The growing environmental crisis at the San Diego-Mexico border has caught the attention of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin, who has vowed to take immediate action. Zeldin announced his plans to visit the region "in the near future" to assess the escalating toxic waste and sewage runoff from the Tijuana River. This ongoing issue has led to over 1,000 beach closures at Imperial Beach and has caused serious health concerns, particularly among Navy SEAL trainees who train just north of the contamination zone.
Zeldin, in a strong statement to Fox News Digital, made it clear that he is holding Mexico accountable. "Mexico must fully honor its commitment to control their country’s growing pollution and sewage impacting the United States. The time when excuses, delays, or exceptions are tolerated is over," he said.
With a commitment to finding permanent solutions, Zeldin emphasized that the EPA will "ramp up" efforts alongside local agencies in Southern California and Mexican authorities to tackle this crisis head-on. "I look forward to visiting the border in the near future to view this issue firsthand, meet with elected officials, and ensure permanent solutions are urgently implemented to stop years of Mexican sewage impacting the U.S.," he added.
A Crisis Decades in the Making
The issue of untreated sewage flowing from Tijuana into San Diego’s beaches isn’t new. However, it reached a breaking point earlier this year when the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station, responsible for transferring sewage from Tijuana to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, suffered a major malfunction. This failure resulted in approximately 30,000 gallons of raw sewage spilling into the Tijuana River and, subsequently, into U.S. waters.
The impact has been devastating. Beaches have been closed for extended periods, local families face health risks, and tourism has taken a hit. But perhaps most alarming is the effect on Navy SEAL trainees, who have been repeatedly exposed to the toxic waters. Last month, a report from the Department of Defense's Inspector General revealed that 76% of its water tests showed bacteria levels exceeding safety standards. As a result, more than 1,100 cases of health issues, primarily gastrointestinal illnesses, were reported among SEALs after training in these contaminated waters.
Political Divisions on Funding Solutions
While millions of federal dollars have been proposed for repairs and expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant—an effort initially supported by the Biden administration—there’s a heated political debate over who should foot the bill. Many Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have strongly opposed the idea of U.S. taxpayers covering the costs, labeling it as another example of unnecessary government spending.
An EPA spokesperson echoed these concerns, stating, "Mexico needs to build and properly operate the infrastructure necessary to treat all the sewage generated by Tijuana. Current projects are not adequate and will still allow significant untreated sewage to be discharged into the ocean, impacting the U.S. Mexico should be paying for their own wastewater collection, not U.S. taxpayer dollars."
Outrage from Local Officials
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond didn’t hold back in a recent statement, calling this "one of the biggest environmental and public health crises" the region has ever faced. In a social media post, he wrote, "This isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a danger. Our Navy SEALs train just north of this toxic mess. Local families are exposed to contaminated water. Tourism suffers. And yet, the State of California continues to look the other way. Many politicians have made promises — but delivered nothing. That ends now."
California officials, however, argue that they’ve been working on this issue for years. A spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom’s office responded to the criticism, stating, "This is not a new issue for the state or the administration. California has been focused on resolving this for years, including with help from the previous federal administration and Congress. We welcome collaboration with the Trump Administration to continue efforts to clean up the Tijuana River."
What’s Next?
As the situation worsens, the urgency for a solution has never been greater. With beach closures piling up and health risks growing, the pressure is on for the EPA and both federal and state governments to take decisive action. Zeldin’s upcoming visit to the border could be a turning point in how aggressively this issue is tackled moving forward.
One thing is clear—residents, military personnel, and environmental advocates alike are demanding real change. The pollution flowing from Mexico into the U.S. is not just an environmental concern; it’s a national security and public health crisis. Whether or not Mexico will be held financially responsible for the mess remains to be seen, but for now, all eyes are on Zeldin and his push for urgent and lasting solutions.
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