EPA considers petition to assess suitability of Tijuana River Valley as Superfund site – San Diego Union-Tribune

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is reviewing a petition sent by San Diego County residents and elected officials asking the federal government to evaluate whether the polluted Tijuana River Valley may be eligible for Superfund designation.

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Roemer led the effort after a majority of her colleagues on the Board of Supervisors voted earlier this month to delay any decision for at least three months.

“We need the EPA to get here and tell us once and for all if there is toxic waste in the ground so we can address it or remove it as a problem for our communities,” Lawson-Roemer said in a statement.

The petition included 500 signatures from residents who provided their zip codes, of which about 200 were from South County. Many residents of the affected communities said they suffered from respiratory ailments, and those living outside said the sewage crisis made them reluctant to visit beaches and local businesses.

EPA spokeswoman Julia Jarmoleo said the agency will evaluate whether a preliminary assessment of the Tijuana River is appropriate.

“If the EPA proceeds with the PA (preliminary assessment), this initial phase could take up to 12 months,” she said. “The PA includes a comprehensive review of available site information, including potential sources of contamination and environmental testing of air, water, soil, and precipitation samples. The timing of this assessment may vary depending on the complexity of the site and the amount of information available.”

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, also known as the Superfund program, allows the EPA to identify and, if necessary, remove hazardous substances. It also obliges the parties responsible for the contamination of the sites to pay for the cleanup. If there is no viable responsible party, the program offers funding through environmental excise taxes on chemicals, according to the agency’s website.

A preliminary assessment is only the first step. EPA will then conduct a site inspection, which may include ground water, soil impacts, surface water, and air, and rate the site from 0 to 100 using its hazard rating system. If a site scores at least 28.5, it is placed on the National Priorities List, which lists the most serious sites for long-term cleanup. Before including it in the List of National Priorities, it will seek the support of the state. The agency may also entrust the processing or other program to the state.

Sewage and toxic chemicals entering the U.S. from Mexico have long caused headaches, nausea, breathing problems and other symptoms for people who live and work near the border and along the South Bay coast. Earlier this month, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention completed three days of surveying residents about how the cross-border crisis has affected their health. And last week, the Federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry launched a month-long online survey asking people who live on or frequent South County beaches similar questions.

Numerous water quality tests conducted by local universities and federal agencies have previously detected several hazardous chemicals in the river, including the banned pesticide DDT and hexavalent chromium, the most toxic form of metallic chromium.

While repairs to sewage infrastructure on both sides of the border are underway, “they cannot reverse the effects of decades of unrelenting toxic pollution,” Lawson-Roemer said in a Superfund petition letter to the EPA.

Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and other elected officials have repeatedly called on the state and federal governments to declare a state of emergency. She said the effort is not exempt because it would result in the most “immediate and rapid intervention,” but since “it hasn’t gotten any results, we can at least start thinking about making it a superfund site.”

Chairwoman Nora Vargas, whose District 1 includes most of the affected communities, criticized the Superfund petition as a hasty move “that could slow down real solutions.”

In a statement Thursday, Vargas said she first wanted to “contribute to solutions that could change the fabric of our community forever.”

“First, in many of the communities surrounding these Superfund sites, property values ​​have plummeted,” she added. “It could also create extended periods of uncertainty for local residents and businesses, including potential displacement. These are all valid concerns that we should take into account. And I will make sure that our community voices are heard throughout this process!”

County staff are expected to provide the board with additional analysis of the Superfund program in the coming months.

Originally published: October 27, 2024 at 5:00 a.m