County says complaints pouring in over odor at border

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District has received over 100 complaints in the past 10 days about a foul odor near the Hollister Street Pump Station, prompting the county to step in.

The SDAPCD has issued a violation notice to the International Boundary and Water Commission, which is responsible for the pump station, hoping to lead to a swift change.

Priscilla Thompson, who lives along the Tijuana River Valley with her horse Gunner, says the odor can be overwhelming at times.

“I can’t imagine what else is floating in the air,” Thompson said.

Paula Forbis, with the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District, said the situation has worsened in recent weeks.

“We had complaints of very strong sewage smells, folks not being able to sleep at night, not being able to open their windows,” Forbis said.

Since July 21, the Air Pollution Control District has received more than 150 complaints. The county attributes the odor to the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station, which stopped working in June and led to the release of over 300,000 gallons of sewage.

“They’re really impacting people’s lives, so under our rules that constitutes a public nuisance and it’s also a violation of state law,” Forbis said.

Leon Benham, helps lead a campaign called Stop the Stink with his group, ‘Citizens for Coastal Conservancy.’

His team helped gather the complaints “...to try to get our government leaders to look at this and look at what’s going on because I doubt very many of them are seeing what we’re seeing today,” Benham said.

Benham went on to say the lack of containment is best shown along a foam-ridden body of water hidden in the valley.

“The foam is the result of the natural process that sewage goes through,” he said.

The valley’s stench is so foul, the river flowing along Leon Avenue and Saturn Boulevard comes with a warning that reads “look, look, take a deep breath,” written in a chalk-like medium on the roadside. 

While it is home for Thompson and Gunner, it comes with a hefty price, and it stinks. 

“There’s a huge amount of concern obviously, I mean, this whole vicinity is dependent on that pump working appropriately,” Thompson said.

The International Boundary and Water Commission said it is reviewing the notice from the Air Pollution Control District and will respond accordingly.