Stop the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis and Protect America’s Pacific Coast

To President Donald J. Trump, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States International Boundary and Water Commission, Congress, the Governor of California, and the governments of the United States and Mexico:

For decades, billions of gallons of sewage-contaminated water, chemicals, sediment and trash have flowed through the Tijuana River watershed, crossed the United States–Mexico border and entered the Pacific Ocean.

This contamination has closed beaches, damaged wildlife habitat, harmed local businesses, affected military training, disrupted families’ lives and created serious concerns about exposure to contaminated water and polluted air.

Residents should not have to keep their windows closed because of sewage odors. Children should not attend school near persistent sewage-gas pollution. Families should not be afraid to visit their public beaches. Navy personnel, lifeguards, Border Patrol agents, sanitation workers and other employees should not be expected to work around contaminated water without the highest level of protection.

We recognize the recent agreements between the United States and Mexico, the expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant and the commitment to complete additional infrastructure projects. However, announcements and agreements are not enough. The public deserves measurable results, enforceable deadlines and complete transparency.

We respectfully demand:

Complete and fully fund every U.S. and Mexico infrastructure project required to stop untreated and inadequately treated wastewater from reaching the Tijuana River and Pacific Ocean.

Publish a detailed, enforceable project schedule identifying each project, responsible agency, funding source, construction status and completion deadline.

Require independent water and air monitoring, including testing for pathogens, hydrogen sulfide, toxic chemicals and industrial contaminants, with results posted publicly in understandable language.

Establish measurable performance requirements, including daily treatment volumes, spill and bypass reporting, pump reliability, water-quality standards and beach-reopening benchmarks.

Require immediate public notification whenever a spill, equipment failure, treatment bypass or dangerous air-quality event occurs.

Provide emergency public-health assistance to affected communities, including indoor-air filtration, school protections, medical screening, worker safeguards and support for residents with respiratory or other vulnerable health conditions.

Provide economic relief for affected communities and small businesses that have suffered from prolonged beach closures, lost tourism and reduced public access.

Ensure Mexico fulfills its financial, construction, operation and maintenance commitments, with clear consequences and diplomatic escalation if deadlines are missed.

Create permanent operation-and-maintenance funding so newly repaired facilities do not fall back into failure after construction is completed.

Issue quarterly public progress reports to the President, Congress and affected communities until independent monitoring confirms that the sewage crisis has been permanently controlled.
This is an environmental crisis, a public-health crisis and a national responsibility. Clean water and breathable air should not depend upon which side of a border a family lives on.

We call upon President Trump, Congress, EPA, USIBWC, California officials and the government of Mexico to finish this work urgently and permanently.

No more delays. No more polluted beaches. No more families becoming sick while governments exchange promises.

We ask for immediate action, complete transparency and a permanent solution.

#TijuanaRiverCrisis #CleanWaterNow #SaveOurBeaches #ImperialBeach #ProtectThePacific #CleanWaterHasNoBorder