We must ratchet up the pressure on Mexico over Tijuana River pollution

Tijuana River pollution from Mexico is destroying the most beautiful beaches in the US.Imperial Beach, famous for its fishing pier and its great surfing, is now one of the most contaminated coastlines in the country.And the golden sands of Coronado are desolate on days when sewage from the river forces officials to put up warning signs at water’s edge.The pollution has become so bad that it is time to consider stronger alternatives than just waiting for Mexico to upgrade its facilities.The US may need to apply some serious pressure to force change.The river runs along the US-Mexico boundary.The lower stretches of the river cross into the US before draining into the Pacific Ocean.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story The problem is that three-quarters of the watershed that feeds the river is in Mexico.

And Mexico has serious sewage and pollution problems. The Trump administration has made a sincere effort to solve the problem — both in Trump’s first term and in the second.The first time around, President Donald Trump funded a water treatment plant on the US side of the border, as part of the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). The second Trump administration has gone even further, signing an agreement with Mexico in which Mexico agreed to build new sewage treatment facilities on its side of the border — at no cost to the American taxpayer.And while California Gov.Gavin Newsom wants Trump to provide more funding for water treatment, the state and federal governments both agree that the problem has to be solved.But the situation is becoming more and more urgent.The California Post reported this week that toxic gases from sewage flowing through the Tijuana River now exceed safety standards 10% of the time — up from 2% in 2024.The Tijua...