Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lee Zeldin, has announced plans to visit the California-Mexico border to address the pressing issue of untreated sewage from Tijuana polluting U.S. beaches, according to Fox News. This “filthy” sewage runoff has caused significant environmental damage, including beach closures in San Diego County. In a statement on social media, Zeldin called for immediate action from Mexico to end decades of pollution impacting the U.S., describing the situation as “disgusting” and harmful to the environment.
“I’ll be visiting the California-Mexico border in the coming weeks where disgusting Mexican sewage is harming our precious environment in the United States,” Zeldin wrote on X. “Permanent solutions must be urgently implemented by Mexico to end decades of their filthy sewage flowing into the U.S.”
The problem reportedly worsened earlier this year when a malfunction at the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station spilled 30,000 gallons of sewage into the Tijuana River. Local officials, including San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond, have criticized both Mexico and U.S. authorities for failing to resolve the crisis, which poses health risks to residents, tourists, and Navy SEAL trainees.
“This isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a danger. Our Navy SEALs train just north of this toxic mess,” Desmond wrote. “Local families are exposed to contaminated water. Tourism suffers. And, yet, the State of California continues to look the other way. Many politicians have made promises — but delivered nothing. That ends now.”
Zeldin plans to collaborate with local and Mexican authorities during his visit to push for long-term solutions. However, critics argue that Mexico must take full responsibility for its wastewater management rather than relying on the United States. Still, Zeldin’s focus is on the well-being of America’s environment, and filthy wastewater that makes its way to the country is not only disgusting, it poses a serious risk to Americans that Zeldin will not tolerate.