DATE:
January 28, 2026
16
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
UNLOCK RESERVE FUNDS TO PROVIDE AIR PURIFIERS FOR RESIDENTS SUFFERING FROM AIR POLLUTION IMPACTS CAUSED BY THE TIJUANA RIVER POLLUTION CRISIS (DISTRICTS: 1)
Body
OVERVIEW
The Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis is an ongoing, extraordinary public health crisis that continues to expose District 1 residents to contaminated air and water. Despite years of intergovernmental coordination and repeated analysis, residents remain unprotected and continue to face immediate and compounding harm. Families are living with chronic sewage exposure, repeated hydrogen sulfide events, prolonged beach and community closures, and daily disruptions to their quality of life. While responsibility for the source of pollution spans jurisdictions, the County's responsibility to protect its residents is clear, and at present, District 1 residents are not being adequately protected.?
Recent studies from University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and San Diego State University (SDSU) have documented measurements of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) 4,500 times higher than typical urban levels. Public health studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with the County also indicate: 92% of survey respondents do not feel safe in the areas where they live; 64% experienced new or worsening physical symptoms, 65% of participants feel their mental health symptoms are related to the sewage crisis i; and 70% report disruptions in their social activity, sleep schedule, and more. ii
In 2024, due to increasing concerns about air pollution impacts on public health, the San Diego Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD) created the Air Improvement Relief Effort (AIRE) program where residents affected by air pollution would receive one air purifier and two replacement filters.iii Residents living in the City of San Diego communities of Otay Mesa West, San Ysidro, Egger Highlands, and Ne...
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