San Diego County leaders are committing the county to stepping up efforts to help residents bearing the brunt of the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis.
On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to explore what it would take to administer a plan that calls for further monitoring and mitigation of cross-border pollution from Mexico and implementing health protections.
The plan, proposed by Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and brought before the board by Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, consists of five key elements: study the health impacts of chronic exposure to the toxic sewer gas hydrogen sulfide; assess the full scope of crisis-linked economic losses; eliminate a hot spot along the Tijuana River to lessen aerosolization of the gas; and create a county sewage crisis chief position. It also suggests giving schools and child care centers air filtration that鈥檚 engineered to remove hydrogen sulfide from the air if the county can show that the infrastructure will effectively eliminate odors.
County staff will research and recommend which efforts are doable and how each would be funded, which could include county reserves, state and federal grants, philanthropic partnerships or a combination.
鈥淲e need a county-level plan that meets this moment, clear, strategic and ready to go when funding opens up,鈥 said Lawson-Remer. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what this item does. It lays out a road map of actions we can take to protect health.鈥
How much these efforts would cost the county is unclear, but they could amount to much more than what the county is currently allocating from its annual budget, which is less than $2 million. Some local leaders and environmental advocates argue that the figure is insufficient given the scale of the crisis.
The county primarily focuses on monitoring water and air quality and public health, including emergency department visits for gastrointestinal and respiratory conditions in the affected South County communities, in coordination with local, state and federal agencies and San Diego universities. The county鈥檚 public health department also worked with federal agencies to conduct health surveys on the impacts of the sewage crisis and helped develop an index advising the public on what to do if they smell sewer gas. The county had also bought and distributed air purifiers after mounting public pressure, but many residents said the devices have not been the most effective for addressing odors. And the county had also conducted a small-business survey in 2023 that hinted at how the pollution crisis has affected them. It concluded that a 鈥渇ull scope鈥 study was needed and that grant opportunities would be sought for short-term relief for businesses, though it鈥檚 unclear whether any have since been identified.
Hundreds of millions of dollars to fix wastewater infrastructure at the U.S.-Mexico border and clean up pollution come from the state and federal governments.
But Aguirre, who is running to represent the county supervisorial district that includes the affected communities, thinks the county can invest far more. That鈥檚 why she proposed the five-point plan last month, though she has long called on the county to ramp up efforts.
鈥淚 proposed these action steps because the County needs to do more than point fingers 鈥 it can act,鈥 she said in a statement after the county vote. 鈥淢y plan puts real resources behind targeted fixes that reduce the spread of toxic sewage fumes near schools and protect our children鈥檚 health. Eliminating the Saturn Boulevard hot spot is something we can do now, and it will make a real difference in people鈥檚 daily lives.鈥
Researchers have found that the Tijuana River is the dominant source of coastal pollution in the region and that sewage-linked bacteria and chemicals from tires in the Tijuana River are becoming airborne. Their research also identified the Saturn Boulevard hot spot, an area where high levels of hydrogen sulfide are often found. Those living and working near the river valley have reported symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue and respiratory irritation after being exposed to noxious odors caused by hydrogen sulfide.
Supervisor Jim Desmond cast the single vote in opposition, arguing that the focus should remain on pressuring Mexico to stop its sewage from reaching the U.S.
鈥淯nfortunately, I think these are all Band-aids,鈥 he said. 鈥淣othing in this item addresses the root cause of raw sewage and industrial waste coming from Mexico.鈥
Instead, he unsuccessfully suggested that the county explore ways to add more pressure on Mexico. Desmond recently proposed a resolution that suggested encouraging the federal government to use 鈥渆conomic sanctions, tariffs, (and) limitation of border crossing activity鈥 anytime Mexico violates treaty obligations designed to prevent sewage spills. But he ultimately voted against his proposal after his board colleagues approved a version that omitted that provision.