Tijuana River Valley

New research on dangers of toxic sewage flowing into Tijuana River Valley

The Hollister Street Pumping Station failed last week and dumped 30,000 gallons of sewage from Tijuana.

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They want the governor and president to declare a state of emergency. They want someone to look at the mounting evidence of a growing public health crisis. They want someone to stop the flow of toxic sewage into the Tijuana River Valley in San Diego County.

“You just see it just flowing through, and it's nasty,” exclaimed Clayton Howard. “It's sickening.”

The Egger Highlands man lives a stone’s throw from Imperial Beach and the Tijuana River. For years, neighbors complained about the smell emanating from the river.

Now, local university chemists are working on getting new research published, proving the air above and around the Tijuana River Valley is toxic.

“We have empirical evidence now that hydrogen sulfide levels are about 160 times above state standards in this very area,” explained Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. “It's a lot, absolutely. And per the CDC, these levels can have chronic long-term health effects.”

Aguirre has repeatedly asked the state of California and federal government to declare a state of emergency. That was before the Hollister Street Pumping Station failed last week and dumped 30,000 gallons of raw sewage from Tijuana on the street.

“It’s raw sewage flowing into the streets of San Diego,” Aguirre said. “And there's still raw sewage flowing at Smuggler's Gulch, at Goat Canyon, at the rate of 100 and 300,000 gallons per day.”

In 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Orange County when fewer than 30,000 gallons of oil spilled off the coast of Huntington Beach. It was a one-time spill.

“Oil spills emanate hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide, which is the same type of toxic gas that is emanating from sewage,” explained Aguirre.

In a December trip to the border, Newsom said such a declaration would do nothing. Aguirre has repeatedly said he is wrong.

“We have collectively in the last three years accumulated something close to 30 billion gallons of raw sewage flowing into the streets of San Diego,” she said.

NBC 7 investigates the millions of gallons of raw sewage crossing from Tijuana into the United States every day, including how the crisis affects our health — and what must be done to end it.

“He doesn't seem to care,” added Howard, while standing in front of his home.

Howard said he’s written his own letter to Newsom asking for a state of emergency. Newsom has made declarations for earthquakes and devastating wildfires to help communities. He even recently declared a state of emergency to combat the bird flu.

"But we are here breathing in toxic chemicals," Howard said. "Words can't describe how pissed off I am. It's just like they don't care."

“It makes me feel motivated to continue to fight for these communities that have suffered for way too long,” Aguirre said.

An International Boundary and Water Commission spokesman could not say when the Hollister Street Pumping Station would be fixed. It’s used to pump raw sewage to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is also undergoing extensive repairs and expansion over the next five years. There is also no word on when the latest research will be published.

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