Sewage coming across the border is a hazard to the environment and the public's health. Upgrading treatment to secondary standards is important.

Now, the urgency for setting these . . . mandates is not there, so the city can better think through ways to work cooperatively with the private sector to achieve higher levels of recycling.

The law is the law. If the city is out of compliance and needs more money, we'll have to look carefully at an equitable solution that will meet these legal requirements without killing the business community.

Everything was done legally, aboveboard and properly to get this project moving forward. No one's being bought here. This is about good government.

The urgency of . . . putting those programs in place with mandatory elements was based on this incorrect assessment.

There's no corruption proven in that story to justify a letter to Carol Lam or anybody else for that matter. We continue to dispute (the critics') . . . allegations. The facts are on our side. There was nothing illegal or unethical done in the advocacy of this project, and this is simply sour grapes on their part.