City of Coronado
Office of the Mayor
RICHARD BAILEY
1825 STRAND WAY · CORONADO, CA 92118 · TEL (619) 522 -7320 · [email protected]. US June 4, 2024
The Honorable Alex Padilla
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
RE: Thank you for Leading the New Authorization for Tijuana River Valley Watershed Environmental Infrastructure in the 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Dear Senator Padilla:
On behalf of the City of Coronado, I am writing to express my gratitude for your efforts and leadership in securing a new Environmental Infrastructure authorization in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee’s 2024 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed. Once enacted, this language will authorize $10 million for the Army Corps of Engineers to leverage their expertise to address the ongoing Tijuana River pollution issues.
As you know, the millions of gallons of contaminated water flowing across the U.S. – Mexico border every day from the Tijuana River into the Pacific Ocean have resulted in beach closures, public health concerns, environmental damage, and financial struggles for local businesses in the City of Coronado and other nearby cities. Furthermore, it has caused health issues for Navy SEALs training in these waters and Homeland Security-Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers, which disrupts our national security and military readiness. Your leadership of this authorization will contribute to achieving a lasting solution to the decades-long issue of untreated sewage and waste flow affecting the Tijuana River Valley and San Diego region.
Once more, the City of Coronado thanks you for your support in addressing the sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Watershed. This authorization is the product of your stewardship and will ensure the environmental infrastructure and ecosystem knowledge, expertise, and experience of the Army Corps of Engineers is used to mitigate, respond, and control the pollution in the Tijuana watershed. We look forward to further collaboration with you and your staff to see this language enacted into law, and continued efforts to support vital infrastructure projects aimed at confronting cross-border pollution.
Item 12b.
Sincerely,
Richard Bailey
Mayor
CC: Coronado City Council
Item 12b.