tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33634441179727368432024-03-13T20:57:10.065-07:00NO B.S. Border Sewage NetworkUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-83405193936681577392012-05-08T11:53:00.003-07:002012-05-08T11:53:43.922-07:00<br />
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<a href="http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2012/04/17/CL-cartoon-4-19-2012_t658.jpg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.sdreader.com/img/photos/2012/04/17/CL-cartoon-4-19-2012_t658.jpg?ff95ca2b4c25d2d6ff3bfb257febf11d604414e5" /></a></div>
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It took local Surfers and activists from Surfrider and Wildcoast to get Federal and County officials to finally notify the public about a sewage spill from the South Bay <em>International Wastewater Treatment Plant</em>(SBIWTP). <br />
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On April 4, a software malfunction at the South Bay International Waste Water Treatment Plant along the border began the discharge of a significant volume of untreated sewage into the Tijuana River Valley.<br />
While the company contracted by the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC) to monitor the release of treated sewage failed to prevent the spill, another key problem was the poor communication in notifying the public about the hazard, which could have had significant public health effects throughout the South Bay.<br />
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On April 26th, the pumps were finally repaired and the USIBWC has updated its spill notification procedures in an effort to provide more timely notice to interested stakeholders. Moreover, plant operators have taken steps, such as upgrading warning systems, to prevent the problem from recurring. The Department of Health is now working closely with Surfrider and Wildcoast to provide more timely notifications and warnings to the public when and if future spills occur.<br />
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Surfrider is not a newsgathering organization, but we place a high value on the accuracy of the facts we use to argue in favor of protecting water quality. The breakdown in communication in this incident highlights several points critical to Surfrider’s No Border Sewage (No B.S.) campaign:<br />
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• Ongoing sewage problems affecting the border are unacceptable.<br />
• Timely notification is critical to public health when spills occur.<br />
• Citizen stakeholders must be a part of the initial notification process.<br />
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The USIBWC will be holding a Public Meeting to address these recent
sewage-control problems on the Tijuana River – Thursday, May 10, 6pm at Tijuana
Estuary Meeting Room, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach. The forum is designed to
address regional water and wastewater issues. The agenda includes Dave Fogerson
of the San Diego County Water Authority, who will give an overview of binational
efforts to study a desalination plant in Rosarito, Mexico. This study is being
conducted by U.S. and Mexican agencies as part of larger binational efforts to
review a number of Colorado River water supply augmentation projects, operations
and management practices. In addition, local boundary commission operations
manager Steve Smullen will discuss a pump station failure at the South Bay IWTP
that caused a sewage spill to the Tijuana River. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-17915757352072156652011-11-29T09:42:00.000-08:002011-11-29T09:49:21.355-08:00Art illustrative of a disaster much nearer home!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YP5XGJ19VvM/TtUaltaDOWI/AAAAAAAAABU/SfgrpHNGPRM/s1600/maroc_600_wide.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YP5XGJ19VvM/TtUaltaDOWI/AAAAAAAAABU/SfgrpHNGPRM/s400/maroc_600_wide.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680475740144089442" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.surfrider.org/jims-blog/entry/surfrider-billboard-in-">http://www.surfrider.org/jims-blog/entry/surfrider-billboard-in-</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-82350153208596859242011-11-08T11:23:00.000-08:002011-11-08T11:25:23.780-08:00Non TransparentSea<p class="MsoNormal">The TransparentSea Voyage was such a great concept: <strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#333333;background:white">“</span></strong><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#333333; background:white">an awareness campaign aimed at highlighting</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#333333; background:white"> </span></span><strong><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;color:#333333;background:white">coastal environmental issues,</span></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#333333; background:white"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:#333333;background:white">with particular attention given to cetaceans (whales and dolphins) <b>and the waters they inhabit</b>.”</span></span> (<a href="http://transparentseavoyage.com/">http://transparentseavoyage.com/</a>) It has also been a tremendous disappointment. Its organizers and participants squandered a wonderful opportunity to shed light on major problems facing cetaceans and humans along the <st1:place>Southern California</st1:place> coast. Instead of doing so, the voyage went from groomed beach to groomed beach (El Capitan State Park to Mission Beach in San Diego) and party to party at exclusive, elite, and affluent venues (Malibu Inn, Mission Bay Yacht Club), and promoted clean ups at relatively clean beaches. The TransparentSea Voyage appears to have been a project to raise funds, not awareness. Awareness would have meant exposing what is, perhaps, <st1:place>North America</st1:place>’s worst ongoing ecological disaster. Instead of picking up a few cigarette butts and Starbuck’s cups at the <st1:city><st1:place>Malibu</st1:place></st1:city> pier and at <st1:place><st1:placename>Mission</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Beach</st1:placetype></st1:place>, the crew could have helped collect <b>TONS</b> of debris and plastic just before winter rains wash them into our beautiful ocean. (<a href="http://www.wildcoast.net/media-center/news/398">http://www.wildcoast.net/media-center/news/398</a>) Instead of “peddling” through the relatively pristine waters off the Palos Verde Peninsula, they could have sailed in front of a California river mouth were, during the rainy season, hundreds of millions of gallons of water contaminated with human waste and industrial pollutants flow onto our ocean <b>EVERY DAY</b>, sometimes for months on end, washing those tons of plastics and debris out to sea. (<a href="http://www.sccoos.org/data/tracking/IB/">http://www.sccoos.org/data/tracking/IB/</a> - check it out after a rain event) Instead of observing dolphins and blue whales living in clear and fairly healthy water near San Pedro, they could have seen a large pod of resident dolphins surfing and eating in the perfect, empty waves of a classic surf spot – empty because of the often putrid and chocolate brown water. They could have seen whales swim through this same fetid plume, which extends miles out to sea when the river flows. This unbelievably gross water has driven the local surfers from the lineup of a classic reef break, a reef that is also a proposed MPA! (<a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20070102-9999-lz1s2surf.html">http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20070102-9999-lz1s2surf.html</a>) (<a href="http://imperialbeach.patch.com/articles/tijuana-river-mouth-marine-protected-area-status-goes-into-effect-oct-1#photo-6810657">http://www.wildcoast.net/media-center/news/270-tijuana-river-mouth-marine-protected-area-status-goes-into-effect-oct-1</a>) Unfortunately, dolphins and grey whales can’t avoid the pollution like surfers do. This area is, basically, the Taiji Cove of the <st1:state><st1:place>Californias</st1:place></st1:state>. Dolphins certainly don’t suffer the quick, bloody death here that they do in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>. They merely pass their winter months in an ocean filled with plastic waste, sewage, chemicals, and disease. Grey whales navigate these same poisoned waters twice a year on their annual migration. Who knows what effect it may have on them? The TransparentSea Voyage was informed about the problems this area poses to the ocean, humans, and cetaceans. It was asked to go there for a look, a couple of hours tops, on a tour that would have made their jaws drop. They didn’t come, apparently being too busy at glitzy venues, raising funds, and hobnobbing with the “elite”. This “cove” is the <st1:place><st1:placename>Tijuana</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>River</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype>Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place>, the <st1:place><st1:placename>Tijuana</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>River</st1:placetype></st1:place>, and the reef break known as the Tijuana Sloughs. It needs the kind of international exposure a project like TransparentSea can bring. Once again, an opportunity presented itself. Once again, the surfing community seems to have spent its time partying in beautiful and affluent places filled with beautiful and affluent people capable of giving large beautiful donations, instead of focusing on <b>real</b> problems. The TransparentSea Voyage was such a great concept. It was such a great disappointment.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Hi Jeff</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; ">We at S4C appreciate your passion and opinion for what Transparentsea did not accomplish. We have a long list of how to make this campaign better in the future and your input has been noted. Please continue to spread the word about the issues that the Tijuana Sloughs face as these are legitimate and something that needs to be addressed on both sides of the border.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; ">Also please remember that our group are passionate volunteers who do campaigns like this because we feel its extremely important to do what we can for the oceans and the creatures that live in them, and not because of any "elite" or "exclusive" opportunities that appear to have presented themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; ">One of the goals of our non-profit is to inspire others as we have been inspired by other like minded activists over the years. You are clearly moved by the Transparentsea concept and very passionate about your local area and we applaud that effort...