OF 2024.
AND IT SHOULD BE FAIRLY FAST FOR IT TO SET
UP THE HARDWARE ONCE WE HAVE IT IN PLACE.
WE'RE MOVING VERY FAST ON THE PATHOGEN ECOLOGY SIDE.
WE'VE ACQUIRED THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT TO DO
THE EXPERIMENTAL WORK AND THE OBSERVATIONS.
THIS IS DIGITAL DROPLET PCR TECHNOLOGY,
SIMILAR TO WHAT THE COUNTY IS USING TO MAKE THEIR OBSERVATIONS.
WE'VE HIRED SOME ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL TO LEAD THIS EFFORT.
WE ARE COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND OTHER
STAKEHOLDERS TO SHARE SAMPLES AND DATA AND PROCEDURES.
WE'VE APPROVED ALL THE NECESSARY,
OR WE'VE RECEIVED ALL THE NECESSARY PERMITS
AND APPROVALS TO BEGIN WORK WITH NOROVIRUS
AND OTHER PATHOGENS AT SCRIPPS,
AND WE HAVE PERMITS PENDING FOR THE NECESSARY
SAMPLING WITH THE CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS.
ON THE REAL TIME MOORING SIDE MOORING INSTRUMENTATION WAS PURCHASED.
FULL DELIVERY BY JANUARY REAL TIME.
EXCUSE ME.
TEST THE REAL TIME DATA TRANSMISSION EXPECTED EARLY NEXT MONTH,
AND THEN WE'LL BE BUILDING OUT THE FULL ARRAYS OVER THE COMING MONTHS.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.
BELLMAN.
APPRECIATE THE WORK.
AND JUST MAYBE JUST BRIEFLY, I THINK ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT THE ATTENDING PUBLIC MAY KNOW,
MAYBE IN LAYMAN'S LAYPERSON'S TERMS,
IS TO UNDERSTAND ONCE WE GET THE PREDICTION
MODEL AND WE GET THE ACTUAL TOOL,
HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT THAN PRIOR MODELING,
PRIOR PROTOCOLS FOR LOOKING AT PATHOGEN RISK?
YOU KNOW, TO PUT IT SIMPLY, IN THE OLD DAYS,
HOW WERE THINGS DONE AND HOW WAS THIS EFFICACY INCREASED?
HOW IS IT A BETTER VALUE TO THE PUBLIC AND WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS.
SO THEY HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT REALLY WHAT
WE'RE DEVELOPING IN TERMS OF ITS UTILITY.
ABSOLUTELY.
SO WITH THE EXISTING OBSERVATIONS AND TOOLS,
WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN SEWAGE
IS PRESENT IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
AND IT IS NOTED IN THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS,
IT'S IT'S PRETTY MUCH THERE ALL OF
THE TIME UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ABLE TO TO MITIGATE THAT PROBLEM.
WHAT WE DON'T HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WITH THE EXISTING TOOLS
IS WHAT THE RISK IS THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT SEWAGE,
AND THAT'S THE COMPONENT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN HERE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT DISEASE AGENTS ARE IN THERE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE DISEASE AGENTS ARE HIGHER IN CONCENTRATION,
LOWER IN CONCENTRATION, EXCEEDING SOME
INFECTIOUS DOSE OR NOT EXCEEDING IT.
AND THAT LEVEL OF NUANCE IS GOING TO ALLOW USERS TO
NOT NECESSARILY FULLY ACCESS THE ENVIRONMENT AGAIN,
BUT TO AT LEAST HAVE A MORE NUANCED UNDERSTANDING OF WHEN IT
IS MORE OR LESS SAFE TO TO COEXIST WITH THIS ENVIRONMENT.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR, I APPRECIATE THAT.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
YEAH.
JUST BRIEFLY TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
AND I THINK MAYOR AGUIRRE MENTIONED THIS, BUT WHEN I WAS COUNCIL MEMBER,
I REPRESENTED AS FAR EAST, IF YOU WILL, FROM HERE AS OTAY MESA.
AND I WAS JUST.
DOWN.
TWO DAYS AGO I WAS IN SAN ISIDRO.
AND THE ODOR IS I MEAN, IT'S VERY CLEAR.
IT'S NOT EVEN IT'S JUST IT'S VERY PRESENT.
AND SO THE FACT THAT I'M EVEN ASKING THE QUESTION
RELATED TO ODOR JUST SEEMS LIKE,
AGAIN, BEYOND A CONVERSATION WE SHOULD BE HAVING IN AMERICA.
BUT BUT WE ARE.
TO THE POINT OF DISEASES AND THE AIRBORNE.
HOW IS THIS GOING TO HELP IDENTIFY WHETHER
THE THE SMELL AND THE PRESENCE
OF PARTICULATE MATTER IN THE AIR POTENTIALLY CAN LEAD TO DISEASE?
OR CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT THAT COMPONENT OF IT,
BECAUSE IT CAN VERY EASILY STAY OUT OF THE WATER,
BUT YOU CAN'T NOT COME OUT OF YOUR HOUSE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN IN THE HOUSE, THE SMELL IS IN THERE.
WHAT WHAT WILL WE ALSO BE ABLE TO LEARN, IF ANYTHING,
FROM THIS PROJECT GOING FORWARD?
YEAH.
THANK YOU.
IT'S A IT'S AN EXCELLENT REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION.
I THINK WE DO NEED TO BE CAREFUL TO DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN
THE WATER BORNE PATHOGENS AND ANY POTENTIAL AIRBORNE PATHOGENS.
THERE IS A SEPARATE PROJECT AT SCRIPPS THAT'S LOOKING SPECIFICALLY
INTO THE POTENTIAL TRANSPORT OF AIRBORNE PATHOGENS.
BUT IT'S A FAIRLY SEPARATE EFFORT WITH A DIFFERENT
SET OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
WITH THIS, WE'RE FOCUSED PRETTY SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT'S IN
THE WATER AND HOW LONG IS IT PERSISTING IN THE WATER,
AND WHEN DOES IT PRESENT A REAL RISK TO RESIDENTS?
WELL, THIS IS GOING TO SOUND LIKE, AGAIN, A RIDICULOUS QUESTION.
I THINK WE ALL ASSUME THAT THIS SMELL AND ODOR IS AS A RESULT OF THIS,
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS,
IS THERE GOING TO BE AN ABILITY TO TO EITHER CORRELATE
OR DIRECTLY IDENTIFY THE ACTIVITY THAT
YOU'LL BE MONITORING WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT
TO THE OTHER PROJECT ON THE AIRBORNE?
YEAH.
