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san diego
Toxic Waters Know No Borders: The Tijuana River Crisis
We are facing a creeping ecological and public health disaster—one that has persisted for decades because of political inaction and a lack of cross-border communication and coordination. But solutions exist.
Jul 24, 2025
The intense, acidic stench of raw sewage penetrating your nose and clinging to the back of your throat and yellow “Keep Out, Sewage Polluted Water” warning signs have become far too “normal” for us, southern San Diego, California residents. The Tijuana River once carried stories of binational friendship, but now it carries toxic pollution, including human feces and disease, into the United States.
Originating in Mexico, the Tijuana River crosses the U.S.-Mexico border into an estuary and the ocean, shaping the ecology, culture, and identity of the binational communities it touches. But today, it’s a symbol of failure and neglect. The Tijuana River was recently named the second most endangered river in the United States, and for good reason—the toxic mix of raw sewage, chemical runoff, and bureaucratic inaction threatens not only the health of ecosystems but also the health of Southern California residents.
The river has been a dumping ground for untreated wastewater from Tijuana’s overwhelmed sewage infrastructure and for toxic and sometimes lethal industrial chemicals, including cyanide, primarily from U.S. factories in Mexico seeking lower environmental regulation policies. Thirty-five to 50 million gallons of contaminated water per day make their way through the Tijuana River Estuary, one of the largest remaining coastal wetlands in Southern California, before spilling into the Pacific Ocean.
Communities in southern San Diego County, especially Latinos near the river, are on the frontlines of this crisis. Communities impacted by the Tijuana River pollution include Imperial Beach (50.8% Latino), Coronado (19.4%), National City (65.8%), and Chula Vista (60.4%). People in these cities are suffering from coughing, sore throats, asthma exacerbations, skin rashes and infections, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, headaches, and fatigue just from living in proximity to the toxic river. Even more troubling, many recreational fishers—again, often Latinos seeking affordable ways to feed their families—continue to fish in waters that carry dangerous levels of pathogens and heavy metals, unaware of the health risks.
The Tijuana River may be endangered, but it is not lost. With continued pressure, investment, and solidarity, it can once again become a source of life.
This isn’t just a neighborhood issue. The pollution affects Navy SEALs training at the Coronado naval base and U.S. Border Patrol agents, who frequently report infections after exposure. Then there’s its effect on our wildlife. The watershed is home to over 370 bird species and multiple endangered species that depend on clean estuarine habitats for nesting and feeding. The toxic flow erodes their ecosystems, disrupts food chains, and jeopardizes biodiversity along the Southern California coast.
We are facing a creeping ecological and public health disaster—one that has persisted for decades because of political inaction and a lack of cross-border communication and coordination. Yet solutions exist—and many are already underway—driven by the leadership of Latino residents who are boldly demanding action.
Across Southern California, Latino communities and advocacy groups are raising their voices, organizing town halls, urging local officials to act, and educating neighbors about the health and environmental impacts of pollution from the Tijuana River. Their efforts underscore the urgent need for federal government resolution and robust international collaboration to invest in wastewater infrastructure, enforce existing treaties, and modernize pollution control systems on both sides of the border.
At the same time, we must strengthen protections under the Clean Water Act, not weaken them as the federal government intends, and declare the Tijuana River pollution a national emergency due to the environmental disaster impacting public health. Protecting and restoring the Tijuana River will require viewing it as a shared responsibility between nations and communities. Clean water and health should not depend on your ZIP code or nationality. A river that knows no borders should not suffer from a lack of cross-border care.
Despite the daunting challenges, there is hope. The voices rising from Latino communities in southern San Diego are powerful and persistent, with ever-growing resonance. Their advocacy, led by newly sworn-in San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre, is making a difference. Federal funds have trickled into the region. Joint U.S.-Mexico commissions are revisiting decades-old agreements. And more Americans beyond California are finally beginning to see this crisis for what it is—a national emergency. Hispanic Access Foundation’s advocacy toolkit provides effective strategies to help address this issue.
