IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. — A notice of violation has been issued to the International Boundary and Water Commission regarding odors near the Tijuana River Valley, officials said Wednesday.
According to the county, a pump stopped working on June 16 and resulted in the discharge of around 300,000 gallons of untreated wastewater containing sewage.
The notice, issued Monday, was sent to the IBWC after the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District received around 150 complaints since July 21 regarding foul smells coming from the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station.
When the district investigated the claims, it found the station -- responsible for directing untreated transboundary water flow to the IBWC wastewater treatment plant -- wasn't properly maintained, officials said.
According to the county, a pump stopped working on June 16 and resulted in the discharge of around 300,000 gallons of untreated wastewater containing sewage.
Following the June stoppage, a continued failure to contain the untreated wastewater led to additional releases into the Tijuana River Valley, causing persistent nuisance odors, the SDAPCD statement read.
"All San Diego County residents have a right to enjoy clean air without being affected by foul odors," said Paula Forbis, SDAPCD air pollution control officer. "SDAPCD recognizes this is a complex and longstanding issue, but we will enforce our rules to ensure that South San Diego County residents are not burdened by odors from improper maintenance of the plant."
CBS 8 spoke with people who live in and around the Tijuana River Valley. They said the smell is worse than it's ever been.
"It's undescribable. It's like worse than a porta potty that's tipped over or whatever. It's even worse than that," said Danny Howard, who has lived in Nestor for 25 years.
Howard and his wife say the odor is so unbearable, they can't open their windows and avoid walking outside.
"God forbid, if you want to come outside and take a late night walk or something, you know, with your dog, like after midnight when it's cool, because you don't like to go out in the summer when it's hot with your dog. So, sometimes I used to like to walk her at night, but now I can't even do that, because you might be out there a few feet, or, you know, a couple 100 yards, and it hits you," said Howard.
Meanwhile, Imperial Beach mayor Paloma Aguirre told CBS 8 she hopes this notice of violation will convince the Governor to declare a State of Emergency for an issue that has plagued the area for far too long.
"That request has been denied by our Governor, but I think that having this as proof of how broad and how severe this is harming these communities, I would, I would hope that it helps persuade him to take further action," said Aguirre.
Frank Fisher, a spokesperson for the International Boundary and Water Commission told CBS8,
"We are reviewing the notice we received on July 29, 2024. The USIBWC is committed to making sure the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant complies with all federal, state, and local laws while we repair, rehabilitate, and expand the facility to address issues related to transboundary flows originating in Tijuana."
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