THANK YOU.
YES, VERY MUCH SO.
SO WITH THIS PRODUCT, WE'LL HAVE A MUCH BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW
THESE PATHOGENS ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE COASTAL ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEN TAKING THAT DATA SET AND CORRELATING IT TO THE EXISTING
DATA THAT'S COMING FROM SENSORS THAT ARE LOOKING AT
SOME OF THE THE GASES THAT WERE ALLUDED TO IN THE PREVIOUS
PRESENTATION OR OBSERVATIONS OF POTENTIAL PATHOGENS.
THOSE TWO DATA LAYERS CAN CERTAINLY BE CORRELATED AND WILL
PROVIDE A MUCH DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE TWO PROBLEMS.
OKAY.
AND WHEN DO YOU EXPECT THE FIRST DATA SET TO BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE?
THAT IS A NUMBER THAT I DON'T HAVE.
I CAN TAKE THAT BACK TO THE TEAM AND COME BACK
AND BE VERY HAPPY TO PROVIDE AN ESTIMATE ABOUT.
YOUR PUBLIC INTERFACE SYSTEM THAT ALSO YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THAT YET.
WE DO.
NOT.
SO WE'VE WE'VE ONLY BEEN SPINNING UP SINCE AUGUST
WHEN WHEN THE FUNDING WAS AVAILABLE TO US.
AND WE ARE VERY EARLY STAGES, BUT THINGS ARE MOVING VERY RAPIDLY.
SO I EXPECT IT TO TAKE NOT TOO LONG,
BUT BUILDING ON THE EXISTING WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
THANK YOU.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DR.
BOWMAN.
I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND APPRECIATE YOUR
PATIENCE HERE TODAY AND PARTICIPATION.
I THINK THAT WE ALL DO.
ALL RIGHT.
I THINK BEFORE PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH WE ARE INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM
ALL OF YOU OR WHOEVER DESIRES TO ADDRESS THE SELECT COMMITTEE.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, WE'LL DO A VERY BRIEF FIVE
MINUTE STRETCH AND BIO BREAK FOR EVERYONE.
SO THE SELECT COMMITTEE WILL STAND IN RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES.
S19: THAT.
ALL RIGHT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU'LL PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS,
THE SELECT COMMITTEE WILL RECONVENE.
APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO STRETCH, BREATHE A LITTLE BIT,
TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF.
APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND YOUR ATTENDANCE.
THIS TIME WE'LL MOVE TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE SELECT COMMITTEE.
OUR PURPOSE HERE IS TO LISTEN, GATHER INFORMATION, HEAR FROM COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF YOU WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TODAY.
YOUR TESTIMONY AND YOUR INPUT IS MOST WELCOME.
AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE THE THE SORT OF DECORUM COMMENTS
THAT I MADE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE HEARING.
WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, I'LL CALL A NAME
AND THE TWO WHO'VE SIGNED UP AFTER,
PLEASE JUST QUEUE UP HERE IN THE CENTER AISLE.
WE'LL BEGIN WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.
IF YOU ARE WILLING, PLEASE STEP FORWARD.
STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD.
WE'LL LIMIT YOUR TIME TO TWO MINUTES.
SO I'LL GO THROUGH THE QUEUE HERE.
MR.
JOHN ACOSTA, DELIA CERVANTES, FOLLOWED BY LYNN LILY MOLINA.
MR.
ACOSTA, WELCOME.
S20: THANK YOU, I FIRST.
SENATOR, SENATOR PADILLA, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
I MENTIONED TO SENATOR DREZNER WHEN SHE ASKED
THE PANEL HERE ABOUT THE WHAT DOES HAVE TO DO TO WHAT
DO THEY HAVE TO DO TO STOP THE KINDS OF CALLS?
AND LIKE I MENTIONED TO YOUR SENATOR HIRONO,
THE ANSWER AND IT WAS A POLITICAL
ANSWER WHERE THEY TALK AND THEY DIDN'T ANSWER THE ANSWER THEY GIVE YOU.
THEY SAY, WE EXPECT WE PLAN.
WE SHOULD.
THOSE ARE NOT THE ANSWERS.
AND SO THEREFORE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
WE NEED TO KNOW WHEN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THE PROMISES BACK IN MEXICO, WAY IN MEXICO,
ALL THE SOLUTIONS AND OTHER CALLS AND ALL THE EXPENSES
THAT HAVE BEEN DONE OVER HERE IS COSTING.
BUT WHAT IS MEXICO IS DOING OVER THERE?
WE NEED TO MAKE WE MEXICO.
WE NEED TO MAKE MEXICO RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT,
BECAUSE AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE,
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT IN A PALOMA.
AGUIRRE.
CHICHO, A MAP THAT YOU.
NOBODY HAS GONE TO THOSE THOSE FIELDS UP THERE.
THAT'S THE GLORIA.
AND OVER THERE, IF YOU GO OVER THERE,
I KNOW, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT TROUBLE.
EVERYWHERE I GO, EVERYWHERE.
IF YOU GO OVER THERE, THERE IS NO SEWAGE PLUMBING,
THERE IS NO SEWAGE PLUMBING.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I COULD SEE IN
TIJUANA DOESN'T REALLY ENFORCE BUILDING.
SO THEREFORE, WHENEVER THEY BUILD, YOU KNOW,
IN THE COLONIAS, THERE IS NO SEWAGE PLUMBING.
SO IT GOES TO THE STREET AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
LIKE I SAY, IT HAS TO BE THERE IN THERE IN MEXICO.
THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S.
THEY NEED TO GET BOTH PRESIDENTS IN A ROOM AND TALK TO EACH OTHER.
BECAUSE WHY?
BECAUSE THEN SEND THE BILL.
THEY'RE SENDING DIFFERENT IDEAS,
BUT AT THE TIME THEY GET OVER THERE, IT GETS DILUTED.
SO THEREFORE IT HAS TO BE BETWEEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE BIG.
NOW LEADERS, YOU KNOW, THEY COME, THEY HAVE TO COME UP WITH
A SOLUTION BECAUSE IT'S COSTING A LOT OF A LOT OF MONEY.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY CONCERNED KNOW I'M OUT OF TIME.
I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SENIOR COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SIR.
APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION.
DELIA CERVANTES, FOLLOWED BY LILY MOLINA, FOLLOWED BY LAURIE WALSH.
S21: THANK YOU, SENATOR STEVE PADILLA, OUR DAVID ALVAREZ, LEFT.
AND THANK YOU, MISS MARIA ELENA DURAZO, FOR COMING.
