Latest news with #Barcena
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US, Mexico reach agreement on reducing sewage flows across border and into San Diego
By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) -The United States and Mexico on Thursday reached an agreement aimed at finding a permanent solution to a decades-long sewage crisis, in which Mexican sewage has flowed into the Tijuana River and across the U.S. border, emptying into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Mexican Environment Minister Alicia Barcena signed a memorandum of understanding in Mexico City, in which Mexico agreed to expedite the expenditure of $93 million worth of improvements to the Tijuana sewage system and commit to several projects to account for future population growth and maintenance. Some of the Mexican projects would now be completed four years ahead of schedule, the EPA said. The U.S. in turn committed to releasing funds that would complete the expansion of a sewage treatment plant by the end of August. The plant is on the U.S. side of the border but treats sewage pumped in from Mexico. "This is a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans who have been calling on us to end this decades-old crisis," Zeldin said in a statement. Though both countries have long cooperated on water and sewage issues, the Tijuana sewage crisis, exacerbated by rapid growth in the border city and an underfunding of infrastructure projects, has often been a sore point. The deal comes amid other cross-border tensions on matters including immigration, drug-trafficking and gun-running. "I want to emphasize that what we are really doing is trying to solve, once and for all, the problem of wastewater in the Tijuana River. And I believe we are also doing it jointly, with both countries making commitments," Barcena told a joint press conference with Zeldin. Millions of gallons of treated and untreated sewage from Tijuana's overburdened system makes its way daily into the Tijuana River and reaches the ocean in the San Diego suburb of Imperial Beach, which has posted "Keep out of Water" signs on its beach for much of the past four years, depriving surfers of waves and Imperial Beach of crucial summer tourism revenue. The International Boundary and Water Commission, a body governed by U.S.-Mexican treaty agreements, has measured up to 50 million gallons per day (2,200 liters per second) of sewage-contaminated water from the Tijuana River toward Imperial Beach. Around half was raw sewage with the remainder a mix of treated sewage, groundwater and potable water from Tijuana's leaky pipes, IBWC officials have said. The IBWC operates the sewage treatment plant north of the border, which will increase its capacity to 35 million gallons per day, up from 25 million gallons per day, the EPA said. Every extra gallon treated is a gallon kept out of the ocean. Barcena said Mexico also committed to doubling the capacity of the San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant, which was recently repaired after years of delay. Before the recent repairs, the plant 6 miles (10 km) south of the border had been spewing at least 23 million gallons of sewage per day (1,000 liters per second) into the Pacific Ocean, whose prevailing currents flow north much of the year, further fouling San Diego waters.
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
US, Mexico reach agreement on reducing sewage flows across border and into San Diego
July 24 (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico on Thursday reached an agreement aimed at finding a permanent solution to a decades-long sewage crisis, in which Mexican sewage has flowed into the Tijuana River and across the U.S. border, emptying into the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Mexican Environment Minister Alicia Barcena signed a memorandum of understanding in Mexico City, in which Mexico agreed to expedite the expenditure of $93 million worth of improvements to the Tijuana sewage system and commit to several projects to account for future population growth and maintenance. Some of the Mexican projects would now be completed four years ahead of schedule, the EPA said. The U.S. in turn committed to releasing funds that would complete the expansion of a sewage treatment plant by the end of August. The plant is on the U.S. side of the border but treats sewage pumped in from Mexico. "This is a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans who have been calling on us to end this decades-old crisis," Zeldin said in a statement. Though both countries have long cooperated on water and sewage issues, the Tijuana sewage crisis, exacerbated by rapid growth in the border city and an underfunding of infrastructure projects, has often been a sore point. The deal comes amid other cross-border tensions on matters including immigration, drug-trafficking and gun-running. "I want to emphasize that what we are really doing is trying to solve, once and for all, the problem of wastewater in the Tijuana River. And I believe we are also doing it jointly, with both countries making commitments," Barcena told a joint press conference with Zeldin. Millions of gallons of treated and untreated sewage from Tijuana's overburdened system makes its way daily into the Tijuana River and reaches the ocean in the San Diego suburb of Imperial Beach, which has posted "Keep out of Water" signs on its beach for much of the past four years, depriving surfers of waves and Imperial Beach of crucial summer tourism revenue. The International Boundary and Water Commission, a body governed by U.S.