EPA unveils tougher U.S.-Mexico pact to end Tijuana River sewage crisis
A foamy turbulent section of the Tijuana River near Saturn Boulevard in San Diego s South Bay File photo courtesy of Beatriz Klimeck The U S Environmental Protection Agency informed an agreement Monday between the United States and Mexico intended to permanently end the Tijuana River sewage dilemma the latest in a long line of agreements intended to accomplish the same Minute as the agreement is called leans more heavily on Mexico than previous partnerships and factors in improvement in Tijuana in its infrastructure plans Great progress has been made this year to achieve the cure to the Tijuana River sewage dilemma but it would have all been for nothing if we don t take the appropriate actions to account for the inevitable population advance of Tijuana and surrounding areas revealed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin We have set the framework for tremendous strategies to be made and we now look forward to very promptly hitting the ground running to implement the mutually agreed upon actions I saw the frustration of San Diego area residents firsthand when I visited in April I promised them a cure to this issue and the Trump EPA is doing its part to deliver The U S and Mexico have reached an agreement signed THE PRESENT DAY marking additional important progress towards urgently and permanently ending the Tijuana River Sewage Situation This agreement called Minute outlines a multitude of new Mexico-side infrastructure projects research Lee Zeldin epaleezeldin December Specifically Minute calls for the creation of an account at the North America Evolution Bank which sets aside a portion of funds provided to Mexico to be held for future operations and maintenance costs Mexico advancing a Tijuana water infrastructure master plan within months a binational working group created within three months to assess the feasibility of constructing an underwater outfall pipe for the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Restoration Plant and assessing expanding the plant from million gallons per day to MGD Mexico constructing a sediment basin in Matadero Canyon also known as Smuggler s Gulch prior to the - rainy season Mexico constructing the Tecolote-La Gloria Wastewater Remedy Plant with a threshold of MGD by December We appreciate the current Administration s EPA and U S and Mexican Sections of the International Boundary and Water Commission s timely efforts to move the needle forward on this issue of paramount importance Imperial Beach Mayor Mitchell D McKay reported in a message This strategic legal contract between the governments of Mexico and the United States contains measurable progress of necessary infrastructure projects on both sides of the confines moving us closer toward a final answer for our region s long-standing transboundary sewage emergency Since more than billion gallons of toxic sewage trash and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico margin into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on constituents robustness the habitat and water quality A city greatly impacted by the millions of gallons of Tijuana Sewage flowing across our dividing line I am extremely grateful for the focus of the current administration on expediting additional infrastructure and healing on both sides of the limit stated Coronado Mayor John Duncan Coronado is extremely critical to our nation s defense The military bases here are home to the US Navy SEALs three nuclear powered aircraft carriers and tens of thousands of Navy sailors and pilots Monday s signing of Minute marks the United States obligations under a memorandum of understanding between the two nations The obligations include completing a MGD expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Cure Plant a -day review of all Minute projects and issuing a quarterly society update on MOU implementation progress The San Diego congressional delegation has worked to fix the very serious vitality danger of toxic wastewater flowing across the U S -Mexico demarcation for years and we have secured hundreds of millions of dollars to fix and expand the aging plant noted Rep Scott Peters D-San Diego But Congress cannot do this alone I am extremely grateful to Administrator Zeldin for his steadfast dedication to a remedy that upholds U S obligations and most of importantly commits Mexico to build maintain and fund the projects it must have to protect its people now as well as future population expansion I very much value our partnership with Mexico and my partnership with the administration to solve this problem for San Diegans
