As concerns continue to rise due to toxic pollutants from the Tijuana River Valley, a supervisory committee is proposing new health studies and infrastructure updates.
“Today marks the third year of our beaches being closed,” said San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre. “It’s decimating our local economy, decimating our quality of life and, most importantly, impacting our public health and the well being of the very people we were elected to represent.”
Last year, researchers discovered that South Bay residents have a high risk of exposure to harmful airborne pollutants from toxins released by the untreated sewage along the Tijuana River Valley. Further, the Saturn Boulevard hotspot was identified as a primary source of toxic gas emissions.
In order to alleviate the effects of these airborne pollutants, the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis introduced their proposal for a temporary pipe expansion project at the hotspot.
Aguirre said that the extension will put the pipe below the water’s surface, which will reduce turbulence and prevent toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulfide, from getting into the air.
“This crisis disproportionately hits our low income and vulnerable neighborhoods,” said Aguirre. “By funding these projects, we are telling the people of South Bay, ‘Your health is not a secondary priority. You matter.’”
The Tijuana River Valley and its surrounding communities have faced decades of pollution from untreated sewage and other industrial runoffs. Due to improperly maintained infrastructure and frequent overflowing of sewage treatment plants, South Bay residents have been disproportionately affected by hazardous health conditions and the degradation of local ecosystems.
Rich Whipple, deputy director of public works for the County of San Diego, said that this expansion project was chosen as a “first step” due to its simple approach with fewer requirements needed to obtain environmental permits. He said that while the project is still in the “concept phase,” it could be completed within the next two years.
While the expansion project will reduce the amount of toxic gases released in the air, it will not reduce the amount of pollutants in the waterways.
“Unfortunately this is not a silver bullet,” said Terra Lawson-Remer, San Diego County Board of Supervisors chair. “But, when there’s a clear problem and a clear opportunity to make an immediate intervention and reduce toxic health impacts in our communities, responsible leadership means acting now.”
Beyond the proposed pipe expansion, the subcommittee also hopes to obtain funding for a long-term epidemiological health study and a retrospective health study, which Aguirre said will be used to “document, track and connect pollution exposure to health symptoms.”
The epidemiological study proposes to spend multiple years following a cohort of individuals in order to “assess potential health impacts associated with varying levels of exposure related to the TJRV sewage crisis,” according to a letter written by the subcommittee to the Board of Supervisors.
“Our communities have been saying that they’ve had these ailments for years,” Aguirre said. “Now we have the empirical evidence to show that, and now we need to have the health data so that we can make appropriate medical health interventions.”
The proposal will go before the Board of Supervisors on January 28. It calls for the allocation of $4.75 million in funding from unlocked reserves for the health study, which allows for the use of reserve funds to cover services cut by the federal government.
Aguirre said the subcommittee is pursuing grants, federal funding and philanthropic donations to cover this cost and others.
“This is not a final, permanent solution,” Aguirre said. “This is a meaningful step we can take now while we continue fighting for the long-term infrastructure investment our region deserves.”
