San Diego County leaders announced Thursday they have a plan to help reduce toxic sewage pollution in the Tijuana River Valley and measure its impact on residents’ health.
At a news conference from the river valley, Supervisors Paloma Aguirre and Terra Lawson-Remer said they want the county to use reserves typically set aside for emergencies for two initiatives they estimate would cost $4.75 million.
The proposal to use rainy-day funds for Tijuana River sewage efforts is the latest Aguirre has made this week. On Tuesday, she suggested using $19.25 million to buy more air purifiers for residents and air monitors for the county to record real-time data of hydrogen sulfide levels and to run a treatment pilot program that would improve the river water’s conditions.
“This isn’t just a plan on paper,” Aguirre, whose District 1 includes the communities affected by the pollution, said Thursday. “It is a commitment to protect the health of South Bay families.”
Officials said $2.5 million would go into building a temporary pipeline extension at a hotspot in Nestor along Saturn Boulevard near Sunset Avenue to reduce the amount of pollution that becomes airborne.
Researchers have found concentrations of hydrogen sulfide at the hotspot that repeatedly exceed state thresholds. They have said that river culverts in those areas experience significant turbulence, exacerbating the release of the toxic gas. Hydrogen sulfide is a byproduct of the millions of gallons of sewage that repeatedly flow from Mexico into the U.S. by way of the Tijuana River. Last year, the county and city installed signs to warn the public.
The project would extend the pipeline that currently shoots the polluted water into a downstream area of the river through a submerged outlet. By gradually lengthening the pipeline below the water surface, the amount of churn is reduced, said Rich Whipple, the county’s Public Works deputy director.
The extension is a temporary fix. Officials said the goal is to eliminate the hotspots, though details on how and when have not been announced.
But, Aguirre said, it is “a meaningful step we can take now while we continue fighting for the long-term infrastructure investments our region deserves.”
The remaining $2.25 million would go to conduct short-term and long-term health studies that would track and measure how exposure to the toxic mix of sewer gas and chemicals affects people’s health.
Many people who live and work near the river have reported symptoms such as headaches, nausea, coughs and gastrointestinal issues.
The Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on the proposal on Wednesday.