IT REALLY WARMS THE HEART TO KNOW THAT IT'S FINALLY HIT YOU GUYS
TO THE POINT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING OR TRYING TO.
WE SAW THE DIALOGUE.
YOU COULDN'T GET AN ANSWER.
WE SAW.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING US HERE.
IT SHOWS THAT YOU'RE TRYING.
YOU CAN'T GET AN ANSWER.
YOU CAN'T GET THAT COOPERATION.
YOU NEED A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
WHAT ELSE DO THE FEDS NEED TO DECLARE A STATE
OF EMERGENCY OR FOR THE STATE TO DECLARE IT?
MAYOR PALOMA, YOU SEE HER?
SHE'S TRYING, SHE'S TRYING.
SHE'S.
SHE'S SPILLING HER HEART OVER THIS.
I WAS RAISED IN IMPERIAL BEACH.
I WENT TO EMERY ELEMENTARY.
MY DAUGHTER TAUGHT AT CENTRAL.
MY SISTER TAUGHT AT EMERY, HARBORSIDE, AND OF COURSE, ONEONTA.
I WAS RAISED THERE.
I WENT TO MAR VISTA JUNIOR BACK WHEN THEY CALLED
THEM JUNIOR HIGHS AND MAR VISTA HIGH SCHOOL.
I KNOW WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS FEELING.
MY SISTER STILL LIVES THERE.
THEY HAVE TO CLOSE THEIR WINDOWS BY 430 5:00.
BECAUSE I'M READING HER TEXT, SHE COULDN'T BE HERE.
SHE TOOK OUR MOM TO THE DOCTOR.
OKAY.
THE SMELL COMES IN FROM EVEN THEIR SHOWER DRAINS
THE SINKS AND IT CREEPS THROUGH THE FRONT DOORS.
THAT SMELL WAKES ME UP.
THIS IS MY SISTER QUOTING WAKES ME UP FROM HOW BAD THE HOUSE SMELLS.
LUCKILY, LUCKY WE HAVE DOUBLE WINDOWS AND THAT HELPS THE SMELL.
THEY CAN'T ENJOY THEIR SPOT.
MY BROTHER IN LAW AND MY SISTER HAVE A HORSE OVER THERE
OFF OF HOLLISTER BY SMUGGLERS SMUGGLER'S GULCH.
WE WERE JUST TOLD THEY FIX SOMETHING AT SMUGGLER'S GULCH.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY FIXED.
MY BROTHER IN LAW JUST GOES AND FEEDS THE HORSES THERE.
BUT EVEN THE HORSES, THE ANIMALS ARE SUFFERING.
THEY JUST CAN'T SPEAK.
THE CHILDREN GO TO SCHOOLS.
THERE'S ALL THESE SCHOOLS.
I'M SO SORRY.
I THOUGHT I WAS STILL HAD A BIT OF TIME.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THE LITTLE CHILDREN.
THEY CAN'T SPEAK.
IT'S JUST THE ADULTS SHARING IT.
THE KIDS JUST THINK IT SMELLS LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
LILY MOLINA, FOLLOWED BY LAURIE WALSH.
S22: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
I'LL TRY TO BE BRIEF.
MY.
AN IDEA THAT I HAVE IS TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE AT
THE BORDER CROSSING BETWEEN SAN DIEGO AND TIJUANA.
COULD BE THE BEST SOLUTION.
IT'S THE BUSIEST LAND PORT ENTRY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
70,000 NORTHBOUND VEHICLES PER DAY.
20,000 NORTHBOUND PEDESTRIANS CROSSED EACH DAY.
IT'S A CRITICAL ECONOMIC ENGINE TO SAN DIEGO AND TIJUANA REGION.
48 MILLION CARS AND TRUCKS CROSS EACH YEAR.
ALMOST 45 BILLION IN TRADE CROSSES ANNUALLY THROUGH
THE TOCCATA AND OTAY PORTS OF ENTRY.
SEVERAL PROPOSALS THE CENTURY PROGRAM.
WE COULD DO A BINATIONAL SURCHARGE TO SUPPORT THE TREATMENT PLANT.
IT COULD INCLUDE A FAST PASS FOR WALKING OR DRIVING ACROSS THE BORDER.
IT COULD BE AKIN TO WHAT PREVIOUSLY EXISTED WITH THE CORONADO BRIDGE.
CROSS BORDER FEES $0.50 PER PERSON.
CROSSING TIMES 70,000 CROSSERS AND VEHICLES $0.50 PER PERSON.
PEDESTRIANS TIMES 20,000.
CROSSERS GENERALLY GENERATE OVER $1,616 MILLION ANNUALLY,
NOT INCLUDING FEES GENERATED FROM THE CENTURY PROGRAM,
THE AIRPORT FEES, AND COMMERCIAL TRUCKS.
CROSS BORDER INTERNATIONAL SERVICES NEED TO BE PAID AS A FEES,
WITH ALL NORTHBOUND CROSSINGS TO INCLUDE INTERNATIONAL AIR TRAVEL,
SENTRY PASSES, ALL COMMERCIAL BORDER CROSSING AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS,
KIOSKS TO HANDLE PAYMENTS WITH A FEW MORE SUPPORT STAFF.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING WITH THE COLLABORATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND BRIEFLY, OUR NAVY SEALS, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS,
OUR LIFEGUARDS HAVE TO GO IN THE OCEAN EVERY DAY,
DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO SAVE LIVES.
THEY'RE NOT GIVING THE PROTECTION BY INVESTING
WITH OUR US TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
I INVITE ALL.
I WISH TO THANK ACTUALLY SENATOR PADILLA AND ASSEMBLY MEMBER
DAVID ALVAREZ FOR ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE WITH OTHER LEADERS.
YOU'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING.
LAURIE WALSH, FOLLOWED BY SOPHIA GARCIA, FOLLOWED BY BRIAN MCNEESE.
I HOPE I GOT THAT CORRECT.
LAURIE WALSH, ARE YOU PRESENT AND WOULD
LIKE TO ADDRESS THE SELECT COMMITTEE?
SOFIA GARCIA, ARE YOU PRESENT?
I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE SELECT COMMITTEE.
PLEASE COME FORWARD.
WELCOME.
S23: THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON.
MY NAME IS SOFIA GARCIA, AND I AM A SIXTH GRADER AND
A STUDENT IN THE CHULA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I ATTEND COOK ELEMENTARY.
HE'S GHOST COOK ELEMENTARY.
I'M A STUDENT FROM AN INTER BACCALAUREATE WORLD SCHOOL,
WHICH FOCUSES ON CREATING FUTURE WORLD LEADERS.
