San Diego, CA
County Supervisor Collecting Signatures In EPA Superfund Site Push
SAN DIEGO, CA — Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is seeking petition signatures Tuesday from San Diego County residents impacted by the Tijuana River Valley crisis as she looks for support in getting an EPA Superfund site designation.
Following last week’s decision by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to delay any formal decision on pursuing the Superfund designation for the Tijuana River, Lawson-Remer decided to act anyway.
“The Tijuana River sewage crisis affects all of our coastal neighborhoods,” she said. “We need to get to the bottom of what’s causing the stinky air and sickness among some residents; and seeking a Superfund designation would either give us answers not currently available to us.
“It’s my hope the results would come back negative, but if they don’t then we have a path to seek a solution the residents living up and down our coast deserve. Protecting our beaches, coastlines and public health is of great importance, and a Superfund is another tool at our disposal.”
On Oct. 9, the board voted 3-2 to wait on pursuing the Superfund distinction, a 1980 law which lets the EPA clean up contaminated areas — such as the infamous Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York.
Some local leaders have joined Lawson-Remer’s push, including Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre; Marcus Bush, National City Council member; National City Mayor Ron Morrison; and Jack Shu, chairman of the San Diego Air Pollution Control District.
Lawson-Remer, who issued a board letter asking for the Superfund designation, voted no last week on the motion for further review, as did Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe.
Lawson-Remer said Superfund is designed to address toxic waste “and the Tijuana River Valley has endured 80 years of wastewater that includes many known toxic substances, making it a strong candidate (for designation).”
Over the past few years, concerns have grown about pollution in the Tijuana River Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border — including sewage spills, contaminated beaches and noxious odors. A broken wastewater treatment plant in Baja California is considered the main cause.
In a statement, supervisors board chair Nora Vargas said the county “cannot afford to delay” coordinated efforts between the U.S. Congressional delegation and local cities in connection with fixing wastewater treatment facilities.
During the meeting last Tuesday, Vargas said she wasn’t opposed to EPA involvement, but she said the process could take decades before any meaningful clean-up begins.
She added that Superfund doesn’t address the international pollution issue, which has resulted in cross-border cooperation.
“Let me be clear: We absolutely need federal action now,” Vargas said. “We cannot make decisions about the Tijuana River Valley without fully engaging communities and organizations on the frontlines of the crisis.”
Further, if the pollution source isn’t solved, “we won’t be able to change a thing,” Vargas said.
Supervisor Jim Desmond said he appreciated more time for the county on how to move forward.
In a statement after the vote, Montgomery Steppe said making the Tijuana River Valley a Superfund site would simply give the county “another tool to combat the decades-long environmental injustice.”
“I do not support the motion to delay the decision for another 90 days, but I look forward to exploring the additional options the county can take,” Montgomery Steppe said.
“Countless constituents inside and outside my district have shared their experiences about the severe impact of the Tijuana River Valley pollution issue, but feel their concerns are overlooked and dismissed,” she added. “I am deeply concerned about this. The people deserve better.”
— City News Service
Joan Endres
OBITUARY
Born January 1939 in Cincinnati Ohio. Died February 14, 2026, in San Diego, California, with her sons at her side. Her beloved husband Dean passed away in 2010.
Joan was the only child of Thomas and Edna Palmer. In 1943, the family moved to San Diego, where Joan graduated from Helix High School in 1956.
In 1957 Joan married Dean Endres of San Diego, where they raised two sons. Joan followed her two great passions outside the home, the Arts, and Gardening. Both activities being a way to bring beauty to others and to the community.
Joan received a degree in Environmental Design from San Diego State University, and afterwords worked at UCSD, for the Campus Architect.
As an artist, Joan worked in various media, especially ceramics. She was active in many cultural and arts organizations, eventually becoming President of the Combined Organization for the Visual Arts (COVA). Later she turned to gardening, with the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca Community College and the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County.
Joan is survived by her son Jeff and wife Katrin, grandson Jackson, and son Todd Endres, all of La Mesa, and sisters Alice Buck of Phoenix, Elaine Kennedy of San Diego, Nancy and husband Don Jones of Vista, Eva Budzinski of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, and their children and grandchildren.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Joan in the near future. Those who wish to attend should contact celebratejoanuvart@gmail.com to receive details when they are confirmed. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests a donation to the Water Conservation Garden or the Diego Visual Arts Network (SDVAN).
The San Diego State Aztecs’ have moved off the bubble and back into the NCAA Tournament’s Field of 64 in the latest ESPN’s Bracketology projections.
The Aztecs must feel like a yo-yo, but now it’s in a good way. Bracket expert Joe Lunardi moved them from the bottom of the First Four Out — No. 72 — to holding the Mountain West’s automatic bid after an 89-72 home romp Wednesday night over Utah State, which had held the auto-bid in bracketology for a few weeks now.
Lunardi now has the Aztecs as the No. 11 seed in the West Region, with a projected first-round date against former MW rival BYU in Portland.
Lunardi wrote that SDSU’s auto-bid “shifts the entire bubble.”
Wednesday night’s victory not only pulled the Aztecs (19-8, 13-4) into a tie with Utah State (23-5, 13-4) atop the MW standings, but it was just their second Quad 1 victory in six such opportunities.
SDSU’s next two games are both Quad 1 chances, at New Mexico on Saturday and then at Boise State on Tuesday night.
The win lifted the Aztecs only one spot in the NCAA NET Rankings, to No. 43. Those rankings are used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as the primary sorting tool for selection and seeding for March Madness.
SDSU’s resume for earning an at-large berth has been on shaky ground all season, and was seriously damaged last week when the Aztecs lost at home to Grand Canyon and were then routed at Colorado State, both Quad 2 games.
SDSU’s best bet to assure a trip to March Madness for the sixth straight season is to win the MW tournament in Las Vegas and claim the automatic bid. That requires winning three games in as many days, and perhaps a third showdown against the Aggies, who beat the Aztecs 71-66 in Logan on Jan. 31.
Lunardi now has Utah State projected as an at-large team, but still with the No. 7 seed in the East, facing No. 10 Texas A&M in a first-round game in St. Louis.
New Mexico (21-7, 12-5), lurking just a game behind SDSU and USU, has dropped from the Last Four In at No. 68 to the First Four Out at No. 70.
The Aztecs were the unanimous preseason pick to win the MW regular-season title in their final season in the league before moving into the Pac-12 along with Utah State, Boise State, Fresno State and Colorado State.
Saturday’s game at New Mexico is set to tip off at 11 a.m. PT and will air on CBS.
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