September 25, 2020
Rep. Vargas Sends Letter to U.S. Department of State, EPA, and IBWC in Response to Latest Spill into New River
Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2020) Rep. Juan Vargas released the following statement after sending a letter to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in response to the latest spill of untreated water into the New River, which occurred on Friday, September 18, 2020. Nearly one million gallons of cross border sewage was released into the New River. The New River begins in Mexico and flows northward into the United States through the County of Imperial and connects to the Salton Sea.
"This is the second incident that has occurred this year. This is why I wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of State, U.S. EPA, and the IBWC requesting an update on the status of the polluted transboundary flows impacting the New River and urging the U.S. Department of State to consider issuing an official notice to Mexico’s government. This severe environmental and public health situation is affecting the lives and livelihood of the residents and workers in my district.
“Not only is the spill unacceptable, but the IBWC also failed to contact my office to inform me about the spill. Residents in the community were issued a formal notice only one day before the planned spill occurred. Clearly, this is not enough time to alert local stakeholders. Moving forward, the IBWC must promptly inform communities and stakeholders that are being directly impacted by these transboundary flows.
"The sewage bypass that took place will further exacerbate the situation in the New River. This is just another example of ongoing cross-border pollution affecting the border region. I have and will continue working in Congress to ensure that residents in my district are not exposed to dangerous sewage flows and wastewater.”
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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