<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; ">We hope that in the future you will use those passions for the positive and not as a loud speaker to cut down our initiatives because it didn't meet your goals. We would love to help in any way we can going forward, but ask that you not use this platform to trash our efforts as the Sloughs and your local beaches have been trashed over the years.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; ">Respectfully,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><u><span style="font-size:8.5pt; font-family:Arial;color:#004080">justin krumb</span></u></b><u><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; "> | S4C USA | </span></u><b><u><span style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:#004080"><a href="http://www.s4cglobal.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000CC">www.s4cglobal.org</span></a></span></u></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; "> </span></u></b><u><span style="font-size: 8.5pt; font-family: Arial; ">|</span></u><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hi Justin,</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thanks for such a prompt reply. I would like to point out a few things that might help you wrap your mind around my passion. The issues regarding the <st1:place><st1:placename>Tijuana</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>River</st1:placetype></st1:place> are international in scope. Two-thirds of its watershed lay within <st1:country-region><st1:place>Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The assembly plant industry (“maquiladoras”) in <st1:city><st1:place>Tijuana</st1:place></st1:city>, which contributes so much of the industrial pollution, is made up of companies from, among other countries, <st1:country-region><st1:place>Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region><st1:place>Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>. The foot print of contamination extends far beyond the confines of <st1:city><st1:place>Imperial Beach</st1:place></st1:city> and the Tijuana Sloughs reef, extending for many miles to the north, south and out to sea. Industries directly impacted by the plume include not only tourism and sport (surfing, diving, fishing), but also commercial fisheries on both sides of the border. The <st1:country-region><st1:place>United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> military commandos (SEALS) abandoned the area for training because of health issues. The United States Border Patrol receives “hazardous duty” pay when assigned to the area. As I stated in my initial letter, cetaceans are also quite heavily impacted, since they feed in and travel though the plume. This has been an international issue for many years, since before I was born’ I’m 62. It has been ignored all this time, perhaps because it is occurring in a “lost” corner of <st1:state><st1:place>California</st1:place></st1:state> or is viewed by many as too hard to deal with and impossible to solve. Personally, I’ve been involved in efforts to preserve the estuary, clean it of debris and silt, educate the public, and solve the sewage and contamination problems for over 40 years. Our activism here, is neither self-serving nor self-promoting. We have labored in obscurity all these years and now seek help in bringing this problem into the light of day. Our activism is altruistic and grassroots. We seek to solve this real and immense problem, not pay lip service to it through glitz and glamour. Our hands are dirty and our backs are sore. You were contacted through San Diego Surfrider with anticipation and informed of the severity of the problem and the importance of shedding some light on it. Surfrider San Diego was informed that TransparentSea and Mr. Rastovich were “100% on board” for a tour of the <st1:place><st1:placename>Tijuana</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>River</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype>Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> and willing to learn about its impact on the ocean environment. Neither TransparentSea nor Mr. Rastovich followed through and fulfilled their stated obligation to come. Our offer of a tour still holds. We would be very happy to have you and your TransparentSea crew witness the “Taiji Cove” of the <st1:state><st1:place>Californias</st1:place></st1:state>. Don’t forget to bring a camera. Please let us know when you will be here. You can contact us through San Diego Surfrider.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jeff</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-7746170114770748782011-10-06T16:58:00.000-07:002011-10-06T17:07:17.761-07:00Cleanup This Saturday October 8th from 9-12pm- Tijuana River Action Month<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0SeMpf0i0o/To5CdhmbfGI/AAAAAAAAANM/StYRaq5qa6g/s1600/TJ%2BRIver.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5660534856654486626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F0SeMpf0i0o/To5CdhmbfGI/AAAAAAAAANM/StYRaq5qa6g/s200/TJ%2BRIver.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div>Tijuana River Action Network: Cleanup This Saturday October 8th from 9-12pm- : <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rde9_rRFDlM/TouTUHJ7kMI/AAAAAAAAABo/2Y65lR2IPCY/s1600/IMAG0151.jpg"></a>Join us this Saturday October 8, 2011 from 9-12pm for a cleanup of the Tijuana River as part of Tijuana River Action Month. Where: EAST of Dairy Mart Road Bridge When: Saturday October 8th from 9am-12pm. Why: Because we need to prevent trash from flowing out to our ocean! What: Bring your own supplies! Please wear long pants and closed toe shoes (no sandals please) We will provide supplies but bringing your own is highly encouraged. Water, snacks and goodies will be available.If there is light rain the day of the event the cleanup will go forward. </div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>DIRECTIONS:From NorthTake 5 south exit on Dairy Mart Rd exit 3. Make a RIGHT at the stoplight. Pass a three way stop. Keep straight, pass the “Parks and Recreation-Tijuana River Valley Regional Park” sign”Road will slightly curve to the right-slow down. Make a LEFT onto a dirt road. Go down a small berm. Make a RIGHT (heading South)onto a semi paved road. Keep straight until you see a yellow “END” sign. Make a LEFT and follow the dirt road. Follow the orange flags until you come to a clearingPark on your right side by the canopies. We hope to see you there!! </div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-77393701961961800762011-09-13T10:12:00.000-07:002011-09-13T10:18:27.493-07:00NoBS Campaign Events this Weekend and Tijuana River Action Month!Hello everyone, here are updates and quite a few exciting events happening this weekend and during the upcoming Tijuana River Action Month (flier attached). It's a long one, so take a deep breath, sighhhh...and go!:<br /><br /><strong>Coastal Cleanup Day</strong> - Saturday, September 17th 9-12pm. Surfrider NoBS will be hosting with the Tijuana Estuary at the Tijuana Slough location. This spot is currently full but we need more volunteers at Border Field State Park and Dairy Mart Road Bridge locations. Register today!! <a href="http://www.cleanupday.org/" target="_blank">http://www.cleanupday.org/</a>.Last year, more than 10,000 volunteers participated in San Diego County alone, but we know we can do better! Help us to remove harmful litter and debris from our beaches, bays, urban areas, and open spaces, while also tracking trash to learn more about the sources of this pollution and how we can stop it at its source. Visit <a href="http://www.cleanupday.org/" target="_blank">http://www.cleanupday.org/</a> to learn more about the event, and to view a complete list of cleanup sites. Registration is now open, so gather your volunteer group and find the best site for you!<br /><br /><strong>Surfrider 20th Anniversary Paddle for Clean Water</strong> - Sunday, September 18th 9-12pm at Ocean Beach Pier. The Paddle For Clean Water is a non-competitive event that consists of over 1000 local surfers and ocean enthusiasts paddling around the Ocean Beach Pier to bring awareness to the pollution problem along San Diego’s coastline. This is a free event, and everyone is invited to participate with any human-powered paddle craft. As part of the festivities, there will be free breakfast for all paddlers, guest speakers, a raffle and a beach cleanup. For more information <a href="http://paddle4cleanwater.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://paddle4cleanwater.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><strong>Digging in: A Workshop on Community Based Restoration (Tijuana Estuary)</strong> - Wednesday, September 21st, 9am - 3pm at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve Training Center. The workshop is based on the California Coastal Commission’s how-to manual, Digging In: A Guide to Community-Based Habitat Restoration. For more information and to register for a lunch ticket <a href="http://diggingin.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">http://diggingin.eventbrite.com/</a>.<br /><br /><strong>Surfrider September Chapter Meeting</strong> - Wednesday, September 21st 7-9pm at Forum Hall above the Well Fargo Branch in UTC. This month's guest speaker is Oscar Romo who will be talking about the progress in Mexico and the Tijuana River Valley in addressing sediment, trash and sewage that degrades the region. Oscar is the Watershed Coordinator at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. In this capacity, he is the principal investigator of the San Diego coastal storms project, the trash tracking project and the waste tires tracking project. He works in the development of bi-national pilot projects to control sediment, trash and waste water flows at the source, as well as the development and implementation of public policies to conserve ecosystems on both sides of the US/Mexico border. Oscar also serves as the US co-chair of the Border 2012 water task force, as a delegate to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development and as a county delegate to the World Water Forum.