by Katy Grimes, E&E Legal Senior Media Fellow and California Globe Editor
As Appearing in the California Globe
Navy SEALs in Coronado couldn’t even train on the beach because of the sewage
For many years, untreated raw sewage has flowed into Southern California from Mexico and polluted the Tijuana River Valley, causing beaches to close, rendering them unusable. Even with beaches closed, and dangerous pollution issues, the federal government never managed to get Mexico to deal with the sewage.
Recently, Navy SEALs in Coronado couldn’t even train on the beach because of the sewage.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond has played a major role in bringing this crisis to a national level and putting it on the radar of the federal government. He said the federal government had previously failed to hold Mexico accountable for the sewage flowing into California. “Our beaches must be clean, safe, and open year-round — anything less is unacceptable,” he wrote.
In April, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin made a visit to San Diego to address the years-long issue.
Also in April, Supervisor Desmond sent letters in April to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding intervention.
