IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. — The seaside in Imperial Beach is closed to the public because of sewage contaminated water flowing out of the Tijuana River Valley. It's an issue that's plagued the area for years but now a pair of environmental groups want something done about it.
San Diego Coastkeeper and the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation are demanding change from the International Boundary and Water Commission. This week, the groups sent out a 60-day notice and intent to sue. The IBWC is the federal agency on the United States side in charge along the U.S- Mexico border.
“Up to now, we have tried everything else, we’ve tried the voluntary approach, we’ve tried the congressional approach we have tried to work with IBWC to get them on board, nothing seems to work,” Executive Director Coastkeeper Phillip Musegaas said.
The intent to sue addresses the IBWC’s violations of the "Clean Water Act," including the discharge of hazardous chemicals from a treatment plant near the border and failure to submit self-monitoring reports.
“For their years of dumping toxic sewage and toxic waist into the pacific ocean and the Tijuana river,” Musegaas said.
This isn’t the first time the IBWC has been hit with a lawsuit. Musegaas said that a suit they filed previously ended in a settlement that resulted in $300 million going towards fixing the South Bay sewage treatment plant. However, because of its condition, more is needed because at the moment it’s barely running. He said close to $1B is needed on the United States side to fix the issue permanently.
“We need funding and we need accountability for the feds so that they clean up this mess,” Musegaas said.
Beyond people in Imperial Beach not being able to swim or surf in the water, Philip says the sewage has become a public health and environmental crisis.
“The sewage discharges are illegal in the clean water act, they are making people sick in imperial beach,” Musegaas said.
Both groups plan to file a lawsuit if the violations are not addressed within 60 days.
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