<br /><br /><strong>"National Public Lands Day" Border Field State Park 40th Anniversary Volunteer Planting Event</strong> - Saturday, September 24th 9-12pm at Border Field State Park, 1500 Monument Road, San Diego, CA. Celebrate National Public Lands Day and National Estuaries Day at a volunteer planting event on Saturday, September 24 at Border Field State Park. On-site registration at 9am. Be sure to wear long pants and closed toe shoes. Volunteers under 18 must have signed parent consent forms (available by request from <a href="mailto:volunteer@trnerr.org">volunteer@trnerr.org</a>) tel:<a target="_blank">619-575-3613</a>Surfrider hosted Tijuana River Valley Cleanup off Dairy Mart Road - Saturday, October 8th 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. As part of Tijuana River Action Month, Surfrider will be hosting a cleanup site at Dairy Mart Road Bridge Location. Contact Dan at <a href="mailto:dan@surfridersd.org">dan@surfridersd.org</a> to help with volunteer registration and sign in. For directions and more information on any of the Tijuana River Action Month events please see <a href="http://tijuanariveractionnetwork.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tijuanariveractionnetwork.blogspot.com/</a><br /><br /><strong>South Water Quality Workshop: When is it safe to surf? Swim?</strong> - Wednesday, October 12th 6pm to 8pm at the Tijuana Estuary Training center. Presentations from local volunteer groups, Scripps, City of IB Lifeguards, City of San Diego about the quality of our water from inland rivers and streams that eventually lead to our Oceans here in South Bay San Diego.<br /><br /><strong>Become a fan of NoBS</strong> at: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119244691440340#!/pages/NoBS-No-Border-Sewage-Campaign-Border-Sewage-Affects-Us-All/317796537442?ref=search&sid=aWd8NJo_Yhyq2wzUrV0nfw.670169746..1" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119244691440340#!/pages/NoBS-No-Border-Sewage-Campaign-Border-Sewage-Affects-Us-All/317796537442?ref=search&sid=aWd8NJo_Yhyq2wzUrV0nfw.670169746..1</a><br /><br />As always check out the blog <a href="http://www.bordersewagecoalition.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://www.bordersewagecoalition.blogspot.com/</a> for the latest news, and here is the link to photos from recent Stewardship events and monthly water testing. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157627087376124/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157627087376124/</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-30503261383546903222011-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:002011-09-06T11:59:49.542-07:00Tijuana River Action Month is around the corner! Join us for one of clean ups and workshops!<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mWbl1kr9Jis/TmZs3u-TpoI/AAAAAAAAANA/7bLoriImOFs/s1600/TRAM_poster_final_ENG_LR.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649322487340836482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mWbl1kr9Jis/TmZs3u-TpoI/AAAAAAAAANA/7bLoriImOFs/s400/TRAM_poster_final_ENG_LR.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-70175381944341531922011-07-27T16:25:00.000-07:002011-08-01T10:45:36.535-07:00WANTED: Volunteers for a Major Cleanup of the Tijuana River Valley<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dIot4Rh74BU/TjCel3t3ujI/AAAAAAAAAMg/vhb8pEjebyc/s1600/WantedCleanupFINAL.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634177507289184818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 259px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dIot4Rh74BU/TjCel3t3ujI/AAAAAAAAAMg/vhb8pEjebyc/s400/WantedCleanupFINAL.jpg" border="0" /></a>On Saturday, August 13th the Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter will be hosting a cleanup of the Tijuana River Valley from 9am-12pm. Our volunteers will be working with the Tijuana River Valley Equestrian Association, Oceanforce, WiLDCOAST, Suzie’s Farm, Wild Willows Farm and others for a major cleanup of one of the horse trails that link the cathedral trail and the Saturn link. The Tijuana River Valley offers miles and miles of interconnecting hiking and horseback riding trails that run all the way to the beach. In fact, Border Field State Park beach just west of the Tijuana River Valley is one of the last places in Southern California where you can horseback ride on the beach! This trail has been highly impacted by the large amounts of trash, plastic, sediment and tires that wash through the River Valley during the winter flooding season.<br />Directions to the cleanup: Central Trail Staging Area – 2310 Hollister Street, San Diego, CA. From I 5 – South, take exit 4 – Coronado Avenue (not the Coronado Bridge) and continue straight (heading south) onto Hollister Street. As you reach the southern end of the first bridge, make an immediate right into the Tijuana River Valley Regional Park and look for cleanup signs.<br />If you would like to help volunteer for this cleanup or future NoBS projects please contact Dan at <a href="mailto:dan@surfridersd.org" target="_blank">dan@surfridersd.org</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-25941386401385210512011-06-20T13:37:00.000-07:002011-06-20T13:40:28.001-07:00City of Imperial Beach Councilmembers, Stakeholder Group Meet with CESPT Director, Tour Tijuana's Wastewater Treatment Plants<a href="http://www.wildcoast.net/content/news/251/medium_image.JPG?1308181934"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 237px" alt="" src="http://www.wildcoast.net/content/news/251/medium_image.JPG?1308181934" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.wildcoast.net/content/news/251/medium_image.JPG?1308181934"></a><br /><br />On June 14th, 2011 the Director of the State Public Services Commission of Tijuana (CESPT) hosted a tour for San Diego clean water stakeholders to discuss water quality issues in the border region. City of Imperial Beach councilmembers Jim King and Brian Bilbray were joined by Dan Murphy from Surfrider San Diego, Danielle Litke from the Tijuana River Research Reserve, Chris Helmer Environmental Manager for the City of Imperial Beach, IB Patch editor Khari Johnson and WiLDCOAST staff were welcomed at the CESPT headquarters. CESPT Director Ing. Hernando Duran and sub-director of sanitation Ing. Juan Manuel Tamayo briefed the group on the wastewater treatment efforts accomplished by CESPT in the last 20 years. Among these achievements are the recently built Mexican treatment plants Arturo Herrera and La Morita which treat ten and six million gallons per day respectively. Additionally in order to properly dispose the treated wastewater, a new 2300 meter impulsion line was built to divert the treated effluent to Punta Bandera (south of Playas de Tijuana) The total investment in these three plants was 22 million dollars which enable the City of Tijuana to treat wastewater up to tertiary level by means of activated sludge reactors and disinfection by ultraviolet light, allowing the agency to produce water of sufficient quality for reuse in the creation of green areas such as parks and ecological recreation centers in the city.<br /><br />The group then visited the Arturo Herrera Wastewater Treatment Plant where, the sub-director of sanitation services explained how they have developed a very unique educational program through local schools and fun activities at the treatment plant. The agency has created an interactive space for children to learn the wastewater treatment process. CESPT firmly believes that these educational efforts will lead to increased water conservation.<br /><br />Additionally, the sub-director informed the group that these tretament plants took a lot of effort to build.<br /><br />Because they are a state-run yet not state-funded agency, the funding to build these plants came from a Japanese Bank line of credit that had to be approved by the state congress. "we have to pay all of this money back " said the sub-director, "it is definitely a challenge".<br /><br />The tour ended at the CILA pump station, a system that was put in place to redirect effluent from the Tijuana River during dry weather season and pump it over the city’s canyons to be treated and then discharged at Punta Bandera. Thanks to this operating system beach water quality is ensured in south San Diego Beaches during dry weather season.<br /><br />"This was a very educational experience for me" said Jim King City of IB councilmember- "it's pretty amazing to see the great efforts Mexico is making to address water quality issues here at the border".<br /></div><br /><br /><p>To see pictures from the tour visit: <a href="http://www.wildcoast.net/media-center/news/251">http://www.wildcoast.net/media-center/news/251</a></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-62035647348498201542011-06-10T22:30:00.000-07:002011-06-10T22:36:18.368-07:00NoBS Updates for June and July <br />NoBS updates for June (version Español sigue despues del correo en ingles):<br /> <br />Citizen Water Quality Monitoring - Our next Monitoring event is tomorrow Saturday, June 11th, at 9a.m., collecting Water Samples at 3 sites in the Tijuana River Valley. We need volunteers to collect water quality samples and take basic water chemistry measurements on a regular basis for the Tijuana River Valley and Estuary sites. We are looking to train volunteers to collect samples every month, or serve as a back-up for other volunteers at the estuary or throughout the county. If you have attended the training and would like to attend this month's sampling, please Contact dan@surfridersd.org and dylan@sdcoastkeeper.org for more info and to sign up. Also, the California State Water Quality Board is asking volunteers to help them document trash levels and water flow with their new CreekWatch app for the Iphone (coming soon for Droids). If you have an Iphone, check out the app--you can really help them out while you’re in the field. It also helps them determine impaired water body (303d) listings too.<br /><br />Tijuana Estuary Second Saturday Volunteer Stewardship Event - Saturday, June 11th, 9am to 12pm at Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center. Join the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve for trail maintenance and invasive plant removal. No experience necessary! Individuals, families and groups are welcome to participate. Volunteers must work in long pants and boots or sturdy shoes. Please wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Gloves and tools provided. Volunteers under 18: Must bring signed permission forms, available by request, and volunteers under 16 must attend with an adult. For more information contact Danielle Litke @dlitke@parks.ca.gov<br /> <br /><br />NoBS Quarterly Workshop - the second quarter workshop will take place June 16th 6:30 to 8pm at Mark's house in IB - 321 Daisy Ave. Imperial Beach, CA. The NoBS campaign will be holding quarterly workshops to work on the 2011 Campaign plan/goals, coordinate events/volunteer opportunities and train new volunteers on the issues/policies outlining the campaign. If you are interested in attending or helping out with these workshops please send me some of your ideas at dan@surfridersd.org This quarter we will focus on planning for Tijuana River Action Month, and other important campaign action items.