State Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson and other San Diego delegates seem to be doing the things they would do to pull off a “gut-and-amend” maneuver at the state Legislature that would replace a bill with one to help get the Midway Rising project started.
This is separate from SB 958, which ended up only loosely related to Midway Rising. The bill would essentially validate the plans developers and the city are finalizing to both analyze and mitigate the environmental impacts of the thousands of housing units and new arena.
First. we have the scoop in the Sacramento Report here. Also included: How much San Diego’s 10 state lawmakers talk on the legislative floor throughout the current two-year session? We got the totals.
Scott Lewis in this week’s Politics Report has more on the bill and a few other things to look out for. The Politics Report is for members and it’s here.
Enviros Sued Border Sewage Agency; They Got X
Environmentalists sued the federal government and its contractor two years ago for failing to clean Tijuana’s sewage well enough or keep it from spilling into the Tijuana River.
But in a settlement agreement reached this month, it seems much of what the International Boundary and Water Commission or IBWC committed to doing was… post on X more often. Under the settlement terms reached Aug. 4, the IBWC “will make best efforts” to let people know via its X account within three days of a major infrastructure problems like at the International Wastewater Treatment plant, which treats up to 50 million gallons of Tijuana sewage each day before sending it into the Pacific Ocean.
The federal government will also pay about $495,000 to cover attorneys fees from the Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation and Coastkeeper, the environmental groups that sued them.
Those groups alleged the IBWC and Veolia allowed the plant to fall into disrepair. The plant discharged hazardous wastewater, containing fecal matter and chemicals like DDT and PCBs into the Tijuana River, its estuary and the Pacific Ocean. In a press release this week, the environmental groups praised IBWC for expanding the plants capacity to take on more sewage and that the water it sends to the ocean has been within Clean Water Act compliance for 18 consecutive months.
Reporter’s Notebook: These Sidewalks Aren’t Made for Walking
San Diego is not a walkable city for many reasons. For our European intern, it comes down to trust.
Naomi Granata discovered you can walk the sidewalk until, suddenly, you can’t. It vanishes altogether, leaving you to finish your walk on a bike lane or the sandy shoulder of the road.
But the main reason she can’t trust them is that, at any given moment on most blocks, a car could cut across the sidewalk and into her path.
Read her first-person reflections here.
VOSD Podcast: Flip Flops Are Good
Our hosts kick off the latest episode with some breaking news: San Diego officials are flip-flopping again.
After a lot of public pushback, city officials announced a plan to reopen 13 public restrooms in Mission Bay through the end of the year. Our hosts explain where they found the money to do it and why flip-flopping is good sometimes.
Also on the show: Education reporter Jakob McWhinney found that some of San Diego Unified’s disabled students are spending a majority of the school year in classrooms with substitute teachers. He explains how parents worry that is affecting their education. Plus, why one legislator missed a lot of votes.
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you follow podcasts..
In Other News
San Diego County is announcing over §1 million in unclaimed funds owed to about 2,200 people and organizations, giving them until Oct. 11 to claim it before the money reverts to the County. (NBC San Diego)
A plant-based product marketed as a natural pain reliever remains widely available at San Diego smoke shops and gas stations despite a decade-old city ban. County officials have now linked 31 deaths to the products since 2023. (ABC 10 News)
The Port of San Diego cleared the way for an electric truck charging hub in National City. (Union-Tribune)
An environmental organization sued to block a 5,130-home Otay Mesa development approved by the city in July, arguing the site is poorly suited for growth due to its distance from transit and lack of adequate infrastructure. (Times of San Diego)
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