IBWC Quarterly Meeting Recap: Why Coronado Must Stay Engaged
On February 13th, I attended the International Boundary and Water Commission (“IBWC”) quarterly meeting in San Ysidro. Mayor John Duncan was present, as was Imperial Beach Councilmember Mitch McKay, but I saw no other elected officials and recognized no other attendees from Coronado.
These meetings were previously held in Coronado, but after some attendees voiced concerns about the location’s convenience, the most recent meeting was moved to a gymnasium in San Ysidro. Unfortunately, this change came with significant downsides—parking was difficult, and the gymnasium’s acoustics made it hard to hear the speakers.
The meeting was led by IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner, PhD, an engineer with an MBA who was appointed by President Biden in 2022. From the start, she has been transparent about the severe mismanagement she inherited. When she took over, the wastewater treatment plant lacked a maintenance schedule, was underfunded, and didn’t even keep an inventory of repair parts—an astonishing oversight for such a critical facility. If even our cars require routine maintenance, how could a sewage treatment plant operate without one?
For those interested, the PowerPoint presentation from the meeting is available here: https://tinyurl.com/zuvft75m. Below are key takeaways:
Progress on Wastewater Treatment Plants: The Mexican sewage plant, San Antonio de los Buenos, is expected to be operational by April, significantly reducing the amount of untreated sewage flowing into the ocean.
Compliance Achieved: The existing sewage plant on the U.S. side of the border has been repaired and achieved compliance in November 2023. (See page 7 of the presentation.)
Expansion Underway: The expansion and redesign of the U.S. treatment plant are in progress, with construction and design happening simultaneously. (See milestones on page 13 of the presentation.)
Dr. Ryan Kempster, another speaker at the meeting, provided satellite imagery (see page 39 of the presentation) comparing the outflows from the border treatment plant (“SBOO”) and the Point Loma plant (“PLOO”). The difference is striking—the SBOO image shows a plume of untreated sewage from Mexico, whereas the PLOO image demonstrates proper treatment.
Before the meeting, I spoke with Dr. Giner about how we can help ensure her continued leadership at the IBWC. As a political appointee, she serves at the pleasure of the president, and any change in administration could put her position at risk. Given her expertise and the progress being made, we cannot afford to “switch horses midstream.” She suggested I write to our Congressional representatives and President Trump, advocating for her to remain in her role.
If you want to help keep this momentum going, I encourage you to write to the following elected representatives in their Washington, D.C. offices:
President Trump
Darrell Issa (CA-48)
Mike Levin (CA-49)
Scott Peters (CA-50)
Sara Jacobs (CA-51)
Juan Vargas (CA-52)
Suggested letters are provided below. Let them know that we need Dr. Maria-Elena Giner to continue leading the IBWC until the sewage crisis is fully resolved. Any disruption in IBWC leadership could set us back significantly.
Finally, I urge more of our elected leaders and Coronado residents to attend these meetings. It’s disappointing that only two officials were present for such a critical briefing. This crisis affects all of us, and we must show our neighbors that Coronado cares just as much as they do.
Brad Gerbel
Suggested Letters to the President and San Diego Congressional Delegation
Either download the Word document or cut and paste the letters below into your favorite word processing program.
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to retain IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in your administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Darrell Issa
United States House of Representatives
2108 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Issa:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to support the retention of IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in the new administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will lend your support keep this outstanding leader in her position. This will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Mike Levin
United States House of Representatives
2352 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Levin:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to support the retention of IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in the new administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will lend your support keep this outstanding leader in her position. This will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Mike Levin
United States House of Representatives
2352 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Levin:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to support the retention of IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in the new administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will lend your support keep this outstanding leader in her position. This will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Scott Peters
United States House of Representatives
2369 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Peters:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to support the retention of IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in the new administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will lend your support keep this outstanding leader in her position. This will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Sara Jacobs
United States House of Representatives
2348 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Jacobs:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to support the retention of IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in the new administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will lend your support keep this outstanding leader in her position. This will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
March ___, 2025
The Honorable Juan Vargas
United States House of Representatives
2467 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative Vargas:
I am writing to you as a resident of Coronado, California, deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis of untreated sewage flowing into the Pacific Ocean from Tijuana. I appreciate your awareness of this critical issue and the efforts currently underway to address it.
I urge you to support the retention of IBWC Commissioner Maria-Elena Giner in the new administration to ensure the successful completion of this vital project. Her leadership and expertise are essential in maintaining progress and delivering a lasting solution to protect our coastal communities and environment.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will lend your support keep this outstanding leader in her position. This will prioritize the health and well-being of those affected by this ongoing crisis.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]