<br /> <br /> <br />Ocean Friendly Gardens is coming to IB! Join us Sunday July 17th at 10am at the entrance to the Tijuana Estuary for our next Lawn Patrol!!<br />We will take a quick walk up Imperial Beach Blvd and surrounding streets around the Estuary and check out some gardens that are mostly ocean friendly and some that are not so ocean friendly and talk about the difference. We will also visit City Hall in IB. <br /> <br />Lawn Patrols are a great way to learn about what makes an Ocean Friendly Garden ocean friendly, the impacts that the choices we make in our gardens have on the health of our local environment, and what easy steps you can take to turn your garden into an OFG! We talk about soil health, plant choices, how to retain rainwater on-site, and how to use organic choices instead of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides!<br /> <br /> <br />Next Monthly Tijuana River Action Network Meeting - The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 27th at 6:30 - 8pm in (location TBD). Network meetings are a great way to meet and share ideas with staff and volunteers from Fundacion la Puerta, Proyecto Fronterizo, Fundacion Que Transforma, Alter Terra, Surfrider Foundation, Border Encuentro, Grupo Ecologista Tijuana, Tijuana Calidad de Vida, Tijuana Estuary, WiLDCOAST, Tijuana River Citizens’ Council, 4 Walls International, and more. The agenda for the meeting will be posted to the TRAN blog. Visit the blog: http://tijuanariveractionnetwork.blogspot.com/ for more information about the Network and notes from the past meetings. If interested in attending please contact Dan@surfridersd.org. <br /> <br />Become a fan of NoBS at:<br /> <br />http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119244691440340#!/pages/NoBS-No-Border-Sewage-Campaign-Border-Sewage-Affects-Us-All/317796537442?ref=search&sid=aWd8NJo_Yhyq2wzUrV0nfw.670169746..1 <br /> <br />As always check out the blog http://www.bordersewagecoalition.blogspot.com/ for the latest news, and here is the link to photos from the winter flooding in the Tijuana River Valley, Stewardship events and monthly water testing. http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157625743131314/ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />SPANISH<br /> <br />Vigilancia de Calidad de Agua por Ciudadanos- Nuestro próximo evento de Vigilancia será mañana, sábado, 11 de junio, a las 9 a.m., donde estaremos recogiendo muestras de agua en 3 sitios diferentes en el valle del Rio Tijuana. Necesitamos voluntarios para obtener muestras de calidad de agua, y para tomar medidas químicas básicas regularmente para los sitios del Rio Tijuana y el estuario. Necesitamos voluntarios para entrenar en obtener muestras cada mes, o para ser disponibles como reemplazos para otros voluntarios en el estuario, o a través del condado entero. Si usted ha atendido la sesion de entrenamiento y le gustaria contribuir colectando muestras este mes, por favor contacte a dan@surfridersd.org o dylan@sdcoastkeeper.org para más información, y para registrarse. También, déjenos saber si está regresando como voluntario o si es nuevo(a) al programa. En adición, la Junta Estatal de Calidad de Agua de California está buscando voluntarios para ayudar documentar niveles de basura y flujo de agua con su nuevo app para el iPhone CreekWatch (próximamente para el Droid). Si usted tiene un iPhone, busque el app y ayúdelos mientras esta en el campo. Este app le ayudara a la Junta determinar listados de agua afectadas (303d) también.<br /><br /> <br />Evento Voluntario del Estuario de Tijuana Cada Segundo Sábado Mensual- sábado, 11 de junio, 9 a.m. a 12 en el centro de visitantes del estuario de Tijuana. Únase a la Reserva de el Estudio del Estuario Nacional del Rio Tijuana para la preserva y conservación de plantas nativas. No se requiere experiencia previa! Individuos, familias y grupos son cordialmente invitados a participar. Todo voluntario deberá trabajar en pantalones largos y botas o zapatos fuertes. Por favor traiga bloqueo de sol, lentes solares y sombreros. Guantes y herramientas serán proveídos. Voluntarios menores de 18 años: tienen que traer formas de permisos firmadas, las cuales tenemos disponibles, y voluntarios menores de 16 años tienen que ser acompañados por un adulto. Para más información contacte a Danielle Litke a dlitke@parks.ca.gov.<br /> <br /><br />NoBS Taller Trimestral- el primer taller tomara lugar el 16 de junio de 6:30 a 8:00 p.m. en la residencia de Mark en Imperial Beach: 321 Daisy Ave., Imperial Beach, CA. La campaña NoBS estará conduciendo talleres trimestrales para trabajar hacia la campaña de trabajo del 2011, coordinar eventos y oportunidades para voluntarios, y para entrenar nuevos voluntarios en cuestiones de política subrayando la campaña. Si está interesado en atender o ayudar con estos talleres, por favor envíeme sus ideas a dan@surfridersd.org. Este trimestre estaremos concentrando en la planificacion del Mes de Accion del Rio Tijuana, y otros puntos mayores para la campaña.<br /> <br />Jardines Concientes del Oceano vienen para IB! Acompañenos el domingo, 17 de julio a las 10 a.m. en la entrada al estuario de Tijuana para nuestra proxima patrulla de patios!!<br />Estaremos tomando una caminata breve por Imperial Beach Blvd y las calles adjacentes al Estuario, y estramos viendo algunos jardines que son en gran parte benignos al oceano, igual como algunos que no son tan benignos, y platicaremos acerca de las diferencias. Tambien visitaremos City Hall en IB.<br /> <br />Las Patrullas de patio son una perfecta manera para aprender que es lo que hace un Jardin Benigno al Oceano benigno, los impactos que tienen nuestras decisiones en nuestros jardines contra el medio ambiente, y que pasos faciles usted puede tomar para convertir su jardin en uno que beneficia el oceano! Estaremos hablando acerca de salud del suelo, opciones de plantas, como retener agua de lluvia en su sitio, y como utilizar opciones organicas en vez de fertilizantes quimicos, herbicidas, y pesticidas!<br /> <br />Proxima Reunion Mensual del Enlace de Accion para el Rio Tijuana - La proxima reunion esta programada para miercoles, 27 de julio de 6:30 p.m. a 8 p.m. (sitio sera determinado). Reuniones de enlace son una gran manera para conocer y compatir ideas con miembros de la organizacion y voluntarios de la Fundacion la Puerta, Proyecto Fronterizo, Fundacion Que Transforma, Alter Terra, Surfrider Foundation, Border Encuentro, Grupo Ecologista Tijuana, Tijuana Calidad de Vida, Tijuana Estuary, WiLDCOAST, Tijuana River Citizens’ Council, 4 Walls International, y mas. La agenda para esta reunion sera publicada al blog TRAN. Visite el blog: http://tijuanariveractionnetwork.blogspot.com/ para mas informacion acerca del Enlace, y notas de reuniones pasadas. Si esta interesado(a) en atender, por favor contacte a Dan@surfridersd.org.<br /><br /><br />Hágase Fan de NoBS en: <br />http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119244691440340#!/pages/NoBS-No-Border-Sewage-Campaign-Border-Sewage-Affects-Us-All/317796537442?ref=search&sid=aWd8NJo_Yhyq2wzUrV0nfw.670169746..1 <br />Como siempre, vea nuestro blog en http://www.bordersewagecoalition.blogspot.com/ para las últimas noticias. Aquí está el enlace a fotos de la más reciente inundación del valle del rio Tijuana, eventos de administración, y pruebas de agua mensuales: http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157625743131314/Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-88357150703610952882011-04-13T10:56:00.000-07:002011-04-13T10:59:47.930-07:00Public Meeting To Discuss Water Quality And Water April 14 6 to 8pm<a href="http://www.imperialbeachnewsca.com/news/article_8f6be1cc-614f-11e0-b5bb-001cc4c002e0.html">http://www.imperialbeachnewsca.com/news/article_8f6be1cc-614f-11e0-b5bb-001cc4c002e0.html</a> The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) has scheduled a public meeting of the USIBWC Citizens Forum on Thursday, April 14, 6 - 8 p.m. at the Tijuana Estuary Meeting Room, 301 Caspian Way in Imperial Beach. The meeting will focus on water quality and water reuse. The purpose of the Citizens Forum is to promote the exchange of information between the USIBWC and the community about Commission projects and related activities. Information about the Imperial Beach Bacterial Source Identification Study will be presented by Damon Owen, Field Operations Manager/Assistant Project Manager for Weston Solutions. The purpose of the study, funded by the State Water Quality Control Board under the Clean Beaches Initiative, is to plan, design, and implement a Source Identification Survey to identify sources of bacterial contamination in the U.S. portion of the Tijuana River Watershed and recommend appropriate actions and activities to reduce the input of those sources to the Tijuana River and adjacent Pacific Ocean. There are limited data regarding bacterial loads from sources and activities on the U.S. side of the watershed. Information regarding the impact of certain land uses and point and non-point sources has not been collected. As such, there is potential for water quality improvements in the U.S. portion of the watershed. This study aims to quantify bacterial loads from potential sources and propose solutions to reduce the impact of bacterial loads in the Tijuana River Watershed and Pacific Ocean. The implementation of successful best management practices will result in a reduction in beach postings and closures. With an update on activities south of the border, David Roberto Navarro Herrera, Secretary of Urban Development and Ecology for the Municipality of Tijuana, will discuss installation of sediment basins that will capture sediment and trash. Also on the agenda, Michael R. Markus, P.E., General Manager of the Orange County Water District, will discuss the Groundwater Replenishment System, a 70-million gallon per day advanced water purification project that is the largest planned indirect potable reuse project in the world. The Groundwater Replenishment System takes secondary treated sewer water and runs it through an advanced treatment process consisting of microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide, producing water that is of nearly distilled water quality. This water is then recharged into Orange County’s groundwater basin, ultimately becoming a part of the potable water supply and providing enough water for nearly 600,000 people. Members of the public who would like more information about the meeting may call 619-662-7600 or e-mail <a href="mailto:sally.spener@ibwc.gov.Reuse">sally.spener@ibwc.gov.Reuse</a> April 14Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-59497521734853517222011-03-09T16:02:00.000-08:002011-03-09T16:08:24.659-08:00NoBS Quarterly Workshop Tonight!