SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A San Ysidro sod farm next to the Tijuana River became filled with trash, sediment, and sewage after the January. 22 storm. The sod farm is the size of 97 football fields.
Considerable progress has since been made, with much of the debris cleared and grass visibly emerging.
The International Boundary and Water Commission said it plans to remove the remaining piles of debris in the coming weeks and take them to a licensed landfill. The commission also said it has been working around the clock to clean up the mess.
"I am happy to see the change. It is encouraging that there is an effort. But I am concerned. I don’t think we really touched on the long term," said Elizabeth Bagnas, a nearby resident.
ABC 10 News spoke with Bagnas after the storm. We caught up with her again on Monday.
"I am really concerned about what is in the air. What kind of pollution is there? Is there any bacteria? My neighbors and I are walking our dogs over there. I have seen baby carriages taking a stroll," she said.
In response to concerns of air condition, IBWC told ABC 10News in a statement:
"The north levee area of cleanup, including the IBWC-leased sod farm, is not open to the public thereby reducing potential risks to the general public. The scope of cleanup does not include sediment removal or grading thus reducing the potential for creation of dust. The floodplain within the cleanup site has some non-moving, ponded water and therefore not a potential source for aerosols. Stockpiled trash will be loaded into dumpsters for offsite disposal and return of the sod farm to prior storm conditions."
There is still a lot of water on the other side of the farm. Officials tell ABC 10 News it is from the most recent storm. As soon as the water evaporates, they will clean up that area as well.
