During a press conference on Feb. 5, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said the EPA is planning to provide quarterly updates on all projects Mexico has committed to fund to resolve the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
“I believe that Mexico is going to continue to meet these targets that they committed to,” Zeldin said. “And if they don’t, I think Mexico has realized that there’s all sorts of other negotiations that are going on, where there will be consequences.”
Coronado Mayor John Duncan said an international plant’s expansion to treat 50 million gallons per day, in addition to the expansion and outfall pipe at the San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant, will keep beaches open a majority of the time, if not always.
“We continue to request a specific consequence if Mexico’s pipes break, if they don’t meet deadlines, or additional sewage comes,” said Duncan. “We have treaties, but we were looking whether or not we could have something more immediate. … I leave it to the government officials to say, it could be a fee on crossing the border. It could be a fine, it could be a tariff, it could be all kinds of things.”
Zeldin said he looks forward to assessing the visit and finding “any other possible way that we can help.”