The Tijuana River may be endangered, but it is not lost. With continued pressure, investment, and solidarity, it can once again become a source of life. The fight to restore this river is not just a campaign to clean a waterway and entry into the ocean; it is a movement to ensure that every community, regardless of language, location, or ethnicity, can breathe clean air, swim in safe water, and raise their children free from environmental harm.
We owe it to the river. We owe it to each other.
Warmer in Alaska Than San Diego This Week as Temperature Record 'Pulverized'
"Climate change continues to push the envelope on what is possible all over the globe," said one meteorologist.
Dec 29, 2021
As parts of Alaska obliterated high-temperature records earlier this week, meteorologists and climate scientists warned that extreme heat and rainfall are the new normal in the nation's largest state and other Arctic and subarctic zones.
"In and around the Arctic... temperatures have been rising around twice as fast as the rest of the planet."
On Sunday, the town of Kodiak in southern Alaska hit 67degF--seven degrees warmer than the daytime high in San Diego--and shattering the December record for Alaska by nine degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The town also broke the local December record by more than 20 degrees.
"I would not have thought such a thing possible," Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, tweeted Tuesday.
CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said that "we've become somewhat numb to these 'never before seen' extremes in temperature and weather as climate change continues to push the envelope on what is possible all over the globe."
"In and around the Arctic this is especially true, where temperatures have been rising around twice as fast as the rest of the planet," he added.
\u201c\ud83d\udea8The Kodiak Tide Gauge station recorded an amazing 67\u00b0F yesterday. This is a new statewide temperature record for December. The Kodiak Airport recorded 65\u00b0F. This broke their monthly record by 9\u00b0F! The weather balloon launched at the same time confirms these amazing readings.\u201d— NWS Alaska Region (@NWS Alaska Region) 1640637497
Warmer air is wetter air, as higher temperatures mean the atmosphere can store more water vapor. Miller said this explains why more intense rainstorms and flooding are increasing along with global temperatures.
"Each degree Fahrenheit of warming can hold about 4% more water vapor," he said, "and much of Alaska was 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above average temperatures for late December."
Parts of Alaska have suffered record rainfall this month. CNN reports Fairbanks has been inundated with 4.75" of liquid-equivalent precipitation for the month--more than 10 times the historical average.
A study published last month in Nature Communications noted that "as the Arctic continues to warm faster than the rest of the planet, evidence mounts that the region is experiencing unprecedented environmental change," with "the hydrological cycle... projected to intensify throughout the 21st century [and] increased evaporation from expanding open water areas and more precipitation."
The paper projected that Arctic winters will experience more rain than snow beginning sometime in the 2060s.
\u201cTropical warmth and moisture all the way to Alaska.\n\nA new monthly state record has been set, which absolutely pulverised the date record. This remarkable heat goes hand-in-hand with the remarkable contrast in North America.\u201d— Scott Duncan (@Scott Duncan) 1640787889
Extreme temperatures aren't just occurring during the Alaskan winters. In July 2019, Anchorage recorded an all-time high of 90degF. In July 2021, the record-breaking heatwave during which Lytton, British Columbia, set a Canadian record of 121degF triggered a 2.7-magnitude cryoseism, or "ice quake," near Juneau, Alaska's capital, as 92-degree heat melted glacier ice that subsequently saturated into the soil and then rapidly refroze.
Wildfires--which accelerate global heating by releasing massive amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere--are also increasing along with Alaska's rising temperatures.
Scientists also warn that thawing Arctic permafrost in the northern parts of the state constitutes a "geological time bomb" set to release potentially devastating quantities of methane--a super-potent greenhouse gas whose emissions are roughly 87 times more potent than carbon dioxide emissions over a 20-year period--into the atmosphere.
Major 'Milestone' for Workers as California Judge Rules Uber and Lyft Must Classify Drivers as Employees
"This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard—and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day—to provide for their families."
Aug 11, 2020
In a move that local political leaders and labor rights advocates celebrated as a major win for gig workers, a California judge ruled Monday that the ride-hailing companies Lyft and Uber must classify drivers in the state as employees rather than independent contractors to comply with state law.
"The years-long ploy of these behemoth corporations to stall, obfuscate, and flat-out break the law has failed. There must be no more delays."