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO US AS STUDENTS
BECAUSE LIKE THEY HAVE SAID A WHILE AGO,
OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS WILL EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, AS STUDENTS, WE ARE THE GRANDKIDS.
WE ARE THE ONES TO INHERIT IT.
I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS AND I SAW MANY
DIFFERENT SPEAKERS ON THIS SPECIFIC TOPIC,
BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF FOCUS ON WHO WAS
TO BLAME AND NOT MUCH ON HOW TO FIX IT.
SO I'M HERE TODAY AS A STUDENT TO SAY THANK YOU, SENATOR PADILLA,
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
HERE TODAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S
BEING DONE AND TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS
AND BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK
STUDENTS WHO MAY BE FUTURE LEADERS,
TO BE A PART OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AND COMMITTEES.
IT IS THROUGH KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE THAT WE CAN
HELP RESOLVE ISSUES LIKE THESE IN THE FUTURE.
S24: THANK YOU.
SOPHIA.
I HAVE TO SAY, I AM IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ENGAGEMENT.
SPREAD IT AMONG YOUR CLASSMATES.
YOU GUYS ARE THE FUTURE.
AND I'M VERY, VERY.
THANK YOU VERY, VERY GRATEFUL.
THANK YOU.
YOU DID VERY WELL.
AND THANK YOU.
AND WE'VE HEARD YOU.
OH, YES.
THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT.
BRIAN MCNEESE I THINK I READ THAT CORRECTLY,
FOLLOWED BY ALAN C, FOLLOWED BY MITCH SILVERSTEIN.
DO WE HAVE BRIAN IN THE HOUSE?
ALL RIGHT.
HOW ABOUT ALAN?
YEAH.
PLEASE STEP FORWARD.
WELCOME.
S25: HEY, WELCOME BACK TO THE CHAMBERS.
$42 MILLION 350,000 JOBS.
THAT'S OUR TAKE FROM THE OTAY MESA CROSSING.
IF YOU WANT TO REALLY SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
AT OUR LEVEL.
MEXICO.
WE'VE HAD A REACHES CLOSE FOR SEVEN, WHAT, 700 DAYS?
LET'S CLOSE THIS MONTH.
WE'LL CLOSE ALL COMMERCE.
NOT TRAFFIC, JUST COMMERCE.
FOR ONE DAY.
NEXT MONTH IT'LL BE TWO DAYS.
FOLLOWING MONTH WILL BE TWO WEEKS.
WATCH HOW FAST MEXICO WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST TIJUANA SEWAGE.
IT'S.
I CAN'T PRONOUNCE IT.
APOLOGIZE.
I WANT TO TEAR THIS UP.
CAMPO TOROS, PUNTA BANDERAS, WE ALL KNOW IT.
IT'S MULTIPLE SEWAGE PLANTS.
THEY'RE DUMPING RAW SEWAGE.
SO THIS WHOLE THING WE'RE DOING AT THE ONE PLANT WILL NOT ACCOMPLISH.
IT WON'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING.
BY THE WAY, LOCAL FUNDING.
WE CLOSE FOUR DAMS OF THE KLAMATH RIVER.
YOU WANT TO GET FUNDING FOR THIS ONE?
WE GOT A WILDLIFE REFUGE DOWN THERE.
USE THAT, USE THAT AND CALL IT WILDLIFE REFUGE.
AND THEN YOU CAN GET THE FUNDING.
BUT THE FUNDING NEEDS TO GO FURTHER AND PUSH
MEXICO TO DO THEIR PART BECAUSE WE'RE
SPENDING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YET THEY'RE
GOING TO LOSE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
YOU JUST CLOSED COMMERCE FOR ONE DAY.
YOU WANT TO GET FIRE, YOU WANT TO GET RESULTS, MAKE THAT THE ISSUE,
AND PROFESSOR, YOUR TOOL IS PHENOMENAL.
BUT MY CONCERN IS IF WE GO FURTHER,
INSTEAD OF PUTTING MONEY INTO THESE TOOLS AND MONITOR THE PROBLEM,
WHICH IS KNOWN FOR LIKE 60 YEARS, WE NEED TO HAVE SOLUTIONS FIXED.
PLEASE LOOK INTO THAT.
IT'S A BOLD STEP.
IT'S AN EASY STEP.
IF YOU MAKE IT EASY MEXICO, EITHER FIX IT OR WE SHUT IT DOWN FOR ONE
DAY AND EVERY MONTH FOLLOWING INCREASE THAT TAKE UNTIL WE FIX IT.
BECAUSE I MISS HER SANDCASTLE BUILDING DAYS.
I MISS THAT I LIVED IN PEARL BEACH FOR ABOUT
MAYBE ABOUT TEN YEARS SERVING IN THE NAVY.
I'M NOW A CURRENT CHULA VISTA RESIDENT,
AND I SEE WHAT'S GOING DOWN THERE.
AND ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS WALK ON THE BEACH,
GO TEN BLOCKS, TEN MINUTES SOUTH,
AND YOU'RE STANDING IN THAT SAME SEWAGE YOU SAW ON THAT WATER SPILL
THAT THE MAYOR SHOWED THAT'S COMING RIGHT OUT OF THAT RIVER.
AND IF WE DIVERT THAT RIVER BACK IN NOW,
WE GOT MOSQUITO INFESTATION BECAUSE WE'RE HOLDING
THE SEWAGE INSTEAD OF GOING TO THE OCEAN.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO INFECT THE PEOPLE, I YIELD BACK.
THANK YOU.
S26: THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS MITCH SILVERSTEIN.
I'M THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY POLICY MANAGER FOR THE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION.
I'M HERE TODAY IN PLACE OF OUR CLEAN BORDER WATER NOW CAMPAIGN MANAGER,
SARAH DAVIDSON, WHO IS AT THIS VERY MOMENT,
MEETING WITH COMMISSIONER HEINER AND
THE STATE DEPARTMENT TO DEMAND THE REQUIRED
FUNDING TO PROPERLY ADDRESS THIS PUBLIC
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY.
I STAND HERE TODAY FEELING TWO VERY OPPOSITE EMOTIONS.
ON ONE HAND, I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THAT OUR LOCAL LEADERS ARE ELEVATING
THIS ISSUE TO THE LEVEL IT DESERVES AND THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM
WHO IS FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS TO SOLVE IT FROM LOCAL LEADERS LIKE
MAYOR AGUIRRE TO OUR STATE REPS IN BOTH THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY,
TO STAFFERS FROM OUR FEDERAL REPS AND FEDERAL AGENCIES
AND EVERY RESIDENT AND STAKEHOLDER ON THIS ISSUE.
