How is Tijuana River pollution dealt with? – CalMatters

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San Diego leaders are trying to speed up solutions to the Tijuana River’s sewage pollution as they study the scope of the problem.

Community activists, health professionals and environmental experts from the Tijuana River Coalition provided an update Thursday on the toxic pollution plaguing south San Diego. They also detail efforts to address the problem, including state legislation, cleanup funding, and health and economic impact studies.

“As many know, this is one of the oldest public health issues facing the United States,” said Courtney Baltiski, vice president of public policy and advocacy for the YMCA of San Diego County. “This is a unique problem because it sits on the border between Mexico and the United States, in a place with thriving commerce and extremely unique environmental and natural resources. But we know the threat to our communities is serious. And it’s worse than ever.”

Mexican sewage is polluting the Tijuana River, causing illness among bathers and surfers, closing beaches and jeopardizing Navy SEAL training in Coronado. The river also releases toxins into the air, such as hydrogen sulfide, a foul-smelling gas that causes respiratory problems and other illnesses in neighboring communities. According to speakers, this air pollution has worsened in recent months, with reports of poor air quality increasing.

County officials release information as soon as air quality deteriorates. Parents used to get hydrogen sulfide alerts long after their kids started school. The county now provides much earlier notice, according to Stephanie Sekich, special adviser to San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre.

“They get updates at eight in the morning,” he said. “That’s not enough when you’re on your way to school. Nobody wants to get a text message telling them their child is breathing hydrogen sulfide, so our office is working with the county to make sure … people get up at 5 a.m. and send alerts.”

According to Sekich, San Diego County officials distributed 12,000 air purifiers to homes near the Tijuana River. They are raising funds to buy more because health officials recommend one in every bedroom and many families near the Tijuana River live in multigenerational homes.

The county has awarded $2.5 million for initial work to address a pollution hotspot on Saturn Boulevard in south San Diego County, where contaminated sewage flows through channels that disperse hydrogen sulfide and other pollutants in aerosol form. Reconfiguring the structure can reduce water flow and prevent toxins from dispersing into the air. Officials are also seeking at least $25 million from the state for that improvement.

A set of state laws aims to raise air quality standards and free up funds to reduce pollution emitted from the river.

State Senators Steve Padilla Mr Katherine Blakespear, Democrats from San Diego and Encinitas, respectively introduce a a bill to revise the hydrogen sulfide regulations . That bill would require the state Office of Environmental Hazard Assessment to establish threshold levels for hydrogen sulfide by January 2030, which could lower the state’s standard for safe levels of the toxic gas. The bill passed the state Senate and awaits a vote in the Assembly.

and related bill would require the state Department of Occupational Safety and Health to establish standards that protect the health and safety of employees exposed to transboundary pollution while working outdoors, including lifeguards and park rangers working near the Tijuana River. Some workers reported “headaches, fatigue, nausea and nosebleeds after being exposed (to unsanitary conditions),” Blakespear said in a statement. Senate Committee Hearing last month. The bill awaits a final vote in Senate Appropriations Committee.

Rep. David Alvarez, D-Chula Vista, also offered Act to Accelerate Spending of California’s 2024 Climate Bonds Proposition 4. The money from this measure is intended to solve the problem of pollution on Saturn Boulevard, to reduce air pollution from the river.

County officials are conducting an economic impact study on how sewage pollution affects local schools and businesses. A previous study conducted in 2023 by the San Diego County and Regional Chamber of Commerce found that 74 percent of local businesses were negatively impacted and 50 percent experienced significant revenue losses, according to Baltiyski.

The next study will be more comprehensive, Sekic said: “It will look at everything over two years to see how many children missed school, what the impact was on school funding and what happened to property values.”

Health research is also conducted. Virginia Castellanos, a school nurse at Bayside STEAM Academy near the mouth of the Tijuana River, said studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that pollution increases lung inflammation and can worsen asthma symptoms in children, while Stanford University study showed that exposure to polluted air can alter immune function.

An epidemiological study from San Diego County will analyze how Tijuana River pollution affects residents’ health by retrospectively examining toxic exposure through hair, blood and other tissue samples.

San Diego pediatrician Dr. Vi Nguyen has created a network of hundreds of local doctors to diagnose and document pollution-related health problems such as ear infections, allergic rhinitis, rashes and gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea. There has also been an increase in serious illnesses such as kidney disease and drug-resistant urinary tract infections in adolescents.

“San Diego will not be left behind, we cannot forget the South Bay,” Nguyen said. “My patients, especially the children of Imperial Beach, San Ysidro, Nestor and Berry Elementary Schools, deserve more and that’s why I’m here and continue to practice as a community pediatrician. And really, the state of California and the rest of Californians should too.”