The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District issued a Notice of Violation on July 29 to the International Boundary and Water Commission and its contractor for causing a public nuisance, in violation of SDAPCD Rule 51 and state law.
The NOV was issued after SDAPCD received approximately 150 complaints since July 21, regarding odors near the Tijuana River Valley. After investigating these complaints, it was found that the IBWC failed to properly maintain the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station, which is responsible for directing untreated transboundary water flow to the IBWC wastewater treatment plant. The pump station stopped operating on June 16 and resulted in the discharge of approximately 300,000 gallons of untreated wastewater containing sewage. Following this event, the continued failure to properly contain the untreated wastewater led to additional releases into the Tijuana River Valley, causing persistent nuisance odors.
“All San Diego County residents have a right to enjoy clean air without being affected by foul odors,” said Paula Forbis, SDAPCD Air Pollution Control officer in a press release.
“SDAPCD recognizes this is a complex and longstanding issue, but we will enforce our rules to ensure that South San Diego County residents are not burdened by odors from improper maintenance of the plant.”
SDAPCD will continue to monitor the situation and enforce air quality rules and regulations to ensure compliance is achieved. More information about SDAPCD’s compliance program can be found by visiting sdapcd.org.