AND SENATOR PADILLA, OF COURSE, THANK YOU FOR CALLING THIS MEETING,
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SPECIFIC AND POINTED
QUESTIONS TO THE REPRESENTATIVES HERE.
JUST KIND OF CUTTING THROUGH THAT TECHNOCRATIC JARGON THAT REALLY ENDS
UP MARGINALIZING EVERYDAY FOLKS WHO ARE STAKEHOLDERS ON THIS ISSUE.
SO REALLY, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND SENATOR DURAZO AND ASSEMBLY ALVAREZ, MEMBER ALVAREZ,
TO A REALLY GREAT JOB WITH YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO, YEAH, SO WHILE I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL
OF YOUR EFFORTS AND ALL OF OUR EFFORTS,
I'M FRUSTRATED AND AGHAST AT HOW LONG THIS HAS TAKEN
AND HOW SLOW OUR PROGRESS HAS BEEN ON THIS ISSUE.
WE'RE AT THE POINT WHEN REAL SOLUTIONS FINALLY EXIST,
BUT IT'S TAKEN FOUR YEARS TO SPEND 10 MILLION OF
300 MILLION DEDICATED FUNDING TO THIS ISSUE.
WE SHOULD HAVE HAD AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION YEARS AGO.
AND WHILE I'M ELATED TO SEE A DOUBLING
OF THE INTERNATIONAL TREATMENT PLANT,
I CAN'T HELP BUT REMIND MYSELF THAT
THE DAY THAT PLANT OPENED IN THE 90S,
IT WAS ALREADY INSUFFICIENT.
SENATOR SECRETARY SPENCER SAID IT HERSELF.
THE PLANT IS LIKE DRIVING A CAR 100MPH,
24 SEVEN, WITHOUT A TIME FOR GAS,
WITHOUT TIME TO PULL OVER FOR GAS OR A TUNE UP.
OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS ALWAYS UNDERINVESTED
IN THE SOUTH BAY QUALITY OF LIFE,
OR DESPITE HOW CRITICAL THIS ISSUE IS,
AND DESPITE HOW CRITICAL THIS REGION IS TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE,
THERE'S SOMEONE FROM EVERY STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICE HERE TODAY.
I'M WONDERING, IS THERE ANY FROM.
IS THERE ANYONE FROM GOVERNOR NEWSOM'S OFFICE HERE TODAY?
I THINK SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL THAT OUT.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE, SHE'S NEVER BEEN DOWN
HERE TO FACE THIS ISSUE FIRST HAND.
AND I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAVE.
AND IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT HE WAS JUST IN
SAN DIEGO DURING TROPICAL STORM HILARY,
BUT LEFT OUR BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER OFF THE AGENDA,
DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT'S THE THE WORST CONSEQUENCE
OF THE HURRICANE WAS THE SEWAGE POLLUTION.
SO I'M SORRY I'M GOING WRONG,
BUT SURFRIDER JOINED MCGUIRE AND PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE LIVING,
BREATHING PERSON IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY TO DEMAND A STATE
OF EMERGENCY FROM THE GOVERNOR, BUT TO NO AVAIL.
NOW WE'RE URGING HIM TO MAKE THAT REQUEST
TO THE PRESIDENT IN THE STRONGEST,
MOST EMPHATIC LANGUAGE POSSIBLE.
PLEASE HELP US WITH THAT DEMAND.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE.
NEXT IS NICHOLAS BUENVIAJE.
IF I READ THAT CORRECTLY.
IF I DID NOT, I APOLOGIZE AS NICHOLAS PRESENT.
IF NOT, I HAVE.
BARON.
PART.
LORD OR PART.
FORGIVE ME IF I MESSED THAT UP.
PLEASE COME FORWARD.
WELCOME.
S27: DISTINGUISHED BOARD.
PUBLIC.
LEAD MEDIA.
BARON PARTLOW, FORMER CITIZENS FORUM BOARD MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES
INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION SAN DIEGO SECTION.
FOUNDER OF STOP THE POOP.
TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY OUTREACH.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN.
MR.
ALVAREZ SAID.
FRUSTRATION.
HOW DOES AND HE COULDN'T DESCRIBE IT I CAN.
INCOMPREHENSIBLE, UNFORTUNATE AND PITIFUL DEMORALIZATION DUE
TO THE HORRIFIC AND EPIC PROPORTIONS IN WHICH WE ARE FORCED
TO ENDURE IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL ATTACK ON
THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES FROM THE COUNTRY OF MEXICO.
THEY KNOW WHAT'S IN THAT WATER.
THEY LET IT COME.
IT'S LIKE DROPPING DIRTY BOMBS ON A CITY ALL THE TIME.
SAN DIEGO REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD, REGION NINE.
DAVID GIBSON SAID THERE WAS URANIUM IN THE WATER.
AT ONE POINT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I SECURED A GEIGER COUNTER.
I SPENT MY OWN MONEY.
I DON'T ASK ANYBODY FOR ANYTHING.
GOVERNOR NEWSOM COMMITTED $50 MILLION AND PULLED IT OFF THE TABLE.
HE'S NOT OUR FRIEND.
WE HAVE BEEN TREATED.
LIKE THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD AND IGNORED.
OKAY, WE DO NOT ASK BIDEN OR NEWSOM FOR ANYTHING.
WE ARE COURTING ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEYS TO SUE
EVERYBODY THAT HAS FAILED TO PROTECT US,
EVERYBODY THAT HAS SWORN AN OATH TO
THE CONSTITUTION TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THAT HAS
TAKEN US IN THEIR CARE AND FAILED,
IS SUBJECT TO BE SUED BECAUSE ALL THESE LAWSUITS
THAT HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED HAVE FAILED.
AND WHAT HAVE THE RESIDENTS GOTTEN?
MORE POISON.
WE ARE GETTING SICK.
DR.
DIXON HAS PROVEN A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN SEWAGE
SPIKES AND ILLNESSES WITH THE RESIDENTS WERE.
BEYOND OUR WIT'S END.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE ANY MORE.
WE ARE GOING PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE.
S28: YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
NEXT I HAVE CINDY DE.
CINDY, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
WELCOME.
S29: I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY EXCEPT THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR TAKING THIS EMERGENCY SERIOUSLY.
THIS EMERGENCY HAS OTHER SOLUTIONS NOT MENTIONED TODAY.
WHEN I CAN SEE JUST AS A LAYPERSON IS HOW IS A PIPE THREE
AND A HALF MILES OUT GOING TO SUSTAIN DOUBLE CAPACITY?
