EPA reviewing petition to evaluate Tijuana River Valley’s eligibility as a Superfund site
Article Written By: Tammy Murga - The San Diego Union Tribune
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is reviewing a petition sent by San Diego County residents and elected officials asking the federal government to evaluate whether the polluted Tijuana River Valley may be eligible for Superfund designation.
County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer spearheaded the effort after a majority of her colleagues on the Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to delay any decision for at least three months.
“We need the EPA to come in here, and tell us once and for all if there is toxic waste in the ground so we have it addressed or take it off the table as an issue for our communities,” Lawson-Remer said in a statement.
The petition included 500 signatures from residents who listed their zip codes, of which about 200 were from South County. Many from the affected communities said they are suffering from respiratory ailments and those living outside of those areas said the sewage crisis has discouraged them from visiting the beaches and local businesses.
EPA spokesperson Julia Giarmoleo said the agency will evaluate whether a preliminary assessment of the Tijuana River is appropriate.
“If EPA proceeds with conducting a PA (preliminary assessment), this initial phase could last up to 12 months,” she said. “A PA includes a comprehensive review of existing information about the area, including potential contamination sources and environmental test results from air, water, soil, and sediment samples. The timeline for this assessment may vary depending on the site’s complexity and the amount of available information.”
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, also known as the Superfund program, allows the EPA to identify and, if necessary, remediate hazardous substances. It also makes the parties responsible for polluting the sites to pay for the cleanups. When there is no viable responsible party, the program offers funding through environmental excise taxes on chemicals, according to the agency’s website.
A preliminary assessment is just the first step. The EPA would then conduct a site inspection, which could include groundwater, soil exposure, surface water and air, and score the location from 0 to 100 under its Hazard Ranking System. If a site scores at least 28.5, it is eligible for the National Priorities List, which lists the most serious places for long-term cleanup. It would seek the state’s support before being placed on the National Priorities List. The agency could also defer to the state to handle or another program.