Association of Environmental Professionals | San Diego Chapter
SPRING 2020
For this installment of my Message from the Board, I had anticipated writing to you all about the highlights of the AEP Chapter Board Summit and the interesting sessions and fun times had at the 2020 AEP Conference in Yosemite. Of course, as none of us could have foreseen, the Covid-19 pandemic swept into our lives, bringing uncertainty, social distancing, and the stalling of large gatherings like our 2020 Conference along with it. Now that we are all sequestered in our homes, conference calls, Zoom meetings, and the occasional distanced wave hello are the only ways we can stay connected to our family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors. The activities I, and many other San Diegans, once took for granted – days lounging at the beach, happy hours with coworkers, brewery meet-ups, going to the movies, trivia nights at the local bar, watching sports of any kind, going into the office (who guessed I’d miss that so much?), going on hikes with friends – are now just fond memories that come with pangs of longing for how things were only a little over one month ago. The gratitude we all feel for our healthcare workers, first responders, and essential personnel can only be matched by the anxiety and helplessness we experience when hearing the latest news and statistics on the pandemic’s progress. With the future unknown, it is difficult to feel excited or optimistic about what is to come. Pretty bleak, right?! I can’t lie, my days and weeks can feel like a series of ups and downs, as if I am riding the waves of my own emotions and perceptions of what is happening outside my door, and I have never been able to master the art of surfing. But to cut through the choppy times, I have been practicing self-reflection and trying to focus on the positives that have come out of these unprecedented times. (continued on next page)
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD BY KATIE LAYBOURN, HARRIS & ASSOCIATES
ENVIRONMENTOR
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Let’s walk through a couple of them together to buoy our spirits for the time-being: One positive outcome from the quarantine, social distancing, and stay-at-home mandates has been a renewed interest and commitment in reconnecting with family, friends, and coworkers we had previously maintained less consistent communication with. We all now have abundance of time (forced) on our hands, so there is no excuse not to text back, jump on a Zoom call, or chat on the phone to catch up. Topics of conversation often revolve around what we have been binge-watching, how work/school has changed for us, and the activities we miss doing. No matter how serious or silly the discussions are, the important thing is that we are fostering or restoring personal connections and making us all feel a little less isolated. San Diego AEP has gotten in on the socially-distant gatherings too, with our recent Quarantini happy hour! Participants played the giggle-inducing Quiplash game where we all got to reconnect and learn a little more about each other’s goofy thought-processes. It was a ton of fun, and we will definitely be hosting another happy hour soon! To end where we began, at the beautiful venue for our 2020 AEP Conference, Yosemite National Park, is experiencing an influx of wildlife streaming back into the valley in numbers that have not been seen in decades. Without the constant flow of people, cars, and disruption, the park appears to be reverting back to a more natural balance – forcing us to rethink the way we have been using our national preserves in the recent past. Hopefully when we are all in Yosemite together in November, we, like the park, will enjoy a sense of invigoration, appreciation, and balance restored. From the San Diego AEP Board and me, please stay safe and take care of yourself and others. Looking forward to seeing you (virtually) at our next event!
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD (CONTINUED)
THE ENVIRONMENTOR, SPRING 2020 | {{page}}
UPCOMING events
2020 AEP CONFERENCE UPDATE A message from the AEP Board of Directors: The annual AEP Conference, originally scheduled to take place at Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite from April 19-22, has been postponed. The AEP Board of Directors and Conference Committee in collaboration with Tenaya Lodge have successfully rescheduled the conference for November 8-11, 2020. Conference attendees who have already registered and are able to attend the conference from November 8-11 need not take action at this time. Those who have registered but are unable to attend November 8-11 may contact Candace Bynder at membership@califaep.org to cancel for a full refund. For those who have yet to register, AEP will be re-opening the early registration rates effective immediately.
