International Boundary and Water Commission Authority

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, my bill, H.R. 1948, allows the International Boundary and Water Commission, or IBWC, to accept up to $5 million per year from other Federal agencies or outside entities like cities, States, and nonprofit organizations for wastewater treatment and flood control projects like those that would fight the cross-border sewage crisis in and around San Diego and Coronado.

The IBWC has jurisdiction over the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Diego, where longstanding operational and maintenance failures have allowed raw sewage to flow from the Tijuana River onto San Diego's beaches. This has created a public health crisis that strains local resources, poses significant environmental risks, and forces servicemembers to train in polluted sewage water.

Under current law, Federal agencies, State governments, and local entities cannot transfer funds to projects under IBWC's jurisdiction. This leaves IBWC solely reliant on annual appropriations or emergency funding to build and maintain its facilities.

My office, along with the rest of the San Diego delegation and our California senators, have worked hard to secure $360 million in emergency funding to help address chronic issues at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. This bill would provide another tool to ensure that San Diego and Coronado do not need to move from emergency to emergency to secure adequate funding for this plant.

I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have helped move the ball forward on this issue, including the San Diego delegation, our California senators, and my colleagues who are former Navy SEALs, who understand the harm of training in these polluted waters.

I also thank the cities of San Diego, Coronado, Imperial Beach, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Coastkeeper, WILDCOAST, and other San Diegans who have made stopping this catastrophe a top priority.

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