Photo: GUILLERMO ARIAS / Getty Images
By: EFE
Sunday, October 6
Mexican and US authorities agree to clean up the Tijuana River by 2030
Border communities of California and Mexico celebrated on Tuesday the announcement of the federal authorities of the United States about a $ 630 million dollar plan intended to treat the polluted waters of the Tijuana River that flow from Mexico and end up on American beaches.
San Diego and Tijuana share the Tijuana River basin and, for decades, the current has carried garbage, sediments and untreated water from Mexico to the beaches of southern California .
Recurring streams of pollution have created an environmental problem . Viruses and bacteria have been detected in the swell zone of the river, causing the closure of the beaches of the city of Imperial Beach for long periods .
The US Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) announced on Monday the plan of about $ 630 million dollars in investment to start the project for 2023.
The project focuses on installing a pumping system in the Tijuana River north of the border between Mexico and the United States to suck the polluted flows from the canal before they can litter the shores of San Diego .
The plan also includes improvements to a treatment operated by Mexico in the southern part of the river , and the construction of the San Antonio plant de los Buenos in Tijuana.
Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina said in a statement that he is grateful for the development plans they will present a solution for the pollution crisis in that area.
East 2021 the south shore of Imperial Beach has been closed for 218 days due to pollution leaving the river.
From 1993, The City of San Diego declared a continuing state of emergency for this issue .
Humberto Mar Engo Mogollón, head of the General Technical Subdirectorate of the National Water Commission (Conagua), the entity in charge of water management in Mexico, said in a statement that “the projects considered in the EPA plan for the sanitation of the Río Tijuana will significantly improve the quality of the water in this river and on the beaches of both countries. ”
For her part, Radhika Fox, administrator of EPA’s water programs, warned that a “bold solution” is needed to meet the challenge of transboundary water pollution.
California Senator Alex Padilla noted that toxic waste and untreated sewage has flowed across the border into Southern California for too long, polluting the air and water, and depriving communities of economic opportunities and outdoor recreation.
He added that along with l Senator Diane Feinstein promotes the bill “The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act”, that would give more resources to the EPA to reduce the river pollution problems .
Expected the plan to reduce beach closures by 95% during spring and summer. The project is scheduled to be completed by 2030 .
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