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE WEBINAR Thursday, May 28, 2020 from 12-1pm After several years of working with local stakeholders, planners, and state agencies, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research soon will be releasing a final draft of the updated Environmental Justice (EJ) section of the General Plan Guidelines, along with a Sample EJ Policies document and a set of EJ Case Studies. Join Erik De Kok, Planning & Community Development Program Manager at OPR, for a presentation and discussion on this exciting update. The updated guidance provides: Additional guidance on when EJ requirements are triggered and to whom they apply, per SB 1000; More specific guidance on how to identify and engage with disadvantaged communities throughout the general plan update process; and, How to identify and address the specific needs and issues faced by disadvantaged communities through the general plan and its implementation. Click here for additional details and to register.
SAN DIEGO AEP BOOK CLUB JUNE 2020 Looking for something to help fill the time during while following "Stay at Home" orders? San Diego AEP is pleased to announce the start of the SDAEP Book Club!! Please participate in reading our very first book for Q2 2020. Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men- the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling, Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonders of newly discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction. We will be scheduling our inaugural SDAEP Book Club Discussion in June so as you make your way through our book selection, keep your eyes peeled for our Discussion (either virtual or in-person depending on conditions). Interested in being more involved? We are looking for a volunteer Book Club Leader to facilitate this quarter's selection! If you have any questions or want any more information as to what this would involve, please don't hesitate to contact Chapter Director, Corinne Lytle Bonine at clytle-bonine@chambersgroupinc.com.
This is the second article in the Tijuana sewage problem series. If you missed the first article, click here (then navigate to page 10) to access the first article for background on the issues. Raw sewage, chemicals, and trash flowing through rivers onto beaches may not be how most people think of San Diego. This is, however, a reality for those living in the South County coast from the international border north to Coronado. Untreated sewage flowing through the Tijuana River Valley from Mexico to California has been a problem since at least the 1930s. According to the most recent data available, between 2015 and 2019, the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) reported 114 sewage spills into the Tijuana River totaling 2,742,381,091 gallons (you read that correctly, 2.7 billion gallons). None of the spill sewage was recovered. For comparison, San Diego County reported just under 11 million gallons of sewage spilled throughout the county during this same period; 2.5 million gallons were recovered. According to a KPBS interview with Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, up to 50 million gallons per day has been flowing into California from Mexico since November 2019. This is despite investments in wastewater collection and treatment constructed in the Tijuana River Valley in the 1990s, and numerous capital projects to improve Tijuana’s wastewater facilities. Although this issue is larger than just beach closures, water quality data collected by San Diego County Department of Environmental Health may be a way to measure health impacts. All beaches in the county are closed at various times due to rain, bacteriological standard exceedances, and sewage spills. However, in 2018 and 2019, San Diego beaches were closed on 43 occasions for a sum of 466 days; 39 of those closures (454 days) were attributed to contamination in the Tijuana River. The closures attributed to the Tijuana River sewage continue in 2020: Border Field State Park has been closed since January 1, Imperial Beach has been closed since March 10, Silver Strand State Beach has been closed since April 2, and Coronado City beaches have been closed since April 8. Three lawsuits were filed in 2018 against the U.S. section of the IBWC over the sewage releases (the federal government owns the main channel of the Tijuana River, the canyon sewage collectors, and the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant). One lawsuit was filed by the cities of Imperial Beach and Chula Vista, and the Port of San Diego. A second lawsuit was filed by the California Attorney General and the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, and later joined by the City of San Diego. Surfrider Foundation filed a third lawsuit. All three lawsuits cite violations of the Clean Water Act. (continued on next page)
TIJUANA RIVER UPDATE BY JULIA NORRIS, AARCHER INC.
