SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a waiver of environmental regulations Tuesday to speed up construction of more than two miles of border wall in San Diego County.
The waiver is the first under the Trump administration, which will forgo laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act requiring federal agencies to assess and consider potential environmental impacts prior to major federal actions.
In a statement, DHS said the waiver is intended to "cut through bureaucratic delays ... that can stall vital projects for months or even years."
The waiver covers the following projects:
-- SDC Jacumba Gap Wall Project, which is about two miles
-- SDC Smugglers Gulch Project, at about 350 feet
-- SDC 4 Wall Project, which is between 600 and 1,500 feet
In San Diego, local community groups have protested the border wall's construction for years.
On Wednesday, ABC 10News spoke with the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) director, Lilian Serrano.
"We oppose all of the construction we opposed to the first Trump administration we continue opposing it during the Biden administration and now here we are again," says Serrano.
SBCC, along with several other groups, sued the first Trump Administration over the wall construction; that lawsuit was eventually settled during Biden's presidency.
"Together, these projects will close critical gaps in the border barrier and enhance border security operations in the San Diego (SDC) Sector," the DHS statement continued.
The DHS waiver means construction on the wall gaps can begin immediately, bypassing environmental laws. The funding will come from CBP 2020 and 2021 appropriations.
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