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MokKL64aLo/TXgWVhw0bXI/AAAAAAAAAKo/May_obwzBFc/s1600/IB%2Bcartoon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582236297221926258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 281px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MokKL64aLo/TXgWVhw0bXI/AAAAAAAAAKo/May_obwzBFc/s400/IB%2Bcartoon.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>First workshop will take place tonight March 9th 6:00 to 7:30pm at the Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center. Starting this year, in addition to the Network meetings, the NoBS campaign will be holding quarterly workshops to work on the 2011 Campaign plan/goals, coordinate events/volunteer opportunities and train new volunteers on the issues/policies outlining the campaign.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-20904680996454489822011-02-16T16:10:00.001-08:002011-02-16T16:18:24.796-08:00Tijuana Sloughs Cleanup Thursday Feb 17th at 2-4pm<a href="http://trnerr.org/site/?p=1476"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5574445371009794754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--5pBqX8Aee4/TVxoh77cAsI/AAAAAAAAAKg/gD3WC8RwXT8/s400/feb17_cleanup.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-24313400388258612011-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:002011-01-26T16:23:03.858-08:00Preventing Future Sewage Spills Could Take Binational Effort | KPBS.org<a href="http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jan/24/preventing-future-sewage-spills-could-take-binatio/">Preventing Future Sewage Spills Could Take Binational Effort KPBS.org</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-85188448396045693242011-01-19T18:11:00.000-08:002011-01-19T18:13:18.633-08:00Massive sewage spill fouls Imperial Beach<a href="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2011/01/18/sewage_t352.jpg?980751187beea6fc26a3a9e93795d379f58af1c4"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 456px" alt="" src="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2011/01/18/sewage_t352.jpg?980751187beea6fc26a3a9e93795d379f58af1c4" border="0" /></a><br /><p></p><br /><p>By <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/staff/sandra-dibble/">Sandra Dibble</a><br />and <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/staff/mike-lee/">Mike Lee</a><br />Originally published January 18, 2011 at 3:06 p.m., updated January 18, 2011 at 8:44 p.m.<br /><a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/photos/2011/jan/18/297084/"></a><br />Sewage spill<br />An estimated 1.3 million gallons a day of sewage are flowing into the ocean just south of the international border, in what will rank among the largest single incidents to affect <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/San_Diego_County,_California">San Diego County</a> in the past decade.<br />The ongoing leak adds a potent pollutant to coastal waters that currents commonly push north into the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/United_States">United States</a>, where they mix with contaminated flow from the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Tijuana_River">Tijuana River</a>, which has lead to beach closures in South County for the past month.<br />Estimates of the spill size vary greatly — from more than 30 million gallons by environmentalists to just a few million gallons by wastewater officials in <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Mexico">Mexico</a>. Either way, the situation provides a vivid reminder that despite numerous upgrades to the sewage system in <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Tijuana">Tijuana</a>, it remains a chronic environmental and human health problem with roots going back more than 70 years.<br /><a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Baja_California">Baja California</a>’s top health authority on Tuesday closed the beaches near the leak at <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Playas_de_Tijuana">Playas de Tijuana</a> as a precautionary measure. Surfers in South San Diego County said they were concerned about getting sick from the tainted water.<br />The break was about one mile south of the border in a pipe linked to a pump station that lifts sewage to the Punta Bandera treatment plant. The state’s health department said a pipe ruptured when the ground gave way after December’s rainstorms.<br />A central question is when the leak started. Baja wastewater officials said Tuesday the major problems started last weekend and they acted as quickly as possible to a situation that started small and blew up without warning.<br />Environmentalists in Mexico said major flows began before Christmas. They and their counterparts in the United States questioned whether Mexico acted fast enough to address the break and issue warnings.<br />“This is pretty serious and demonstrates a breakdown in communication” between Mexican and U.S. officials, said <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Serge_Dedina">Serge Dedina</a>, head of the environmental group Wildcoast in <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Imperial_Beach,_California">Imperial Beach</a>. “This is precisely an issue we have been trying to deal with — just getting basic notifications on sewage spills in Tijuana. Authorities have placed thousands of people at risk.”<br />Officials initially believed the problem was an overflow that typically occurs during rainstorms when sewage and stormwater mix in overloaded pipes, said Agustin Rojas, spokesman for the CESPT, the acronym of the state public service commission of Tijuana.<br />He said the scope of the issue was not initially apparent because it involved an underground sinkhole that formed around Dec. 29 but did not immediately damage the 30-inch pipe.<br />“We believe it began to have problems, but the water wasn’t flowing to the ocean yet,” Rojas said.<br />On Sunday, he said, “We had not detected the magnitude of the problem. ... It wasn’t until Monday.”<br />He said it would take another couple of days to stop the flow. The repairs involve replacing a 250-foot portion of the collector pipe that’s buried 15 feet below ground.<br />“We’ve got crews working long-hour shifts. It’s not an easy job, but they are committed to the task.”<br />Margarita Diaz, head of Probea, a Playas de Tijuana-based environmental organization, said the problems date back to Dec. 23.<br />“The collector was damaged, the ground collapsed, and it folded, and plugged it up. This caused the sewage to flow north toward the manholes. As it could not go to the pump station, it flowed through the drains.”<br />Diaz said the issue of the sewage overflows reached her office at the beginning of January, when local residents called and complained. When she called the CESPT, she said the common response was that the engineer was on vacation.<br />The Playas beach was closed <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Tuesday_Afternoon">Tuesday afternoon</a>. “But this should have happened a long time ago,” she said. “It should have happened immediately, from the moment that the spill was detected. They were three weeks late.”<br />Mark McPherson, chief of land and water quality for San Diego County’s environmental health agency, said Tuesday afternoon that he had received no official notice of the incident. In this case, he said an alert would not have made a major difference because the Tijuana River is still flowing with millions of gallons a day of sewage-tainted water and the county has maintained beach closures for weeks in the South Bay because of that.<br />Dedina at Wildcoast said the problems at Playas de Tijuana likely are contributing to the mess caused by the Tijuana River.<br />“The stench at the south end of IB this morning was overpowering,” he said.<br />Conditions were worse south of the international border.<br />“I have been watching and smelling a stream of untreated sewage run down the street next to my house in Playas de Tijuana and to the ocean in a constant flow,” said resident Scott S. Peters. “The authorities have simply removed the manhole covers on my street and have been letting the sewage flow like a river since the storm a few weeks ago.”<br />Wastewater has been a major source of tension along the border since the early 1900s because Tijuana’s sewage system has not kept up with growth. Raw sewage flows into the Tijuana River whenever it rains. Agencies on both sides of the border have made big strides to cut down the pollution by building treatment plants and other facilities.</p><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-55430669737057631492011-01-14T19:25:00.000-08:002011-01-14T19:28:39.630-08:00San Diego Group Using Grant To Reduce Cross Border Pollution<a href="http://kpbs.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2011/01/14/Border_Trash_t250.jpg?"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 373px" alt="" src="http://kpbs.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2011/01/14/Border_Trash_t250.jpg?" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />By <a title="View more content by Ed Joyce, KPBS Reporter" href="http://www.kpbs.org/staff/ed-joyce/">Ed Joyce</a><br />January 14, 2011<br /></div><br /><div>A San Diego based environmental group is using a grant from a federal agency to reduce cross-border trash and pollution. The WiLDCOAST project will benefit beaches on either side of the border.<br /><a class="fancybox" id="single_2" title="Above: Imperial Beach-based WiLDCOAST is receiving a grant from the EPA to reduce cross-border trash and pollution. (Julien Pearce/KPBS) " href="http://kpbs.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2011/01/14/Border_Trash_tx700.jpg?8e0a8887e886a6ff6e13ee030987b3616fc57cd3" rel="109314thumb" jquery1295061816281="12"></a>The $50,000 Environmental Protection Agency grant will fund WiLDCOAST's project called Clean Canyon (Cañón Limpio) for 16 months.