--Art Pulaski, California Labor Federation
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman's decision (pdf) came in a case filed against Lyft and Uber in May by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra and the city attorneys of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, who accused the companies of violating Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5), which Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last year.
"The court has weighed in and agreed: Uber and Lyft need to put a stop to unlawful misclassification of their drivers while our litigation continues," Becerra said in a statement responding to Schulman's preliminary injunction, which is stayed for 10 days to allow for legal appeals.
"While this fight still has a long way to go, we're pushing ahead to make sure the people of California get the workplace protections they deserve," Becerra added. "Our state and workers shouldn't have to foot the bill when big businesses try to skip out on their responsibilities. We're going to keep working to make sure Uber and Lyft play by the rules."
\u201c#BREAKING: the court ruled that Uber and Lyft must put a stop to driver misclassification while our litigation continues.\n\nOur state and workers shouldn\u2019t have to foot the bill when big businesses try to skip out on their responsibilities.\u201d— Archive - Attorney General Becerra (@Archive - Attorney General Becerra) 1597092593
If the ride-hailing companies are forced to permanently reclassify drivers under AB 5--which went into effect at the start of this year--they could be required to provide workers with protections and benefits including minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, disability, healthcare, and unemployment insurance.
Becerra and the city attorneys filed suit after facing mounting pressure from Lyft and Uber drivers that increased in the midst up Covid-19 pandemic, which led drivers to endure plummeting incomes due to declining demand and greater health risks related to their work.
"This is a resounding victory for thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers who are working hard--and, in this pandemic, incurring risk every day--to provide for their families," Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said of Schulman's ruling. "Of course, our fight is not over and we will vigorously pursue this litigation until these workers have the permanent protection they deserve."
San Diego City Attorney Mara W. Elliott called the judge's decision "a milestone in protecting workers and their families from exploitation by Uber and Lyft."
"I'm proud to be in this fight to hold greedy billion-dollar corporations accountable, especially when a pandemic makes their withholding of healthcare and unemployment benefits all the more burdensome on taxpayers," Elliott added.
The news was also welcomed in a statement from Art Pulaski, executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, which has championed AB 5.
"The years-long ploy of these behemoth corporations to stall, obfuscate, and flat-out break the law has failed," Pulaski said. "There must be no more delays. We demand these companies immediately adhere to this ruling and provide their drivers with the protections and benefits they so richly deserve."
\u201cIn September 2019, CA Gov @GavinNewsom signed a law requiring @Uber + @lyft to treat their drivers as real employees (and give them real benefits).\n\nIn August 2020, 11 months later, @Uber + @lyft still have yet to comply with the law.\nhttps://t.co/BONbzS9ort\u201d— Jobs With Justice (@Jobs With Justice) 1597155361
Lyft and Uber are expected to continue fighting against AB 5's classification requirements under the guise of proving flexibility to drivers--even though, as San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera explained Monday, "there is no rule that prevents these drivers from continuing to have all of the flexibility they currently enjoy. Being properly classified as an employee doesn't change that."
Uber spokesperson Davis White said in a statement that "the vast majority of drivers want to work independently, and we've already made significant changes to our app to ensure that remains the case under California law."
Lyft spokesperson Julie Wood claimed that "drivers do not want to be employees, full stop." She said that the ride-hailing giant will "immediately appeal this ruling" and, in an apparent reference to a state ballot measure backed by companies that employ gig workers, "we believe this issue will be decided by California voters and that they will side with drivers."
DoorDash, Lyft, and Uber have each poured at least $30 million into the ballot initiative, "with additional support from Instacart and Postmates, which Uber recently agreed to acquire," CNN Business reported Monday. "If passed, it would exempt them from the AB 5 law, but offer drivers some benefits."
CNN pointed out that the judge's ruling comes after the California Labor Commissioner's Office last week "filed lawsuits against Uber and Lyft for allegedly committing wage theft by misclassifying their on-demand workers as independent contractors instead of employees."
The companies are also facing off against similar efforts at a national level. Bloomberg noted that "legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled U.S. House in February, and backed by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, would apply a standard like California's to federal labor law."
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