US-Mexico Tijuana River sewage crisis deal is ‘massive’ win for Americans, EPA says

A new deal between the United States and Mexico aimed at resolving the Tijuana River sewage problem is massive win for Americans living in the San Diego area Environmental Protection Agency EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin informed this week The memorandum of understanding was signed Thursday as the EPA disclosed For multiple decades untreated raw sewage has flowed into Southern California from Mexico polluting the Tijuana River Valley closing beaches fouling the air harming the region s market and sickening people on both sides of the boundary The Trump Administration is proud to deliver this massive environmental and national precaution win for Americans in the San Diego area who have been living with this disgusting raw sewage flowing into their communities for far too long Zeldin disclosed in a announcement The EPA explained the deal meets multiple top Trump Administration priorities and milestones critical to ensuring a response to this issue -- including expediting already-existing critical infrastructure projects LIV GOLF STAR PHIL MICKELSON ADDS HIS REACTION TO DEEPENING SEWAGE EMERGENCY IN SAN DIEGO The United States which has withheld sending more American dollars to projects until Mexico fulfilled their obligations toward other projects agreed to release EPA Boundary Water Infrastructure Effort funding to complete the rehabilitation of Pump Station and the Tijuana River collection pipes This is because Mexico agreed to fund and begin construction on two priority projects this year the diversion of treated effluent from two wastewater restoration plants and the rehabilitation of the Parallel Gravity Line the EPA disclosed in reference to a wastewater collecting pipe in Mexico This increased the total number of projects planned for this year from two to six To that end Mexico will at once seek internal funding to initiate the construction process for the diversion which will divert million gallons per day of treated effluent entering the Tijuana River and the rehabilitation of the Parallel Gravity Line This will be completed no later than December the EPA added It also revealed Several necessary Mexico side projects have been added to account for future population progress in Tijuana and operation and maintenance costs DEAL STRUCK BETWEEN US AND MEXICO TO ENSURE TEXAS FARMERS GET MUCH-NEEDED WATER The deal was reached after Zeldin traveled to San Diego in April to speak to those affected by the situation I made a commitment to the residents that I would spearhead an effort to construct an all-encompassing plan to definitively bring the sewage dilemma to an end Zeldin declared Since my visit the Mexican and United States governments have been working collaboratively to urgently finalize a permanent cure to this longstanding issue Secretary Rubio and the whole State Department and the National Assurance Council at the White House worked hand-in-hand with EPA and other federal partners to make this agreement a reality This is not just a resolution for he added We devised this agreement to factor in population increase operation and maintenance costs and other variables that would make this remedy durable and long term Grateful to President Claudia Sheinbaum Secretary of the Surroundings and National Tools of Mexico Alicia B rcena and the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their partnership cooperation and commitment to work with us to clean up the Tijuana River Valley This is a huge win for millions of Americans and Mexicans who have been calling on us to end this decades old dilemma