<br />Ben McCue with <a href="http://www.wildcoast.net/">WiLDCOAST</a> said the effort focuses on the Los Laureles Canyon, a sub-basin of the Tijuana River Watershed and drainage area.<br />"This canyon is literally a stone's throw from the U.S./Mexico border fence," said McCue. "And all of the trash that's not collected in this canyon, with next rain will end up in the Tijuana Estuary and eventually off our border beaches."<br />Many people living in the canyon, he said, don't have basic municipal services, including trash collection.<br />"The project will be giving residents tools needed to improve trash management in their community using activities such as workshops, leadership trainings and clean-up events," McCue said. "Reducing pollution includes getting residents to recycle trash and use composting."<br />McCue said the project will start in February.<br />He said there is a movement in Tijuana to eliminate illegal settlements that create much of the trash and sewage problems that foul beaches on both sides of the border.<br />"Until those areas are eliminated or are provided basic services, such as sewage treatment and trash collection services, we're going to continue to feel the effects downstream in San Diego," said McCue. "Everyone recognizes that the city of Tijuana has a lot of work to do to get the city completely plumbed for sewage treatment and set up for trash collection."<br />McCue said there's always going to be a need for local Tijuana communities to improve trash collection and recycling through their own resources.<br />"Leadership training on how to mobilize their neighbors to work on innovative composting and recycling projects will clearly benefit the Tijuana Estuary and San Diego beaches," said McCue.<br />Beach water quality has long been an issue along the U.S.-Mexico border.<br />McCue said the non-profit WiLDCOAST works with border communities and agencies of both countries to reduce the sources of pollution fouling the region's waterways.<br />He said the project is part of EPA’s <a href="http://www.epa.gov/Border2012/">Border 2012 Program</a>, which works to address shared environmental problems across the US-Mexico border.<br />"All of the border states have cross-border pollution problems," McCue said. "The binational Border 2012 program has work groups in all of the US-Mexico border states."</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-36400388616150614742011-01-03T20:52:00.000-08:002011-01-03T21:34:55.098-08:00Pictures taken at Border Field State Park during the recent rainstorms<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__moFDKc4WD4/TSKxba6LljI/AAAAAAAAAKI/PHMiDU_uFc8/s1600/nobs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558199974766548530" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 156px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__moFDKc4WD4/TSKxba6LljI/AAAAAAAAAKI/PHMiDU_uFc8/s200/nobs.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1215.snc4/156716_478692058170_599358170_5959382_385476_n.jpg"></a></div><br /><div>On 12/20 and 12/21/2010, a few of us drove down to Border field State Park and captured some pictures at the Goat Canyon Sediment basins, Smugglers Gulch, Dairy Mart Bridge, Saturn Blvd and Hollister Street. Not only did we see tons of plastic, styrofoam, sewage, and trash flowing from the Tijuana River, but we saw humans getting rescued. Some of the shots are pretty eye opening to say the least.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157625743131314/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfridersandiego/sets/72157625743131314/</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-38940301886605526662010-12-03T15:19:00.000-08:002010-12-03T15:39:16.267-08:00South San Diego Water Quality Workshop<a href="https://evbdn.eventbrite.com/s3-s3/eventlogos/4081396/sunsetclosure.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 493px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 327px" alt="" src="https://evbdn.eventbrite.com/s3-s3/eventlogos/4081396/sunsetclosure.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://evbdn.eventbrite.com/s3-s3/eventlogos/4081396/sunsetclosure.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><br /><div>Join Scripps Institution of Oceanography, WiLDCOAST, the County of San Diego's Department of Environnmental Health, and San Diego Coastkeeper at TRNERR (Tijuana Estuary Visitor Center, 301 Caspian Way, Imperial Beach, California.) on December 7th from 6-8pm to learn about the process that goes into monitoring ocean water quality and influences beach closures and advisories. Walk away with practical tools that will help you to know when the water is safe and how to safeguard your health -- and some great food and raffle prizes too!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-30018853476826492692010-12-03T15:15:00.000-08:002010-12-03T15:19:07.633-08:00Protecting and preserving nature’s systems<a href="http://www.coloradanmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mike_McCoy_CC01.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 596px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 422px" alt="" src="http://www.coloradanmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mike_McCoy_CC01.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://www.coloradanmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Mike_McCoy_CC01.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Mike A. McCoy’s passion for achieving a better understanding of the interrelationship of ecological systems has evolved over the decades. “It wasn’t much understood in the ’60s,” he says.<br />As a member of the stakeholders group setting up the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative for the California Department of Fish and Game, Mike travels the Southern California coast intent on preserving marine and estuarine systems.<br />“We have to understand and revamp the way we think. We have to look at any system like a microcosm — look locally and think globally,” Mike says.<br />Mike’s work started more than 40 years ago. A proposed marina created by dredging the Tijuana Estuary caught Mike’s interest in 1970. He recognized the importance of preserving it and its wildlife as one of the last intact salt marsh ecosystems in Southern California.<br />“If we fragment ecological systems, remove corridors and connections, we’ll slowly destroy their complexity and vibrancy,” he notes.<br />But about one-third of the community wanted to protect the estuary and two-thirds wanted a marina, he recalls. The creation of a marina meant money for the local tax base.<br />“The importance of 1.8 million people living in proximity to the estuary was an educational opportunity for so many to learn about the critical role these systems play in their daily lives,” Mike states. “Estuaries are the nurseries of the sea.”<br />In spearheading the 10-year effort to save the estuary, Mike challenged numerous cities and the San Diego County Comprehensive Planning Organization, including area mayors.<br />“The road was not easy and was paved with stress and violence along the way,” he remembers. “Death threats, bullets and loosening of lug nuts on our wheels happened during this time.”<br />With congressional support and that of the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association (SWIA), of which Mike was one of the founding members and now serves as president, the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge was acquired in 1980. The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve was established in 1982. By 2005 the Tijuana Estuary, the most southwesterly coastal wetland in the U.S., was dedicated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.<br />“Mike is one of those most responsible for bridging the political gap and keeping this estuary from development, which in turn allowed for a two-country stewardship for the benefit of this wetland of international importance,” says Bob Miller, SWIA vice president.<br />— Marty Coffin Evans</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-85851772688311928992010-12-03T15:10:00.000-08:002010-12-03T15:15:03.941-08:00Border sewage plant nears completion<a href="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2010/11/24/plant_t352.jpg?"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 352px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="" src="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2010/11/24/plant_t352.jpg?" border="0" /></a><br /><div>By <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/staff/mike-lee/">Mike Lee</a><br /><br />Sunday, November 28, 2010 at noon</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>An expanded sewage-treatment plant more than a decade in the making has started processing wastewater in San Ysidro, and the agency in charge said it’s on track to meet a court-ordered deadline for reducing coastal water <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Pollution">pollution</a>.<br />The <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Border">International Boundary</a> and Water Commission is supposed to comply with U.S. Clean Water Act standards by Jan. 5 at its South Bay treatment facility, which handles up to 25 million gallons of raw sewage a day from Tijuana.<br />If the agency makes good on that effort, it will close a troubled chapter in the county’s most-polluted region and provide more momentum for a growing initiative to rid the border lands of trash, sediment and other pollutants. Even in its degraded state, the lower section of the river valley is prized by environmentalists because it’s one of the largest intact estuaries in California.<br />“Piece by piece, we are filling holes and dealing with the water quality issues on the border,” said Serge Dedina, head of the advocacy group Wildcoast in Imperial Beach. “It’s not just one solution. It’s a whole strategy.”<br />Upgrades at the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Sewage_treatment">sewage treatment plant</a> are at the core of the overall plan. The boundary commission built it in the late 1990s to combat millions of gallons of sewage that commonly flowed north across the border. Related problems go back 70 years or more because South Bay communities are downhill from Tijuana, a fast-growing city that’s long struggled to provide adequate sewage infrastructure.<br />The U.S. wastewater plant is run by the boundary commission, which operates sewage and flood control projects all along the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Mexico_–_United_States_border">U.S.