SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Business leaders and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday released a report they say details a "roadmap" to once and for all solve the Tijuana River pollution crisis.
It is being touted as a comprehensive, binational plan with five pillars intended to "eliminate dry-weather transboundary sewage flows, restore coastal water quality, and establish accountable, sustainable wastewater management in the region," a chamber statement reads.
"For too long, the Tijuana River contamination crisis has been addressed in fragments. What has been missing is a comprehensive, binational roadmap that connects the problem to clear, coordinated action," said Chris Cate, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. "While important milestones have been reached, this report creates an actionable guide to continue the momentum for the future to protect public health, strengthen our economy, and restore the environmental health of the San Diego-Tijuana region."
Cate led a news conference on Wednesday with health, business and nonprofit leaders to detail the plan.
The five pillars outlined are:
- Reliable infrastructure funding and rehabilitation of critical assets: Including items such as completing all Minute 328 projects, modernizing and expanding the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and updating Tijuana's "Gran Visíon" plan to address the issue
- A more reliable and modernized operations and maintenance program: Including items such as securing predictable operations and maintenance funding, creating a binational technical committee and incentivizing Mexico to prevent transboundary river flows
- Strengthened governance and accountability through a two-tier oversight structure, including items such as using the above-mentioned technical committee to track project milestones and create a Binational Executive Oversight Committee to "unblock stalled projects."
- Enhanced public communication and transparency: Items include maintaining the Scripps Plume Forecasting Model for the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant and Tijuana River discharges, publishing regular measurements of dry-weather transboundary flow days and hosting an annual "State of the River" forum to report progress and receive public input
- Long-term water management, reuse and planning: Items include a regularly updated master plan for the issue, a study of the effectiveness of U.S.-side diversion or treatment options and the development of large-scale wastewater reuse projects for Mexican-side treatment plants.
The Tijuana River watershed spans around 1,750 square miles, with nearly three-quarters of its area in Mexico. It drains from the mountains east of Tijuana through the city's dense urban corridor before crossing the border into San Diego County and discharging into the Pacific Ocean near Imperial Beach.
Pollution and raw sewage flows regularly into the river, causing odors and potentially long-term health issues.
"No community should have to live with the health risks caused by ongoing sewage contamination," said Chris Howard, chamber board chair and president and CEO of Sharp HealthCare. "Addressing the Tijuana River crisis is critical to safeguarding public health and ensuring the long-term well-being of our region."
The challenges are many, including poor maintenance over decades and sometimes fraught relationships between Mexico and the United States. However, the need for some solution is evident due to the years of beach closures in Imperial Beach and noxious odors causing some schools near the border to force students inside in recent days.
"The sewage crisis in the Tijuana River Valley has threatened the health and well-being of children and families for far too long," said Dr. Emily Young, vice president of programs at the Prebys Foundation. "Prebys Foundation is supporting research and local organizations raising awareness and advocating for solutions. Lasting progress will require governments, philanthropy, and community leaders on both sides of the border working together to advance enduring solutions."
The Tijuana River Coalition is a collection of more than 50 organizations near the watershed looking for "actionable solutions" for the longstanding crisis.
"With dedication to addressing the severe environmental and public health crisis caused by the transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River Watershed, we recognize the importance of the five-pillar plan," said Courtney Baltiyskyy, vice president of public policy and advocacy for the YMCA of San Diego County and Tijuana River Coalition facilitator. "With understanding of this research across communities, tangible solutions, and sustainable funding, we can consistently make progress to fix the infrastructure problems, heal communities impacted, and prevent further harm."
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