Imperial County officials are not happy that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has omitted the New River in their current expenditure plan.
The Board of Supervisors is raising the issue since the EPA's current spending plan directs $300 million in funding meant to address toxic waste from Mexico with all of he money going to San Diego County and the sewage flow from the Tijuana River Valley. The Board has sent letters to EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler , Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamela Harris and Congressman Juan Vargas looking for support for the Imperial County issues with the New River and it's toxic flow.
The Board of Supervisors issued a Declaration of Emergency in November of 2019. The declaration was extended in February of this year. The state has not issued it's own emergency declaration which would have forced the federal government to consider the declaration. The state has proposed $28 million for the New River Improvement Project in Calexico for the coming fiscal year.