DATE:
June 3, 2025
18
TO:
Board of Supervisors
SUBJECT
Title
ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION SUPPORTING STRONGER FEDERAL AND STATE MEASURES TO ADDRESS THE ONGOING HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF CROSS-BORDER POLLUTION IN THE TIJUANA RIVER VALLEY (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
For decades, residents of South County have borne the brunt of the Tijuana River cross-border pollution crisis. They've endured toxic odors, chronic fatigue, nausea, infections, and respiratory illnesses. The ocean waters have become dangerously polluted, forcing repeated beach closures-most notably in Imperial Beach, where beaches have now been closed for well over 1,000 days. Nearby communities like Coronado have also been negatively affected. This ongoing crisis harms public health, disrupts daily life, and hurts local economies. Until recently, the issue received little attention at the federal level or in national media. That's beginning to change, with the new federal administration signaling a more serious approach, as shown by EPA Director Lee Zeldin's recent visit to the region within his first 100 days in office.
At the root of the crisis is Mexico's long-standing failure to invest in adequate sewage treatment infrastructure. As a result, hundreds of billions of gallons of raw sewage, industrial waste, and urban runoff have flowed into the Tijuana River and Pacific Ocean. While the U.S. built the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant to help address this problem, the facility was designed to handle only 25 million gallons a day. When it's overloaded or offline, untreated sewage spills directly into the river and into San Diego. Worse still, the plant doesn't treat the pollution entering through the Tijuana River itself or the sewage being dumped offshore along the western Tijuana coastline. The only lasting solution is for Mexico to build, expand, and maintain modern sewage treatment systems across the city of Tijuana.
On April 16, 2025, a majority of the Imperial...
Click here for full text