-Mexico border</a>.<br />The San Ysidro facility has never met the “secondary treatment” standards in <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Law_of_the_United_States">U.S. law</a>. That’s partly because the commission couldn’t afford to complete all of the necessary infrastructure within its initial budget of $239 million.<br />For much of the past decade, treatment upgrades were on hold while a <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/San_Diego_County,_California">San Diego County</a> company called Bajagua lobbied for a federal contract to build and operate a separate plant in Mexico. That effort fell apart in May 2008, when the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Federal_government_of_the_United_States">U.S. government</a> decided to upgrade the San Ysidro facility rather than build from scratch in Tijuana.<br />The boundary commission eventually selected PCL Construction of Tempe, Ariz., as the lead contractor for an $88 million project that started in January 2009. The price tag jumped to $92.7 million after the contractor added crews to meet the court mandate.<br />“It’s been a long time coming,” said Steve Smullen, area operations manager for the U.S. section of the boundary commission.<br />As Smullen toured the grounds last week, workers put finishing touches around the cavernous concrete basins where wastewater is scrubbed. A faint smell of sewage hung over the site, which is within sight of the fence along the international border.<br />Scores of metal railings and freshly painted pumps glistened in the midday sun, while bacteria fed on the organic matter in the soupy brown water that swirled in new million-gallon tanks. Over the next several weeks, Smullen’s goal is to build up colonies of microscopic organisms so they can process full loads delivered from the adjacent primary treatment plant.<br />Once the solids and the bacteria are separated out, the treated water is supposed to meet secondary standards and be flushed to the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Pacific_Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a> through an existing 3.5-mile pipe.<br />The current project doesn’t increase the plant’s overall capacity, but it will make the end product cleaner. The boundary commission needs to reduce the amount of suspended solids to comply with U.S. law, and it must decrease the toxicity of the water it discharges.<br />“We are hopeful the problems will be fixed,” Smullen said. “Time will tell.”<br />It’s not clear how much the work will improve the ocean water near the South County shoreline, which is bedeviled by multiple sources of contamination that routinely sicken surfers.<br />David Gibson, executive officer at the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, said he is optimistic about the expanded plant but he warned that there may be hiccups along the way.<br />He said the facility is hard to operate because Mexican factories don’t have the same kinds of controls as U.S. companies on the compounds they discharge to the sewage system. In addition, Tijuana residents typically use less water than San Diego County residents and that makes their sewage more concentrated and tougher treat.<br />Two other main pollutants in the watershed — trash and sediment — also present a major challenge. The regional board is drafting regulations to limit those sources of contamination in the <a class="onespot_autolink" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topics/Tijuana_River">Tijuana River</a>, and it’s targeting the U.S. government as the responsible party.<br />No one is sure how much that strategy will cost or how long it will take, but Gibson said he aims to force more cleanup efforts as an alliance of more than 30 groups and agencies try to gain ground with cooperative efforts. That binational initiative involves crafting long-term plans for trash collectors, larger basins for capturing mud and building an environmental ethic among Tijuana residents.<br />“In the end, it will require the kind of capital investment, operations and maintenance to manage sediment and trash that we currently have for sewage,” Gibson said. “It will not be cheap and it will not be simple.”</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-88993206315489262982010-11-08T06:07:00.000-08:002010-11-08T06:11:30.322-08:00Tijuana River Pollution QuizTijuana River Pollution Quiz<br /><br />Written by <a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/blog/toxic-waters-in-san-diego/itemlist/user/72-travispritchard.html">Travis Pritchard</a><br /><br /><br />Pop quiz time.<br />Which of these ammonia test results are from the Tijuana River?<a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/images/stories/photos/water_monitoring/lab/Phosphorus.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/images/stories/photos/water_monitoring/lab/Ammonia.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 143px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/images/stories/photos/water_monitoring/lab/Ammonia.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Which of these phosphate test results are from the Tijuana River?<br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/images/stories/photos/water_monitoring/lab/Phosphorus.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 145px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/images/stories/photos/water_monitoring/lab/Phosphorus.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br />If you guessed the dark blue ones, you are correct! Give yourself an A. These test tubes are some of the results from last weekend’s volunteer <a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/quick-links/water-monitoring.html">water quality monitoring</a> event. The ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate levels in the Tijuana River were literally off the charts high. When it rains (which it recently had), the treatment facilities get overwhelmed and raw sewage flows into the river and out to the ocean. Our water quality tests show those trends in the water quality.</div><div> </div><div>Check out Jen’s blog on July’s <a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/blog/sick-of-sewage/item/20-reactions-to-21-million-gallon-sewage-spill-in-tijuana-river-valley.html">Tijuana River Valley sewage spill</a> to learn more about efforts underway to fix this problem. You can check out the results of our water monitoring efforts at the <a href="http://www.sdwatersheds.org/">watershed wiki</a>. And don’t forget to check the <a href="http://www.sdwatersheds.org/wiki/Beach_Monitoring">current beach status</a> before you head out into the water.<br /></div><div>The Surfrider Blue Water Task Force is a great way to get involved and take action to prevent contaminants from reaching San Diego's watersheds and ultimately reaching the Pacific Ocean to negatively impact our coast and marine life. Blue Water Task Force members currently monitor the bacteria levels in the Tijuana River Watershed on the US side of the border, specifically at the Tijuana River mouth and other select areas in the Tijuana Estuary. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-42384716398315602022010-11-02T08:05:00.000-07:002010-11-02T08:06:59.724-07:00Month of border cleanups yields 56 tons of trash<a href="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2010/10/27/UTI1386132_t352.jpg?"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 352px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2010/10/27/UTI1386132_t352.jpg?" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>By <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/staff/lily-leung/">Lily Leung</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>A monthlong series of cleanups in the U.S.-Mexico border region yielded more than 2,300 tires and 56 tons of garbage that could have ended up at sea by way of the Tijuana River.Environmental group Wildcoast of Imperial Beach increased efforts to control pollution near the border this month with the help of several partners, including nonprofit organizations such as Surfrider San Diego and San Diego Coastkeeper.More than 2,800 volunteers participated.Among the most successful cleanups this month:-An Oct. 16 event at Cañon de los Laureles in Tijuana that cleared 21 tons of trash from the channel that drains into the Tijuana River. That involved 30 volunteers.-An Oct. 18 gathering of 41 trade-student volunteers and instructors from the San Diego Job Corps. They removed about 1,000 tires from the main channel.Last Saturday's cleanup was canceled due to rain, a pattern that Wildcoast officials are expecting to continue, said Paloma Aguirre, border program manager for the group."This month has been great, but I was kind of saddened and disappointed that we couldn't host the last cleanup," Aguirre said.The group will wait for better weather before scheduling future cleanups and environmental workshops in the border area, she said. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-23369662720318148112010-10-14T07:20:00.001-07:002010-10-14T07:29:53.284-07:00Tijuana River Action Month - Cleanups throughout the month of October<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__moFDKc4WD4/TLcTjZBRy3I/AAAAAAAAAJk/_rIoPGtob98/s1600/TRAM_final_SM.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527908566353169266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 246px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/__moFDKc4WD4/TLcTjZBRy3I/AAAAAAAAAJk/_rIoPGtob98/s320/TRAM_final_SM.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-79601653814005022522010-09-15T09:59:00.000-07:002010-09-15T10:00:35.530-07:00Chapter Meeting Wed. 15th, 7pm at Forum Hall<p>In a effort to kick off Coastal Cleanup Day and Tijuana River Action Month, this month's chapter meeting will focus on Beach Cleanups and Border Sewage and is honored to have Bob Scott give a presentation. Bob is a Professional Geologist and Certified Hydrogeologist at URS Corporation here in San Diego where he has been employed for over 20 years. He currently manages its local site assessment and remediation group and conducts work related to soil and groundwater contamination. He recently completed a study funded by the State for the Tijuana River Valley Recovery Team to identify the locations, quantity and characteristics of trash and sediment that gets transported downstream from Mexico during rain events. The information that his team has collected will help in developing a program to address this problem. Bob will share the results of the study and work that is currently being done in the valley related to trash and sediment. We'll also cover general chapter updates and ways to get involved with Surfrider. You don't need to be a Surfrider member but it's always encouraged. This one is at Forum Hall in UTC / La Jolla, <a href="http://www.icebase.com/go2.shtml?rLK9jUXhvUGc7m7U/0a033808a0e89db8/e7ccc9ae4dfc7775/dan@sdsurftours.com" target="_blank">Click Here</a> for directions</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-19164857735961944812010-08-04T14:35:00.000-07:002010-08-04T14:39:24.230-07:00Tracking IB's 'smelly water'<a href="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2010/07/27/100727mccue_t352.jpg?"