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Cal State San Bernardino students and IE Waterkeeper urging Jurupa Valley to support AB 1313 for stormwater accountability
Summary
A group of junior social work students volunteering with IE Waterkeeper asked the council to support Assembly Bill 1313, which would increase enforcement of commercial stormwater pollution and shift cleanup responsibility to commercial entities; students said their cleanup found hazardous waste and roughly 1,687 pounds of trash.
Students from California State University, San Bernardino and volunteers with the Inland Empire Waterkeeper asked the Jurupa Valley City Council on Thursday to publicly support Assembly Bill 1313 and to partner with local organizations on water-protection work. The students said their community-action project documented stormwater pollution from commercial and industrial properties and that their cleanup collected about 1,687 pounds of trash, including hazardous waste.
What they asked: Melissa Flores, a junior social work student who identified herself and a group of student volunteers, told council members that AB 1313 would empower the State Water Resources Control Board to better enforce industrial and commercial stormwater regulations and make responsible entities pay for cleanups rather than leaving the burden to local government or volunteers.
Why the students said it matters: Flores cited the Santa Ana River as an important water source for roughly 2 million people and said pollution from commercial sites can harm community health and water quality. She urged the city to publicly support AB 1313 and to coordinate with groups such as IE Waterkeeper on cleanups and monitoring.
Council response: Councilmembers acknowledged the comment and thanked the students for their work. There was no council action on the request during the meeting; the item was received during the public comment period for council consideration at a later date if staff or council choose to place it on a future agenda.
What was not decided: The council did not take a position on AB 1313 at the meeting and did not direct staff to draft a letter of support. City staff and council members noted appreciation for volunteer cleanup efforts and noted jurisdictional complexity when enforcement involves regional state agencies and commercial entities.