SO MANY THINGS NEED TO CHANGE AND IT THE SYSTEM IS
NOT WORKING THE WAY IT SHOULD BE WORKING NOW.
UM, IN ALL REALITY, WE'RE LITERALLY CLEANING UP SOMEONE ELSE'S.
PLEASE DON'T STOP HERE.
PLEASE HELP US.
THANK YOU CINDY.
JOANNE FIELDS, FOLLOWED BY PAMELA GONZALEZ, FOLLOWED BY AN ANDRE MENDEZ.
S30: SENATOR PADILLA, THANK YOU FOR AGAIN BRINGING
A HEARING THAT OPENS UP GOVERNMENT,
OPENS UP TRANSPARENCY AND TO HAVE THIS DIALOGUE.
THANK YOU FOR CONVENING ALL THE AGENCIES THAT ARE INSTILLED AND PAID.
THEY'RE PAID TO PROTECT US.
BUT YET WE HAVE STUDENTS AND PARENTS THAT AREN'T ABLE
TO BE HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE IN SCHOOL OR AT WORK.
I'M BLESSED TO BE HERE.
REPRESENTING THE ASIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER INITIATIVE.
I'M THE GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR.
MY DAUGHTER IS A RESIDENT WITHIN A QUARTER
OF A MILE OF THE AFFECTED AREA.
IF I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THE PICTURES
THAT I TOOK JUST THIS MORNING AS I DROVE BY,
AND YOU CAN SMELL THE STENCH BECAUSE IT'S
ACCELERATED BECAUSE OF THE RECENT RAIN.
YOU'LL SEE THE PUDDLES OF WATER THAT ARE SURROUNDING
THE TIJUANA RIVER PARK COMMUNITY GARDEN,
WHERE VEGETABLES ARE BEING GROWN AND THEN EATEN.
WE HAVE THE SOUTHWEST LITTLE LEAGUE, WE HAVE THE AYSO SOCCER LEAGUE,
FOUR REGIONS PRACTICE THERE, ONE OF THE REGIONS THERE.
TEAMS PRACTICE THERE FOUR DAYS A WEEK.
SO WHILE THE STUDIES ARE STILL BEING MADE ON AIRBORNE
AND THE EFFECTS AND IMPACTS OF THEM, THEY'RE ALREADY THERE.
AND WHEN YOU'RE AT A GAME, WE HAVE PARENTS.
WE HAVE GRANDPARENTS THAT ARE WATCHING.
THEY'RE SCARED ABOUT THE MOSQUITOES THAT
ARE BEING BRED IN THE STILL WATER.
OUR RESIDENTS, LIKE MY DAUGHTER, ARE BUYING FILTERS,
SO THEY'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY JUST TO LIVE IN THEIR OWN HOME.
SO PLEASE, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS,
PLEASE CONTINUE TO USE YOUR INFLUENCE AND TELL US AS A COMMUNITY,
HOW DO WE WORK BETTER TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR
COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION ARE ARE PROTECTED.
THANK YOU.
PAMELA GONZALEZ, FOLLOWED BY ANDRE MENDEZ, FOLLOWED BY CYRUS CHRISTOS.
WELCOME, PAMELA.
HI.
S31: I'M PAM GONZALEZ, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU
FOR BEING ABLE TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I LIVE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, RIGHT OFF WHERE THE BRIDGE IS,
OFF OF HOLLISTER AND ATHERTON.
AND FOR THE FOR THE LAST.
I'VE LIVED IN PEARL BEACH ALL MY LIFE.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED AND WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM THAT MANY YEARS,
BUT IT JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE.
AND AT THIS POINT I LIVE WITH 11 HUMIDIFIERS IN MY HOUSE 24 HOURS A DAY.
I'M TIRED ALL THE TIME.
I CAN'T HALF THE TIME.
I CAN'T EVEN GET MY HEAD OFF THE PILLOW I'M SO TIRED FROM.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M BEING SICK FROM THAT OR WHAT, BUT.
MY ANIMALS HAVE.
I'VE HAD THREE ANIMALS DIE WITH WITH THE AIR.
I'M SURE IT'S THAT TOO.
BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY.
WHEN IS THIS?
WHEN DO WE GET RELIEF?
YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT ALL OF THE MONEY WE'RE GOING TO GET OR WHATEVER,
BUT WHEN DO WE GET IMMEDIATE RELIEF?
TODAY I WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AIR.
I WANT TO BREATHE FRESH AIR.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
YOU.
SANDY TALKED ABOUT.
WHEN THE PROBLEM ARISES,
AND SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO SPRAY OR SANITIZE IT ONE TIME,
AND THEN THEY SOMETIMES HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN.
WHY CAN'T THEY DO THAT FOR US NOW?
WHY CAN'T WE BREATHE JUST LIKE, GIVE US A MONTH?
MAN, THAT'D BE AWESOME.
AND AND WE DO NEED TO GET EVERYTHING DONE LIKE WE'RE HEADING TOWARDS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, TODAY, I WANT TO BREATHE.
MY.
I CAN'T EVEN BRING COMPANY TO MY HOUSE.
MY FAMILY CAN'T WON'T EVEN COME AND VISIT
ME BECAUSE IT STINKS OVER THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PLEASE GIVE US RELIEF.
THAT'S ALL I WANT.
WE ALL WANT.
THANK YOU.
PAMELA.
ANDRE MENDES, FOLLOWED BY CYRUS.
IS ANDRÉS IN THE HOUSE?
ALL RIGHT.
WELCOME.
UM.
I LIVE WITH PAM, AND SHE'S MY FIANCE.
S32: I'VE LIVED IN NESTOR FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AND HAD TO EXPERIENCE.
ESPECIALLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THE DAILY SMELL SOMETIMES 24 HOURS A DAY.
AND I'M A NATIVE SAN DIEGAN,
CAME BACK HERE IN 2010 TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY.
AND LIKE I SAID, I MOVED TO NESTOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO.
I JUST WANT TO REITERATE WHAT PAMELA SAID,
THAT IT'S AFFECTED OUR QUALITY OF LIFE,
THAT WE'RE EMBARRASSED TO EVEN HAVE OUR LOVED ONES
COME DOWN AND VISIT US DURING THE HOLIDAYS.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO US.
NOT ANY TIME, BUT ESPECIALLY.
WE ALWAYS SEEM LIKE WE HAVE TO MAKE THE.
THE VENTURE UP NORTH AND WE'RE JUST EMBARRASSED.
AND TO REITERATE, WE'RE WE ARE LOVER OF ANIMALS.
