Supervisor Submits Petition to EPA for Superfund Designation in Tijuana River Valley

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer on Thursday submitted a request to federal officials to consider the Tijuana River Valley as a possible Superfund site.

The development followed a vote by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors earlier this month delaying the proposal to seek the designation, which stems from a 1980 law giving the Environmental Protection Agency jurisdiction to clean up contaminated areas.

Lawson-Remer opted to act independently, gathering hundreds of signatures on a petition addressed to EPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman.

The request is for the agency to investigate the Tijuana River watershed for toxins in the soil, sediment and groundwater.

“Protecting our beaches, coastlines and the health of our residents have been among my top priorities,” Lawson-Remer said. “We need the EPA to come in here, and tell us once and for all if there is toxic waste in the ground so we have it addressed or take it off the table as an issue for our communities.”

Some local leaders have joined her push, including two mayors, Paloma Aguirre of Imperial Beach and Ron Morrison of National City, Marcus Bush, of the National City City Council and Jack Shu, chair of the San Diego Air Pollution Control District.

Others have been reticent to enter into what would likely be a lengthy process. Nora Vargas, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said all options were on the table, but she needed feedback from the community first.

“The declaration of a Superfund site isn’t a silver bullet that will solve all of our issues overnight, and in fact, can pose many problems of its own,” she said. “For starters, many communities surrounding these Superfund sites have experienced dramatically declining property values.”

Pollution in the Tijuana River Valley near the U.S.-Mexico border has long been an issue, with sewage flows leading to contaminated beaches and noxious odors. An aging wastewater treatment plant has become a significant contributing factor.

Aguirre said “the time for half-measures and excuses is over.”

“The EPA must act now to designate the Tijuana River Valley as a Superfund site. Our South Bay communities have a right to breathe clean air, drink safe water, and live without fear of contamination. We owe it to every family, every child, and every resident who*s been forced to live with this toxic pollution for far too long,” she said.