This pressure from state and local agencies, legislators, and non-profit groups seemed to have results. When the renegotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was recently ratified in March 2020, it included $300 million to address border pollution. According to a press release in December of 2019 from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the USMCA includes the following provisions: $300 million for the construction of wastewater facilities along the border. $25 million for the EPA’s Border Water Infrastructure Improvement Program, a $10 million increase over last year. Authorization for the North American Development Bank to fund additional projects related to water pollution, wastewater treatment, water conservation, municipal solid waste, stormwater drainage, and non-point pollution. A requirement that the Secretary of State creates an inter-agency plan to address the effects of toxic cross-border flows on communities in the United States. A requirement that U.S. Customs and Border Protection submits a report on efforts to protect its agents from toxic cross-border flows. The catch is that federal agencies such as the EPA choose how the money will be spent, leaving local governments with an immediate problem and potentially a long wait for resolution. The North American Development Bank (a financial institution established by the United States and Mexico for the purpose of financing environmental infrastructure projects) commissioned a study in 2019 of 15 alternatives, ranking the top six of those alternatives. Meanwhile, the County of San Diego is working on a study (not yet published) of 26 potential fixes, ranging from adding more water capture basins, diverting sewage tainted flows to the ocean outfall, to boosting the capacity of the international sewage plant near the border. None of these solutions are currently funded. The federal government has already spent $290 million addressing Tijuana’s sewage problems ($240 million for the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, $50 million in infrastructure improvements within Mexico), and the City of San Diego spent $89 million to build a wastewater treatment plant ocean outfall. (The Government of Mexico contributed $16.8 million toward the treatment plant construction, $1.1 million annually for plant operation, plus a 50% match for infrastructure improvement projects). Numerous smaller projects have been funded to remove solid waste and sediment from the Tijuana River. Despite these efforts, threats of lawsuits, and demands for attention from San Diego leaders, the sewage continues to flow. The fact that $300 million of the USMCA has been allocated to border pollution is a step in the right direction; however, the USMCA is expected to give rise to additional factories at the border, bringing more people to Tijuana—and more refuse to the river valley. References: https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sandiego/water_issues/ programs/tijuana_river_valley_strategy/spill_report.html https://ciwqs.waterboards.ca.gov/ciwqs/readOnly/Publi cReportSSOServlet?reportAction=criteria&reportId=sso_main https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general- becerra-and-san-diego-water-board-we%E2%80%99re- ready-file-suit-over https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press- releases?ID=C911D00A-4E33-4DC1-BED0-484FD5B3A4DA https://aesm.assembly.ca.gov/sites/aesm.assembly.ca.gov/ files/EPA%20%20Tijuana%20River%20Watershed% 20March%202015.pdf https://books.google.com/books?id=l22YH_BwtpAC&lpg= PA43&ots=a_Mfc0wwc6&dq=cost%20of%20San%20Diego %20ocean%20outfall%20Mexico%20border.&pg=PR1#v= onepage&q=cost%20of%20San%20Diego%20ocean% 20outfall%20Mexico%20border.&f=false https://www.nadb.org/knowledge-resources/studies- publications/tijuana-river-diversion-study
Each fall, the San Diego Chapter holds an Awards and Scholarship Banquet to provide scholarships to student members who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement in the environmental field. The event is also an opportunity to recognize exceptional technical and environmental documents and celebrates the accomplishments of local agencies, firms, and professionals. We have started preliminary planning for the 2020 event. While it is unknown if the event will be held in-person or virtually, we could use your help! If you are interested in joining the Awards and Scholarship Banquet committee, please reach out to Lisa Maier at lmaier@dudek.com.
