The Tijuana River is now the second most endangered river in America. That’s according to environmental organization American Rivers.
“We moved from number nine to number two, and that's concerning,” sighed Ramon Chairez, the education director for Un Mar de Colores.
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WATCH HEREThe Mississippi River is listed as the most endangered river in America.
“It's insane. There's toxic sewage. It makes you want to throw up,” fumed Coronado Mayor John Duncan while standing alongside the long-polluted Tijuana River.
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SIGN UP For decades, Tijuana sewage has made its way into the Tijuana River and Pacific Ocean. The problem became exponentially worse in 2020 when wastewater treatment plants on both sides of the international border stopped working.
“Both countries did not do a good job of funding their wastewater treatment plants or essentially prioritizing this,” Chairez said.
Billions of gallons of raw sewage have closed the water off Imperial Beach for most of the last four years. The sewage now regularly closes Silver Strand State Beach and Coronado.
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“I'm sure yellow signs on the beach in Coronado saying the ocean is polluted brought more attention to it,” Duncan said.
On Wednesday, Duncan joined other South Bay leaders to support proposed resolutions and actions that would put pressure, even levy sanctions on Mexico.
“Something needs to happen for each gallon of sewage that comes across the border into the United States,” Duncan said.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin said he will tour the border region Tuesday. He posted on X the sewage from Mexico needs to stop immediately.
