In a concerning trend that has persisted for decades, Mexico is set to dump approximately 400 million gallons of raw sewage into the Tijuana River, which will inevitably flow into the United States. This environmental disaster poses severe health risks and beach closures due to toxic runoff from the Mexican border town of Tijuana.
According to San Diego Supervisor Jim Desmond, crews are scheduled to perform maintenance on the sewer system in Tijuana, but instead of diverting the sewage to a treatment plant, it will be dumped into the Tijuana River. This practice has been ongoing for years, with the river serving as a de facto dumping ground for Mexico’s pollution.
“It just goes into the river, the gullies and eventually ends up in the U.S., and into the ocean,” Desmond explained to Fox News Digital. “They put it [sewage] into the big drainage ditch called the Tijuana River that flows downhill, and unfortunately downhill is the United States.”
Desmond pointed out that Mexican officials have no incentive to address this issue because they are not held accountable for their actions. He suggested that the U.S. could use its leverage to convince Mexico to fix the problem by restricting border crossings or visas.
“We’ve got to have a better system here as opposed to just being a sewage collection for Tijuana,” Desmond emphasized.
The impact of this environmental crisis is felt by both Mexican and American communities. Toxic waste from the Tijuana River has resulted in beach closures, posing health risks to local residents. In addition, Navy SEALs and recruits have trained near the contaminated area, while children and elderly residents on the U.S. side of the border have fallen ill due to the stench from the runoff.
To address this pressing issue, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to visit the San Diego border to discuss the “disgusting Mexican sewage” flowing into the U.S.
In conclusion, Mexico’s failure to address its sewage crisis has resulted in a decades-long environmental disaster that affects both sides of the border. It is imperative for federal action and international cooperation to resolve this issue and ensure the well-being of communities on both sides of the border.
Source: Fox News