Call for awards and scholarship banquet committee members
ADVANCED CEQA WORKSHOP
Thank you to our presenters Poonam Boparai, Ascent Environmental Andrea Contreras Rosati, Vanst Law Darin Neufeld, County of San Diego Bob Stark, Michael Baker International Suzanne R. Varco, Varco & Rosenbaum Environmental Law Group LLP
event RECAP
meet OUR 2019 STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
fEDERICK PINONGCOS, Sdsu
Federick Pinongcos is a master’s student at San Diego State University majoring in Environmental Engineering. His thesis is about studying anthropogenic contaminants that are present in the San Diego River during storm events and investigating its possible sources. Federick is passionate about river restoration projects and stormwater and surface water quality research. He hopes to one day work with a community engagement project and be an instrument in helping improve the state of the San Diego River. He plans on applying to a PhD program after he get his masters and hopefully achieve his goal of working in a developing country to help solve some of their environmental problems they face. His hobbies include traveling, photography and playing videogames. What have you enjoyed most about your coursework/pursuing a degree in the environmental field? Pursuing a degree in the environmental field, I learned about the environmental problems globally. As an engineering major in particular, I enjoyed learning how different countries have different ways of tackling these problems. Can you tell us a little bit more about your goal to work in a developing country to help solve environmental problems? Which country would you want to work in? Hard question. I want to keep working in the water field. I primarily want to work in countries in Asia (either India or the Philippines), I want to help them improve their drinking water quality and wastewater discharge regulations. By doing so, I think that we can prevent epidemics from happening. What is a skill you would like to learn and why? I really want to be a polyglot. I believe that knowing how to speak multiple languages would come really handy for someone who plans to travel a lot in the future. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Fettuccine Alfredo.
Kyla Knauf is a junior at the University of San Diego. She is originally from the Chicago suburbs, but always had a dream of coming to California for college. She is majoring in biology, where she specifically has a passion for plant sciences and sustainability. In addition, she is president of Biology Club and outreach coordinator for USD’s AEP student chapter in order to guide and connect others through environmental appreciation. After USD, Kyla is hoping to get her master’s degree at Northwestern for plant biology and conservation, which is where she just completed a summer research internship. Aside from her studies, Kyla also enjoys travelling, running, gardening, and practicing music. One of her goals is to visit all the National Parks! Kyla would like to thank AEP for assisting her in pursuing her passions. What have you enjoyed most about your coursework/pursuing a degree in the environmental field? Besides my love for learning itself, one of the things I have enjoyed most about pursuing my degree is meeting and working with people who share the same compassion for the environment. I love the connections that I can make with my peers, coworkers, and mentors whilst we all work towards our common goal of protecting and improving our natural world. The relationships I have made so far give me the confidence to be a scientist, and give me hope for the connections I will make as I continue to pursue this career. Can you tell us a little bit about your summer research internship? This summer I was a plant science intern at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. The internship was part of the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program, a national program designed to give undergraduates intensive research experiences. My project looked at how phylogenetic diversity within prairie communities affected the community’s resistance to invasive species. This project challenged me to dive into the unknowns of scientific literature, fieldwork, and data analysis. In the end, I got to present my work both at the end of the program, and at the SACNAS STEM Conference in Hawaii in October! Not only did I love the project I worked on, but I also loved living with the other passionate, like-minded interns in the heart of Downtown Chicago. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that this was the best summer I’ve ever had! What is a skill you would like to learn and why? One skill I would love to learn would be how to play the saxophone. One of my passions aside from environmental sciences is music - I have been playing piano since age four, and viola since middle school. Up until college I was heavily involved in the many orchestras and bands in my hometown. While I know how to play other string instruments to some degree, I never learned how to play a wind instrument! I love the tone of the saxophone and would love to learn it and be part of a jazz band. My hope is to start learning after I’m done with school! If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? Currently, my favorite food is chicken korma, so I could definitely eat that for quite a while until I got sick of it. Plus, you can’t have it without naan bread and rice which are also super delicious! If you never tried it I highly recommend it!
KYLA KNAUF, USD
Janelle Firoozi, Co-Vice President of Programs Thankful for our pup, Kaia, for keeping us sane with multiple walks per day throughout Encinitas (she may be ready for us to head back to work though…)!
WHAT HAVE SAN DIEGO AEP BOARD MEMBERS BEING DOING DURING COVID-19?
Katie Laybourn, Chapter President I have been staying sane in quarantine by taking frequent walks and hikes with my boyfriend Randy and our goofy puppy Elton. Obviously we are still learning how to take a nice, calm family photo!