AND I FIND IT MORE IN THE COINCIDENCE.
IN THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, WE'VE HAD THREE ANIMALS
PASS AWAY DUE TO RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS,
AND WE HAVE A LITTLE CHIHUAHUA RIGHT NOW THAT'S
PROBABLY IN HER LAST MONTHS OF HER LIFE.
AND IT'S JUST.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR.
A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND IT'S IT'S AS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE LOVE LIVING HERE.
IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I CAME BACK TO CALIFORNIA,
THAT WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR HELP.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THINGS
ON THE AGENDA NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT.
BUT I JUST DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE.
BUT IT'S JUST IT'S TOO BAD IT DIDN'T HAPPEN SOONER.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION.
CYRUS.
CHRISTOS, PLEASE COME ON UP.
FOLLOWED BY STEVE.
CASSANDRA, IF DIRECTOR CASSANDRA IS STILL HERE,
I DON'T KNOW IF HE LEFT, BUT.
WELCOME.
S33: HI.
MY NAME IS CYRUS CHRISTOS.
I'M 76 YEARS OLD.
I LIVE IN IMPERIAL BEACH.
I MOVED THERE IN 1988 FROM LOS ANGELES.
I HAVE A DEGREE IN ECONOMICS AND I HAVE
A SECOND DEGREE IN LAW JURISPRUDENCE.
MOST OF MY WORK IS AS A REFEREE FOR
THE CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT SYSTEM.
UM, AND I HAVE RUN ACROSS A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.
SOME OF MY CLIENTS CLEAN, DIRTY LAND.
I ACQUIRE IT FROM STANDARD OIL, THEIR GAS STATIONS,
AND WE CLEAN IT AND THROW IT OFF.
SO CHEMICAL POLLUTION HAS BEEN A BIG PROBLEM.
MY CONCERN IS NOT SO MUCH ABOUT THE STINK
THAT PEOPLE KEEP TALKING ABOUT.
I MEAN, THERE'S STINK IN YOUR OWN HOUSE,
IN THE BATHROOM THAT WE CAN LIVE WITH.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S ABOUT BIG CAKES.
BIG WHITE CAKES THAT LOOK LIKE SNOW ON THE SAND.
DOWN BY THE MOUTH.
IT'S CALLED OR AROUND THERE AND SOME OF IT UP AT THE BOCA OVER THERE.
THAT STUFF STAYS AROUND FOR THREE WEEKS.
FOUR WEEKS?
I GOT A SAMPLE OF IT.
I MET A SCIENTIST DOWN THERE FROM THE JONAS SALK INSTITUTE.
I GAVE HIM SOIL SAMPLES AND GROUND COVER SAMPLES.
WHEN THAT DRIES, IT TAKES ABOUT A MONTH.
IT'S A CHEMICAL, A MANMADE CHEMICAL, SO IT DOES NOT DISSOLVE.
SO IT SITS ON TOP OF THE SAND.
WHEN IT DOES, THE WIND BLOWS IT.
THE MINIMAL DISTANCE THAT IT BLOWS IS FIVE MILES.
AND WITH THE STRONG WIND, LIKE AN OCEAN WIND,
IT'LL GO TEN, 15, 20 MILES.
NOW THOSE HEAVY METALS WILL KILL YOU
IF YOU BREATHE THEM INTO YOUR LUNGS.
THE TYPICAL CAUSES LUNG CANCER STARTS
OUT WITH EMPHYSEMA, THEN LUNG CANCER.
THERE IS NO CURE FOR LUNG CANCER.
SO THAT'S WHAT MY CONCERN ABOUT IS I CAN AVOID THE STINK.
I CAN CLOSE THE WINDOWS, I CAN DRIVE AWAY.
BUT I GOT TO BREATHE THE AIR.
I KNOW MEXICO IS A LARGE ECONOMIC TRADING PARTNER.
THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION.
I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT THERE, BUT THEY'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED IN ALL THOSE YEARS OF WORKING IN LAW AND REAL ESTATE.
THANK YOU.
SIR, I APPRECIATE YOUR TESTIMONY, BUT YOUR TIME IS EXPIRED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HAS DIRECTOR CASTANEDA LEFT US?
I THINK HE HAS ANDREW HARVEY.
FROM CHAIR NORA VARGAS'S OFFICE.
WELCOME.
THANKS FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WELL.
S34: SENATOR PADILLA.
SENATOR DURAZO.
MY NAME IS ANDREW HARVEY.
I'D LIKE TO READ A LETTER ON BEHALF OF CHAIRWOMAN
NORA VARGAS OF THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO.
DEAR SENATOR PADILLA, THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION
TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS IMPORTANT EVENT.
I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN A TRUE PARTNER,
OUR SHARED COMMITMENT TO TACKLE CROSS-BORDER
POLLUTION AND THE TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY.
AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, THE TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY SEWAGE CRISIS HAS REMAINED
ONE OF THE MOST PRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN OUR REGION,
WITH SEWAGE FLOWS DEGRADING WATER AND AIR QUALITY
ALONG OUR BINATIONAL COASTAL COMMUNITIES.
RESIDENTS IN THE COMMUNITY OF NESTOR ENDURE
THE DAILY STENCH OF SEWAGE WHILE AN IMPERIAL BEACH.
BEACHES HAVE BEEN CLOSED FOR OVER 600 DAYS.
AS A RESPONSE, THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS UNDER
MY LEADERSHIP TOOK A SERIES OF DECISIVE ACTIONS.
THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE ALLOCATED 750,000
TO SUPPORT THE ANNUAL MAINTENANCE OF THE GARVEY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE SUCCESSFULLY SECURED A $4,250,000
GRANT FROM THE CALIFORNIA STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD.
THIS GRANT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL AT REMOVING
TRASH AND SEDIMENT FROM SMUGGLER'S
GULCH AND PILOT CHANNEL AREAS THAT NOT HAVE BEEN DREDGED SINCE 2018.
I ALSO LED THE EFFORT TO DECLARE THE TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY
POLLUTION A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND MOST RECENTLY,
A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE CONTINUED CHALLENGE
OF AGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSBOUNDARY FLOWS.
WHILE I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT WE HAVE RECEIVED,
IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT THESE MEASURES ARE INSUFFICIENT TO FULLY ADDRESS THE THIS PROBLEM.
WE NEED FEDERAL SUPPORT TO EFFECTIVELY RESOLVE THIS CRISIS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING A PARTNER
IN OUR QUEST FOR CLEAN AIR AND CLEAN WATER,
AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND WHAT IT IS,
WHAT OUR COMMUNITIES DESERVE.
