TIJUANA: The diesel fuel crisis started to ease yesterday as gasoline tankers distributed a limited supply to some stations in the southern and eastern sections of the city.
Some stations near the two border crossings, however, remained without diesel.
The diesel lasted four or five hours at the stations in Tijuana and Rosarito Beach that received shipments, and sales were being limited to $100 per customer.
A station two blocks from the Otay Mesa border crossing that sold diesel only to established customers began selling to all motorists yesterday, but it limited each sale to $100 maximum.
“Pemex continues to ration sales, but they told us that things would return to normal this week,” said Heriberto López, the station's manager.
Gasoline is heavily subsidized in Mexico, with prices there about 45 percent to 55 percent lower than in the United States. Regular unleaded (87 octane) sells for $2.54 a gallon, premium (91 octane) $3.20 and diesel $2.20.
Motorists from California began to buy gasoline, particularly diesel, in record amounts in Tijuana, creating a spot shortage that spread across Baja California in the last 11 days.
–O.M.G.
Treatment plant project topic of community forum
SOUTH COUNTY: Federal officials will host a community forum Thursday to discuss their recent decision to upgrade the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant in San Ysidro.
The meeting will be hosted by the U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. It will start at 6 p.m. at the Imperial Beach Community Room, 825 Imperial Beach Blvd.
The commission plans to expand its treatment plant, near the Tijuana River, so it will meet standards set by the Clean Water Act. Steve Smullen, the agency's project manager in San Diego, will explain how the project will unfold in coming months.
Commission officials also will provide an update on efforts to determine the source of bacteria that contaminate South Bay beaches and the conditions that lead to high bacterial levels in the area.
–M.L.
Motorists to face detour on Mission Gorge Road
SANTEE: Caltrans is planning an extended traffic detour on Santee's Mission Gorge Road starting Thursday.
Traffic will drop to one westbound lane and two eastbound lanes along a 50-yard stretch of the road while crews work on the state Route 52 extension project. In addition, drivers will not be able to turn left from eastbound Mission Gorge onto westbound Route 52, and are instead asked to use the Mast Boulevard on-ramp to Route 52.
When the project is finished, Route 52 will run an additional four miles through Santee.
–M.C.
Strike group Reagan arrives in Hong Kong
The San Diego-based Ronald Reagan carrier strike group arrived last week in Hong Kong for a liberty call and port visit, the Navy said.
Besides visiting restaurants, bars and shops in that area, about 300 sailors will participate in goodwill projects at local schools, nursing homes and charities, the Navy said.
About 7,000 sailors are part of the strike group, which includes Carrier Air Wing 14; Destroyer Squadron 7; the cruiser Chancellorsville; the frigate Thach; and the destroyers Decatur, Howard and Gridley.
The strike group left May 19 for a six-month deployment to the western Pacific Ocean. Its trip is expected to include time spent in the Persian Gulf to support U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
–S.L.
Staff writers Mike Lee, Michele Clock and Steve Liewer and freelance writer Omar Millán González compiled this report.