Matt Stewart, Communications Director Since gyms have closed, I acquired this weight set up and now begin my mornings with an outdoor workout. Raleigh and Ruca provide motivational support under the sun (or clouds as May gray is beginning) before starting the day!
Kelsey Hawkins, Student Outreach and Membership Director Getting outdoors and gardening with my roommate has been helping me stay sane in quarantine. We recently planted a variety or herbs, tomatoes, and peppers on our patio deck. There’s no better way to end the day than relaxing on our plant-filled patio with a nice glass of vino!
Lisa Maier, Vice President of Membership Quarantine has been rough with so little human interaction. To save my sanity, I adopted a puppy! Indigo has been the best and cutest distraction! We play in the yard, go on walks, and are practicing our listening skills every day.
Libby Fortin, Co-Vice President of Programs I contribute my sanity during quarantine to all the different types of bread I’ve learned how to make and all the books I’ve been reading!
Erin Phillips, Newsletter Editor Doing puzzles and playing other board and card games has been helping me stay sane during quarantine.
Emily Pacholski, Treasurer I have been staying sane in quarantine by taking long walks around the neighborhood and admiring all of the beautiful gardens.
Corinne Lytle Bonine, Chapter Director One of my sanity activities during quarantine has been to do whatever I can from the couch to volunteer for primaries, special elections, and even leading up to the general election in November and help (safely) get out the vote. There is so much that we feel helpless about and we are seeing a daily reminder of how important elections are. Finding a campaign, candidate or cause you care about and making calls from home can not only make a difference in the elections but, in my experience, my mental health. Plus, the designer facemask helps.
The Connecting Wildlands and Communities project, funded by the California State Strategic Growth Council, is examining how future planning in southern California can meaningfully integrate State objectives on mitigating wildfire risk, supporting water sustainability, and protecting biodiversity. The project is generating data for use in long-range planning and management activities and to determine how to best deliver this data, and they want to know how you currently integrate data into your planning practice and what data visualization tools you are familiar with or currently use. You can provide your input on your planning practices in a survey. It should take less than 10 minutes to complete and since the survey does not collect contact information, your answers will be completely anonymous. Click here to take the survey.
UCSD EXTENSION COURSES California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (online) 6/22/2020 - 8/1/2020 Advanced CEQA (online) 7/6/2020 - 9/5/2020 CEQA in Practice (online) 7/13/2020 - 8/22/20202 Writing Effective CEQA Documents (online) 10/12/2020 - 11/21/2020 Introduction to NEPA (online) 7/6/2020 - 9/5/2020 Conservation Psychology (online) 7/6/2020 - 9/5/2020 Behavior Change Strategies for Sustainability (online) 7/6/2020 - 9/5/2020 Resource Management (online) 7/6/2020 - 9/5/2020 The Sustainable Supply Chain (online) 7/13/2020 - 9/12/2020
Announcements
We want to thank Thomas Strand for his dedication and years of service on the San Diego AEP Board of Directors! And... please join us in welcoming Libby Fortin!
PHOTO BY JULIA NORRIS, AARCHER INC.
SDAEPBoard@califaep.org President Katie Laybourn Harris & Associates katie.laybourn@weareharris.com Co-Vice Presidents of Programs Janelle Firoozi ESA jfiroozi@esassoc.com Libby Fortin Chambers Group efortin@chambersgroupinc.com Vice President of Membership Lisa Maier DUDEK lmaier@dudek.com Treasurer Emily Pacholski Kleinfelder epacholski@kleinfelder.com Communications Director Matt Stewart ICF matt.stewart@icf.com Student Membership and Outreach Director Kelsey Hawkins Harris & Associates kelsey.hawkins@weareharris.com Chapter Director Corinne Lytle Bonine Chambers Group clytle-bonine@chambersgroupinc.com Newsletter Editor Erin Phillips AECOM erin.phillips@aecom.com
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Contact the Newsletter Editor at: sdaepnews@gmail.com
Chapter Contacts
www.aepsd.org
2020 chapter BOARD
