Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, on Friday called for nearly $300 million in additional funding to support ongoing efforts to clean up cross-border sewage.
Peters, along with Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, led the effort to submit a bipartisan request for $278 million for the International Boundary and Water Commission’s (IBWC) construction budget.
This represents a $200 million increase over President Joe Biden’s request and is in addition to the $156 million Peters secured in the FY24 appropriations bill.
The IBWC is the federal agency tasked with operating and maintaining the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant which has fallen into disrepair, contributing to the cross-border sewage problems that continue to plague the American side of the border.
The members also requested language to allow other federal agencies and non-federal entities, such as state and local governments and non-profits, to transfer money to the IBWC, and $89.3 million for the IBWC’s Salaries and Expenses account. That sum represents a $20 million increase over the president’s request.
The letter was signed by fellow local Democrats Juan Vargas, Sara Jacobs and Mike Levin, along with Katie Porter, D-Irvine. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas added his signature.
The representatives were joined by Republicans Dan Crenshaw of Texas, Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.
The total funding, if enacted, would be enough for IBWC to fix and upgrade the treatment plant to handle 50 million gallons of wastewater per day, significantly reducing the amount of pollution reaching San Diego County beaches.
In their letter, the members write, “Although there was a significant increase in funding for FY24 from Fiscal Year 2023, the IBWC continues to face obstacles as it seeks to fully carry out its mission. These obstacles include outdated construction equipment, sediment buildup, a need for new levees, ongoing drought, and much more. It also faces an inadequate baseline of funding for staffing and support.”
They also state that the IBWC, “carries a large maintenance backlog for many of its existing assets. In fact, one of its facilities, the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, has for years failed to even meet federal Clean Water Act standards. That plant must be brought back into compliance.”