-Mexican treaty agreements, has measured up to 50 million gallons per day (2,200 liters per second) of sewage-contaminated water from the Tijuana River toward Imperial Beach. Around half was raw sewage with the remainder a mix of treated sewage, groundwater and potable water from Tijuana's leaky pipes, IBWC officials have said. The IBWC operates the sewage treatment plant north of the border, which will increase its capacity to 35 million gallons per day, up from 25 million gallons per day, the EPA said. Every extra gallon treated is a gallon kept out of the ocean. Barcena said Mexico also committed to doubling the capacity of the San Antonio de los Buenos sewage treatment plant, which was recently repaired after years of delay. Before the recent repairs, the plant 6 miles (10 km) south of the border had been spewing at least 23 million gallons of sewage per day (1,000 liters per second) into the Pacific Ocean, whose prevailing currents flow north much of the year, further fouling San Diego waters.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Landlords fume over proposed rental inspection program
ELKHART — Landlords are voicing their outrage about a proposed rental inspection program being considered by the city. The public health and safety committee voted to send the ordinances to the city council, despite protests from landlords, during a public hearing Monday at city hall. The city council will discuss and vote on the ordinance at its next meeting on Monday. 'I'm shocked that you want to recommend something that doesn't work,' said Bob Barnes, a resident. 'You've ... heard multiple voters. Multiple voters asked you guys to table this. This is disgusting.' The rental inspection program will establish a rental registry and require regular inspections of rental properties in the city. Once established, all rental property owners would be required to annually register their properties with the city, and rental units would be required to be inspected every three years to ensure they are safe and habitable. The rental inspection program will cost a lot more money than the committee is anticipating, said Jesus Barcena, who described himself as a small landlord and resident. Barcena said, if the ordinance passes, he will be selling his properties. 'I think this is an overreach when it comes to the tenants' and the landlords' rights as well,' Barcena said. 'Not only that, but I feel like this thing got pushed past all the way through and I didn't see enough landlords or tenants out here. I don't even think the community really know this is going on.' Barcena pointed to how rental inspection programs have not worked in either South Bend or Goshen. Barcena said he thinks the public should be educated about slumlords instead of the city implementing a rental inspection program that does not work. Many landlords and tenants in the city did not know the meeting was going on and that an ordinance was being talked about, according to Barcena and other landlords at the meeting. Barcena, the only Hispanic landlord to speak at the meeting, said few Hispanic landlords and tenants knew of the hearing. 'They didn't bring in a large number of the landlords that are in the city to this meeting,' said Dave Blessing, a landlord. 'And I made a point of that ... a lot of landlords in the city don't know about this meeting tonight and I think that's a disappointment. It's a disservice to the city of helping us help solve what they are trying to accomplish.' The ordinance sets a $5 annual registration fee for rental properties, a $60 inspection fee per unit, and establishes various penalties for noncompliance. It also includes an incentive to encourage early participation: a 50 percent discount on the inspection fee for owners who register within the first six months. Pastor Lori King of Guidance Ministries spoke on how the rental inspection program would only create more problems for homelessness. 'As you know we're in a housing crisis; it's very difficult to find affordable housing,' King said. 'I spend a lot of my time trying to find affordable housing for people who are on social security and disability and people who are [among] the working poor, so I'm not a happy camper.' The mayor's administration is encouraging people to attend the next city council meeting on Monday, said Megan Erwin, chief of staff for the city. City Councilman Aaron Mishler said he was encouraged to hear from people about both ordinances related to the rental inspection program and he encourages the public to come to the next city council meeting. Councilman David Henke moved for the public health and safety committee to keep the ordinances in the committee again due to 14 people who spoke on Monday against the ordinances. No one seconded the motion, so it died.
