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U.S. EPA, Pala Tribe sign consent orders for Clean Water Act violations in San Diego County

Release Date: 3/2/2005
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815, Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815, Cell: (213) 798-1404

SAN FRANCISCO Under the terms of two recently signed consent orders with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Pala Band of Mission Indians have removed fill material that it had illegally placed in the San Luis Rey River and Trujillo Creek in San Diego County, Calif.

The EPA alleges that the tribe had discharged dirt and rocks into the waterways without U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits, a violation of the federal Clean Water Act.

The Pala Tribe removed the illegal fill material by the March 1 deadline set forth in the consent orders. In addition, the EPA and the tribe are currently discussing potential mitigation plans that the tribe may implement to address the loss associated with the Trujillo Creek violations.

"The San Luis Rey River and Trujillo Creek are important environmental resources for all of Southern California," said Alexis Strauss, director of the EPA's Water Division for the Pacific Southwest Office. "The EPA is committed to working with the Pala Band of Mission Indians in ensuring that the river and its aquatic resources are protected."

For more information on the EPA's water programs, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/region09/water/