So, the Tijuana River is basically a hot mess. I mean, it’s been dealing with sewage and industrial waste from Tijuana for, like, forever. And that’s not cool, you know? ‘Cause it’s polluting beaches along the U.S.-Mexico border and making everything stink. Not really sure why this matters, but American Rivers now ranked it as the 2nd most endangered river in the country. Well, that’s a jump from being number 9 last year. The Surfrider Foundation is also in on this, trying to get Trump to declare a national emergency. Like, can we really rely on that though?
According to Kevin Hogan, a dude from the Tijuana River Valley, the river can’t even flow properly because of overgrown vegetation. And then there’s Ann Willis from American Rivers, who’s all like, “It’s not just pollution, it’s a public health crisis, guys.” And now they want Trump to declare an emergency. Lee Zeldin from the EPA is also chiming in, talking about how raw sewage from Mexico is messing things up. And Navy SEALs are getting sick from this? That’s just messed up.
Apparently, Mexico is making some progress, building new sewage treatment plants and stuff. But it’s not enough. We need both governments to step up and do more, you know? Sarah Davidson from Surfrider is all about that cooperation and diplomacy across the border. I mean, it sounds good, but will it actually happen?
Willis is saying that we need funding from the U.S. to fix stuff up north, like the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant. And pollution monitoring is a must. We can’t just ignore this, right? The Tijuana River is making people sick, man. It’s not just about the river itself, it’s the air pollution, too. And Navy SEALs are getting hit hard. We gotta do something about this, like now.
The Tijuana River flows a long way, starting in Baja California and ending up in Imperial Beach. But the beaches are always closed ’cause of bacteria levels. And the gases and vapors coming from the river? That’s a whole other issue. It’s like a never-ending nightmare. Davidson is right, we need more awareness, more pressure, more action from the government. And these folks at the news conference wearing respirators? That’s just sad. The situation is desperate, and we need help. Like, serious help.
