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Imperial County's Border Crisis: New River, Air Pollution

Foamy discharge from Mexicali, Mexico, flows into the New River Wednesday, March 20, 1997.
Associated Press
Foamy discharge from Mexicali, Mexico, flows into the New River Wednesday, March 20, 1997.
Imperial County's Border Crisis: New River, Air Pollution
GUEST: Jose A. Del Real, national correspondent, The New York Times Subscribe to the Midday Edition podcast on iTunes, Google Play or your favorite podcatcher.

There is a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border in Imperial County, and it's not about immigration.

The New River, which runs from Mexicali, Mexico to Calexico in the United States and empties into the Salton Sea, is bringing sewage, industrial chemicals and trash across the border. Air pollution from factories in Baja California's capital is also impacting the health of residents on both sides of the border.

Jose A. Del Real, a correspondent with The New York Times, has reported on the public health threat and joins Midday Edition Monday to talk about why the pollution, which has been an issue for decades, has not been addressed.