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County Supervisor Collecting Signatures In EPA Superfund Site Push

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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.”

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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.

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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.

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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



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Feeding San Diego explains the impact of high gas prices on fueling fleet & food rescue

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Feeding San Diego explains the impact of high gas prices on fueling fleet & food rescue


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Gas prices in San Diego County have dipped slightly this week.

But the costs it takes to fill up a fuel tank are getting quite pricey for some food banks.

“We kind of have a triple whammy going on with the fuel situation,” Patty O’Connor, Chief Operating Officer for Feeding San Diego, said.

O’Connor said the first big hit with the current gas prices is bringing the food into Feeding San Diego’s food distribution center.

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“We bring about 2 million pounds a month here, and a lot of that is, most of that is rescued food, but we still have to pay for the freight that cost us over $100,000 last month just in freight to bring that in,” O’Connor said.

The organization also sends that food out to the community by truck and by van.

“Every day you’ll see our bright orange trucks going out into the community. We do about 25 deliveries a day, but about 480 over the course of a month, and if you can imagine that costs a lot of money,” O’Connor said.

“In fact, last month, that cost us about $32,000 in just fuel costs. We rely on diesel fuel, and that was twice as much as it was a year ago.”

It’s not only more expensive to fuel the trucks delivering the food, but it’s also more expensive to keep what’s inside them cool.

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“And then when we’re loading and unloading, we need to make sure that the trucks are running so that we can keep the food food-safe. So that’s a whole other part of this process that we are managing,” O’Connor said.

Feeding San Diego told ABC 10News they’ve heard from some partners that are on the food rescue side of things that it’s more expensive to drive to pick up those products. So they’ve been able to give some of those partners gas cards to pay for their gas to get food to the community that needs it.

“We look to the community to support us, and so far, um, San Diegans are generous, and they have been generous, and we really do need to continue that generosity so that we can support the struggling families throughout the county,” O’Connor said. “And whatever we can do to support those families, we are going to do so.”





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Daily Business Report: May 14, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine

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Daily Business Report: May 14, 2026, San Diego Metro Magazine


Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block

by City News Service | Times of San Diego

Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.

Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.

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Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.

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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed

By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego

The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.

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Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.

It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.

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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute

By RJS Law

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The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.

DATE AND TIME

Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

LOCATION

Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre

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5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110

EVENT STATUS

Open to the Public

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San Diego library funding partially restored in mayor’s revised budget proposal

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San Diego library funding partially restored in mayor’s revised budget proposal


SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.

After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.

Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.

“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”

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Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.

“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.

The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.

In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.

Stewart said the effort is making an impact.

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“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.

The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.

Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.





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