Members of San Diego’s Democratic congressional delegation on Wednesday requested a meeting with the EPA’s administrator on the Tijuana River Valley pollution crisis.
Juan Vargas – who represents border communities – along with Scott Peters, Sara Jacobs and Mike Levin, issued a joint statement seeking the opportunity to meet Lee Zeldin of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“We appreciate your attention to the cross-border sewage pollution in the Tijuana River Valley,” they wrote. “This pollution has had a devastating impact on our public health, our local businesses, and our environment.”
The request comes days after an increase in noxious odors from sewage at the border prompted renewed health guidance from San Diego County.
Mexico began releasing between 3-5 million gallons of wastewater daily last week into the Tijuana River as the country works on a major infrastructure project in Tijuana to replace a sewer pipeline.
The representatives, while noting that the delegation “has fought to raise awareness, secured over half a billion dollars to upgrade the South Bay treatment plant, and continued to work with Mexico to ensure they do their part,” added they want to focus on the needs of the community.
“All these efforts require strong collaboration with the administration,” they wrote. “This is not a partisan issue … Our focus has always been on getting results and relief for everyone impacted by this terrible pollution.”
Last month, Peters, Vargas and California’s senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, both Democrats, invited Zeldin to visit the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant to see the ongoing environmental and public health harm of cross-border sewage in the South Bay.
Such visits took place under former President Joe Biden. In 2021, former EPA Administrator Michael Regan toured the Tijuana River Valley at the request of Vargas and Peters. In August 2024, State Department Deputy Secretary Richard Verma, EPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman and other officials stopped by the South Bay treatment plant.
The current EPA, though, has followed the Trump administration’s path of cutbacks since Zeldin was sworn in, announcing plans to cut agency jobs, eliminate its scientific research arm and reduce its budget by 65%.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Vargas, other members of Congress, seek meeting with EPA head on Tijuana River pollution )
Also on site :