(Emergency Salton Sea Declaration)…It was discussed recently.

The Declaration was adopted by the County Board of Supervisors. The Board and representatives from the Imperial Irrigation District recently participated in a conference call with the California Office of Emergency Services. The topic was the emergency declaration. They discussed specific requests pertaining to the emergency declaration for Air Pollution at the Salton Sea. Requests from the County and IID included equipment to expand current surface roughening projects near the Salton Sea and to expedite implementation of delayed Salton Sea Management Program plans, assistance with air and water quality data and monitoring in and around the sea, comprehensive soil studies in the area surrounding the sea, additional studies on childhood asthma rates in the northend of Imperial Valley, and the deployment of personnel who can provide professional services focused on data analysis, hydrology, geology, toxicology and biology. During the conference, Chairman of the Board, District 4 Supervisor Ryan Kelley expressed his concern saying the effect on the ground as a result of the receding Salton Sea is moving faster than the work in Sacramento to correct the problem. With the emergency declaration, County officials are seeking to streamline the permitting process and gain additional supportive resources to accelerate the mitigation efforts to address air quality impacts to Imperial County residents.