Local Congressional Delegation Praises Proposed Biden Disaster Relief Package

Congressman Peters is grateful to President Joe Biden for understanding the urgency of the cross-border sewage pollution crisis. Our Congressional delegation and advocates at every level have been pushing to secure this funding and they won’t rest until the job is done.

Congressman Peters urges his congressional colleagues to support this funding package and deliver much-needed aid to San Diegans, whose public health is at stake, and to Americans recovering from recent natural disasters.

Read more about it in this November 17th piece from the Times of San Diego, posted below:

Local Congressional Delegation Praises Proposed Biden Disaster Relief Package

By Brooke Binkowski

November 17, 2024

Local legislators are applauding a disaster relief package from the Biden administration that includes millions of dollars for the Tijuana River Valley.

The package offers $310 million to help upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The congressional delegation, comprising Democratic U.S. Reps. Sara Jacobs, Scott Peters, Juan Vargas, and Mike Levin, has been pushing for President Joe Biden to release additional funds to repair and upgrade the wastewater treatment plant in any upcoming disaster relief funding package.

The funding would build on the $400 million in federal funding already secured by the delegation, and it would help support the ongoing construction project to double the wastewater treatment plant’s capacity and combat pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. .

“Our San Diego congressional delegation has worked tirelessly to draw national attention and bring home federal funds to address the Tijuana River Valley crisis — the biggest environmental and public health disaster in our community,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs in a statement.

“I’m so proud our hard work is paying off from breaking ground on the repair and expansion project at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant to securing $310 million in President Biden’s supplemental budget package.”

Jacobs promised that lawmakers would keep pushing until the crisis is resolved.

Earlier this year, the group urged the Small Business Administration to help businesses that had been affected by the environmental crisis.

The delegation also called on the Environmental Protection Agency to provide support to the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District as they work to monitor the air quality in communities dealing with Tijuana River Valley pollution.