Rep. Juan Vargas urges IBWC to Address Ongoing Spills into Tijuana River Valley
Washington, D.C. (September 13, 2019) – Rep. Juan Vargas released the following statement after sending a letter to the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) inquiring about the recent spills and the amount of time it has taken for them to notify the public:
“The nearly 100 million gallons of wastewater that has spilled into the Tijuana River Valley in the month of September, alone, is absolutely unacceptable. What’s worse, is the IBWC’s inability to promptly inform communities that are being directly impacted by these transboundary flows. In a letter sent to the IBWC, I requested that the IBWC notify the public and local governments in a timely manner, ensuring that beach closures are in effect to protect our residents from the pollution flowing into the ocean.
“This is just another instance of cross-border pollution affecting the border region. It’s time for this administration to prioritize spending on infrastructure improvement projects along the border instead of spending billions of dollars on a wall that does nothing to benefit border communities. This is the real border emergency.”
Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S.-Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his fourth term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.
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