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 352px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px" alt="" src="http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/photos/2010/07/27/100727mccue_t352.jpg?" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>By <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/staff/mike-lee/">Mike Lee</a>, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER<br />Originally published July 27, 2010 at 10 p.m., updated July 28, 2010 at 12:02 a.m.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For the past decade, surfers and others have complained about an unusual odor wafting over the sand and waves of Imperial Beach.<br />It’s often described as having a detergentlike quality, and it comes with shimmery bubbles in the surf zone. One scientific paper calls it “smelly water.”<br />For just as long, the on-again-off-again scent has defied attempts to determine its source and answer questions about whether it poses dangers for beach users.<br />“We are really concerned because our noses and all of our physical senses when we are in the water are telling us one thing, and the tests are telling us another,” said Ben McCue, a surfer and coastal program manager for the nonprofit group Wildcoast in Imperial Beach.<br />In recent weeks, conservationists have fashioned a plan to solve the mystery using high-end tests that go beyond the typical sampling for indicator bacteria in coastal waters. They said the issue is resurfacing now because upgrades at the International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Ysidro are nearly done after years of debate, allowing beach advocates to focus on other issues in one of the county’s most polluted areas.<br />“We are going to nail it down this summer,” McCue said.<br />As usual, the main barrier is money — an estimated $15,000 to look for chemical clues that can help pinpoint the source of the odor, which is widely thought to be from wastewater. It will take more time and money to determine whether the impurities cause human health problems.<br />The <a class="DL-topic-highlighted DL-analyze" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topic/San_Diego">San Diego</a> Regional Water Quality Control Board, which regulates water pollution in the area, offered about $14,000 for testing several weeks ago. Those funds were only available until the fiscal year ended June 30. No reports of odor problems surfaced during the testing window, so the plan was shelved.<br />Regional board officials said they are trying to free up money from fines paid by polluters to underwrite the analysis. Until that happens, they are unsure about how to view the occasional stink.<br />“That is one of the reasons I am interested in exploring this further — to find out what we don’t know,” said David Gibson, head of the regional board. “It’s worthwhile investigating.”<br />A natural suspect is the <a class="DL-topic-highlighted DL-analyze" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topic/Tijuana">Tijuana</a> River, which for decades has carried sewage-tainted runoff from Mexico to South Bay beaches during the rainy season.<br />What worries McCue is that the unsettling smell occurs in the summer when the river isn’t flowing to the <a class="DL-topic-highlighted DL-analyze" href="http://topics.signonsandiego.com/topic/Pacific_Ocean">Pacific Ocean</a>.<br />Instead, beach users have noticed the odors when nearshore currents are moving north. Some have also linked it to southwest winds.<br />One leading theory is that the smell is from the South Bay Ocean Outfall, which deposits treated sewage from the United States and Mexico about 3.5 miles offshore near Imperial Beach.<br />McCue and others said it’s more likely that the smell is from treated and untreated sewage dumped into the surf zone roughly five miles south of the U.S.-Mexico border at Punta Bandera.<br />The plume from Punta Bandera typically travels south but it moves north across the border about 12 percent of the time, according to a 2009 paper by Eric Terrill, director of the Coastal Observing Research and Development Center at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.<br />His research wasn’t designed to pin down the funky odor.<br />“Right now, I don’t think we have a gold-standard test that has said unequivocally that it is Punta Bandera,” Terrill said. “Wildcoast is on the right track. … A special study needs to be done.”<br />One reason the odor mystery remains unsolved is that standard beach water tests assess fecal indicator bacteria, which can be killed by treatment or diluted to the point that they are not found.<br />The problem is that there still could be harmful viruses or other pollutants in “smelly water” even if the bacteria aren’t detected.<br />Clay Clifton, watershed monitoring program manager for San Diego Coastkeeper, said he started hearing about the strange smells shortly after he started working at the county’s Department of Environmental Health in the late 1990s.<br />“We said, ‘Let’s document that there is a contamination event happening,’ ” Clifton said. “This happened year after year where we went out with our traditional bacterial analysis, collected samples and processed them. … We never had any exceedances (of water-quality standards).<br />“We were scratching our heads and wondering what is going on,” Clifton said.<br />Any new sampling efforts likely will target ingredients in laundry soap. Some detergents used in Mexico aren’t approved in the United States, making them useful indicators of where wastewater originates.<br />In addition, tests may look at caffeine or artificial sweeteners, traces of which could connect the odors to human excrement and raise concerns about the potential for waterborne illnesses. That kind of chemical fingerprinting is several times more expensive than fecal indicator tests.<br />“Usually when you test the water, you know what you are looking for,” McCue said. “In this case, we are trying to figure out what’s in the water. It’s almost a reverse investigation.”<br />Even if the regional board agrees to finance a study, success will hinge on the smell lingering long enough to get several water samples.<br />“These events come and go depending on what the surf is doing,” Clifton said. “You could very easily miss it.”</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3363444117972736843.post-91441924616907000042010-07-23T11:19:00.000-07:002010-07-23T11:21:31.309-07:00Sick of Sewage<a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/blog/sick-of-sewage/item/20-reactions-to-21-million-gallon-sewage-spill-in-tijuana-river-valley.html">Reactions to 2.1 Million Gallon Sewage Spill in Tijuana River Valley </a><br /><br />Written by <a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/">Jen Kovecses</a><br /><br />Of San Diego’s eleven watersheds, the <a href="http://www.projectcleanwater.org/html/ws_tijuana.html" target="_blank">Tijuana River watershed</a> is the largest. Most of it lies on the Mexican side of the border. It is also the watershed with some of the worst sewage pollution in our region. When you hear about Imperial Beach being closed because of high bacteria counts, it is a good bet that the sewage causing the problem came from Mexico. After years of squabbling over how to fix the problem – building the Bajagua treatment plant, upgrading other facilities – there seemed to be enough political drama to start a Mexican soap opera but no real solution to the problem. In April of this year, <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/apr/28/sewage-treatment-plant-opening-big-step-forward/" target="_blank">La Morita</a> sewage treatment plant opened in Tijuana. This plant will treat much of the sewage in the Tijuana region and reclaim some of that treated wastewater for use in the irrigation of an adjacent nursery. The trees grown with that reclaimed water will be planted throughout Baja California. This plant is a big step towards being the first region in Mexico to treat 100% of its sewage.<br /><br />Needless to say, it was with dismay that I read the news on Sunday that there had been an enormous spill – <a href="http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/10/no-cleanup-in-huge-sewage-spill/" target="_blank">2.1 million gallons of raw sewage</a> – in the Tijuana River Valley at the beginning of June. Maybe more alarming than the spill itself is that none of it was captured by the International Boundary and Water Commission’s facility. The IWBC treatment facility was designed specifically to capture these types of flows. The foreign origin of the problem and the federal status of the IWBC facility have put this spill outside of the regulatory reach of the Regional Water Quality Control Board and it seems that in addition to no clean-up, there will be no real enforcement action either.<br /><br />While news of this spill is a sad reminder of the many infrastructure problems of the border region, we need to stay focused on the positive steps that have been taken to remedy the problem. Less than ten years ago, it was not uncommon to open your morning newspaper to read a story about huge volumes of sewage flowing untreated into San Diego’s creeks and bays. These spills would leave behind a wake of pollution that fouled our shorelines and exposed surfers and swimmers to micro-organisms that can make people sick. In the face of government and regulatory inaction, groups like San Diego Coastkeeper stepped in with advocacy, including a <a href="http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org/learn/sewage/29-treatment-of-sewage.html" target="_self">lawsuit to force upgrades</a> to our wastewater collection system. Since that time, we have seen a huge drop in sewage spills. So we know with enough pressure and will that change can happen.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1