The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has agreed to investigate the potential health risks associated with sewage flowing into the Tijuana River and across the border.
In a letter dated last week, CDC Director Mandy Cohen said its Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry would collect environmental sampling data from federal, state and local health officials regarding health risks stemming from contaminants in the water, soil and air.
Cohen wrote that the typical review process of gathering data – determining if the data is sufficient, then deciding whether exposure to the contaminants may harm health – can take six to 12 months. Cohen said the time frame of the review process depends on “the format and complexity of the data received.”
Cohen’s letter was a response to a joint request from local lawmakers in May for an investigation into wastewater pollution impacts on the South Bay, including residents in Imperial Beach and Coronado.
The request sought an analysis into whether sewage impacts were related to “community reported increases in gastrointestinal illnesses and other symptoms.”
Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, one of the lawmakers who co-authored the May call on the CDC, said in a statement, “Thanks to our request, the CDC has committed to beginning an investigation into the potential health risks of pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. This is good news for south San Diego. As we continue to work to address this pollution, we need to have a full understanding of its impact on the health of our communities and this is a critical step.”
The four San Diego-area legislators who called on the CDC to investigate the issue also introduced an amendment earlier this year to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act to establish a new federal program to provide grants for public health and water quality restoration projects in the Tijuana River Valley.
San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency also requested in June that the CDC look into the potential health impacts of the raw sewage that has flowed into San Diego County for years.
In response to the county, Cohen wrote that CDC would deploy an Epi-Aid, described as “a short-term rapid response effort to help public health authorities investigate and control acute public health issues.”
– City News Service
