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San Diego County Officials Applaud Mexico Groundbreaking Of Wastewater Treatment Plant

Mexico has broken ground on a long-awaited replacement for a crumbling wastewater treatment plant in Baja California that officials said will dramatically reduce the discharge of sewage that has fouled San Diego and Tijuana shorelines.

Coastal Commission to Ask Biden to Declare Border Sewage Crisis an Emergency

The binational agency that operates the aging federal wastewater treatment plant at the U.S.-Mexico border said declaring the sewage crisis an emergency to expedite the facility’s expansion may no longer be effective.

But the California Coastal Commission said Wednesday that all steps are needed to remedy the uncontrolled discharge of raw sewage and other pollutants as soon as possible.

Relief for South Bay Beaches Could Be on the Horizon

Water quality data shows bacteria levels in the ocean along South Bay beaches have been hundreds of times over what’s considered safe for human health this past week. The culprit, per usual, is sewage flowing from Mexico into the Tijuana River which empties into the Pacific Ocean just south of San Diego’s southernmost cities. But the people who manage wastewater infrastructure in the U.S.-Mexico border say respite is nigh.

California Coastal Commissioners Call for Action to Clean Up Sewage Polluted Tijuana River Valley

In the endless urban sprawl of Southern California, the Tijuana River Valley looks like a serene break of green before the sprawl resumes on the other side of the border.

But the seemingly bucolic area is where representatives from the California Coastal Commission met on Wednesday to see first hand how sewage in the river has made people in adjacent communities sick and affected state lands.

San Diego County’s Mayors Push Newsom for Help With Border Water-Pollution Crisis

The Tijuana River sewage emergency has reached the state level once again.

All 18 mayors in San Diego County have sent another letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, asking for his help to address the ongoing sewage and chemical pollutants flowing into the ocean from the river.

San Diego Researchers Work on Forecasting Tool for Ocean Pathogens

California is investing $3 million in an effort to allow researchers to predict when and where ocean waters near Imperial Beach may be contaminated.

The ocean off the coast of Imperial Beach has suffered decades of contamination which includes trash, toxic chemicals and untreated sewage runoff.

Fixing, Expanding Water Treatment Plant Partly Responsible for Contamination at San Diego Beaches Could Take Years

It’s been more than 550 days since the ocean water at Imperial Beach has been safe for swimmers and surfers.

Between wastewater treatment plant repairs and expansions, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, but city leaders say all hands on deck are needed to make progress.

 

 

How Did San Diego’s Sewage-Blasted Shorelines Evade the List of Dirtiest Beaches in California?

Heal the Bay released its 33rd annual beach report card this week, including a list of the dirtiest shorelines in California.

Glaringly absent were the ocean waters off San Diego’s southern coast, from Coronado down to Imperial Beach. Residents there have endured a record number of swimming restrictions over the last 18 months as massive amounts of sewage continue to spill over the border from Tijuana.

Imperial Beach Asks White House for Help with Sewage Spills from Tijuana

The City of Imperial Beach has joined a list of cities in San Diego County that are requesting assistance from the White House with sewage leaks from Tijuana.

The mayor of Imperial Beach said the recent closures from the sewage spills present a public health and economic crisis. Businesses and beach visitors have also expressed their frustration.

Imperial Beach Seeks Federal Assistance in Ceasing Ongoing Pollution from Tijuana River Sewage Spill

Imperial Beach urgently needs federal funding to put an end to the Tijuana River’s ongoing sewage spill that’s kept portions of the city’s beaches closed, Mayor Paloma Aguirre wrote in a letter to the White House.

Seeking a federal state of emergency status for the continued pollution, Mayor Aguirre called on the Biden administration to declare the emergency for the shoreline of Imperial Beach and the Tijuana River Valley. Such a proclamation would expedite funding and projects across federal agencies to tackle the source of the issue.