SINCERELY, NORA VARGAS, CHAIRWOMAN,
SAN DIEGO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, SENATOR.
THANK YOU, ANDREW.
AND PLEASE, AGAIN, THANK THE CHAIR FOR HER LEADERSHIP, MARTIN.
AND FORGIVE ME, I'M GOING TO IT'S HARD TO READ,
BUT VERY WELL MARTIN FORGIVE ME BUT WELCOME.
S35: YOU PRONOUNCE THE MIDDLE LIKE PROCESS.
ALL RIGHT.
WELCOME.
WELL, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I GOT TO MEET YOU THERE, SENATOR PADILLA.
AND I'M IMPRESSED.
I LIKE THE WAY YOU HANDLED YOURSELF AND HOW YOU.
INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT ONE SOLUTION, YOU GOT A, B, C,
AND D LINED UP IN CASE THE PRIMARY ONE DOESN'T WORK.
ONE THING I JUST WANT TO MENTION I'M NOT
HERE TO CAUSE PROBLEMS OR ANYTHING.
I'M HERE TO GET THE SOLUTION AND THAT'S ALL I CARE ABOUT.
LIKE YOU SAID EARLIER, POLITICS ASIDE AND EVERYTHING,
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO COME UP AGAINST AND IS THAT
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED APPROVAL FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE EPA
FOR THE $300 MILLION TO BE GIVEN TO IMPERIAL BEACH AREA.
THAT'S WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BACK IN 14TH MARCH 2022.
THAT WAS DRAFTED BY A MR.
VARGAS AND SENT TO CONGRESS.
IT PASSED CONGRESS, BUT WHEN IT WENT TO THE SENATE.
IT WASN'T APPROVED.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW
IF YOU GOT DONE ALREADY OR IS COMING UP.
BUT UNTIL THE PRESIDENT ACKNOWLEDGES WITH THE EPA HAS
IT IN WRITING THAT HE CAN GIVE THE MONEY TO IBE.
THEN WE'RE READY.
WE'VE BEEN READY.
YOU GOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE INVOLVED, AND I JUST WANT TO SEE
THE END OF THIS BECAUSE IT'S BEEN DRAWING ON TOO LONG.
BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN HERE
TODAY HAS BEEN DOING A VERY GOOD JOB.
LET'S JUST GET THIS BALL ROLLING AND GET THIS
THE PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF ONCE AND FOR ALL.
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
DELFINO.
GONZALEZ.
WELCOME.
S36: HELLO, MY NAME IS DELFINA GONZALEZ AND I AM
HERE REPRESENTING MY CITY OF CHULA VISTA.
AND THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT THAT WE NEED THIS SOLVED RIGHT AWAY.
THAT REALLY IS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING.
OBVIOUSLY, THE OTHER DAY I WENT TO HEAR PALOMA SPEAK AT A AT A CLASS.
NO, ACTUALLY, IT WAS IN A CONDOMINIUMS IN SAN YSIDRO.
AND SHE'S LIKE, WHY DON'T YOU GUYS GO OUTSIDE AND GO ENJOY THE VIEW?
BECAUSE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE BORDER,
YOU COULD SEE THE BORDER FROM TIJUANA.
BUT SHE SAID, BUT ALSO,
THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO DO.
GO OUTSIDE AND SMELL THAT BEAUTIFUL NIGHT AIR.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL I WAS IN THAT LOCATION IN
SAN ISIDRO THAT I COULD SMELL THE SEWAGE COMING FROM THE BORDER.
THAT IS WHERE YOU REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT
IT'S NOT JUST AFFECTING IMPERIAL BEACH,
IT IS AFFECTING OUR WHOLE COUNTY.
AND THIS IS WHY WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR FAMILIES
THAT ARE LIVING IN THOSE CONDOMINIUMS, THAT ARE SMELLING THIS,
BECAUSE THEY ARE LITERALLY ON A HIGH SLOPE AND ARE
ABLE TO VISUALLY SEE DOWN BELOW THE SEWAGE PLANT.
THAT IS.
FOR THIS REASON, I'M ASKING THAT WE BE ABLE TO FIND SOLUTIONS.
THERE'S OVER 300 MILLION CARS THAT PASS
IN OUR MOST BUSIEST BORDER EVERY YEAR.
I SAID 300 MILLION.
PER YEAR.
IS THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING
BECAUSE THOSE CARS ARE HISPANIC AND AMERICAN?
CAN WE SAY WE'RE CHARGING $1 TO HELP IT FIX OUR SEWAGE?
I DON'T KNOW, BUT THIS IS JUST A SUGGESTION THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY
DO IN THE TERM TO BE ABLE TO FIX AND HAVE THIS MONEY,
BECAUSE IT'S BOTH BORDERS AND BOTH BORDERS ARE BEING AFFECTED.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
APPRECIATE IT.
ALL RIGHT.
THAT WILL CONCLUDE THOSE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS
THE SELECT COMMITTEE UNDER PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND WE AGAIN, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOUR PATIENCE.
I WANT TO EXTEND A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY DISTINGUISHED
COLLEAGUE FROM LOS ANGELES,
SENATOR MARIA ELENA DURAZO.
AND SENATOR DURAZZO IS AN INCREDIBLE MEMBER
OF OUR CAUCUS AND A LEADER IN THE SENATE.
AND WE'RE HONORED THAT YOU'RE PARTICIPATING
IN THE SELECT AND AND TAKING THE TIME.
CERTAINLY, WE KNOW TRAFFIC BETWEEN HERE IN LOS ANGELES.
IT ISN'T AN EASY THING AND NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.
SO WE THANK ALSO ASSEMBLY MEMBER ALVAREZ, WHO HAD A BRIEFING TO ATTEND.
SO HE HAD TO LEAVE US.
BUT WE WANT TO THANK HIM AND HIS STAFF.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL, AGAIN,
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FROM THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATING,
BUT A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY AMAZING STAFF
AND MOST ESPECIALLY TO MY ALLEGED DIRECTOR, MR.
ALEXIS CASTRO, OVER HERE TO MY RIGHT.
PUT THIS TOGETHER.
AND JUST DID AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK.
AND TOMMY LAWTON AT THE OTHER END OVER THERE IS HANDLING ALL OF OUR AV.
SO TO ALL OF YOU, THANK YOU.
YOU'RE AMAZING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENDANCE AND YOUR INTEREST.
WE WILL CONTINUE ON THIS CONVERSATION.
AND NOW THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE WILL STAND ADJOURNED.