The administrator of the environmental protection agency, Lee Zeldin, was very direct this week by urging Mexico to accelerate the action – and its expenses of spending – on the plans aimed at resolving the cross -border spills of Tijuana which have decades “once and for all”.
Far from unleashing, Zeldin adopted a diplomatic approach and later declared that he had a “promising” perspective after relying on a feeling of urgency towards Mexican officials to follow the agreements of their government with the United States
At least in his public comments here Tuesday, there was not the warm tone of some of the previous publications on Zeldin’s social networks on the issue, and he did not adopt threatening actions against Mexico proposed by certain local officials, such as the limitation of cross -border trade or the restraint of water transfers to Tijuana if a resolution does not occur soon.
But he was categorical that Mexico is up to his commitments and did not exclude the consequences if that does not.
However, as much as Zeldin stressed that it is a problem created in Mexico which has disastrous impacts on the imperial beach and other border communities of San Diego, he clearly supported the ongoing binational plan to stop toxic flows. The American federal government has assigned $ 650 million to the cause.
Zeldin also said that plans were put in place to speed up projects on both sides of the border.
The EPA administrator has toured American border areas in recent weeks and his visit to San Diego has been filled.
Monday evening, he met the Mexican secretary for the environment and natural resources Alicia Bárcena and other Mexican officials. On Tuesday, he made a visit early in the morning of the international wastewater treatment plant in South Bay South Bay and frequently broken just north of the border.
Later in the day, he participated in a round table with local officials, held a long press conference, made a visit to helicopter of the Tijuana River Valley and met Navy Seals which sometimes trains in the polluted waters of the South Bay region, which led some of them to fall sick in the past.
He said that “a few minutes of conversation through creative solutions” with Bárcena, they shortened the calendar of a one -year wastewater diversion installation.
“The conversation I had with the Mexican authorities was promising and I hope it is the beginning of a new collaborative relationship of transparency and honesty and a laser focused on cleaning the river and keeping it clean for decades to come,” he said in a statement later.
The “spill of wastewater” is the term for everyone for flows that also include toxic waste and chemicals. In addition to contracting diseases, American border agents have spoken of boots that base pollution. Maquiladora factories and other factories have been charged for some of non -human waste in spills.
During the press conference, representative Mike Levin, a democrat who represents part of the county of North San Diego, answered the question of whether US companies in Tijuana which contribute to pollution should share the infrastructure costs.
“I think this is a reasonable consideration,” said Levin, according to Tammy Murga of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Levin, like other members of the San Diego delegation, has been increasingly involved in the search for solutions to border pollution.
“I think there are a certain number of creative and reasonable things that we could do in collaboration with our ally who is not the case, you know, draconian to say that we are going to close the border,” added Levin.
The Republican officials of South Bay supported a resolution approved by the Municipal Council of Imperial Beach last week which urged a more immediate action to stop the waste of wastewater. The resolution also calls for limiting cross -border trade and limiting drinking water deliveries to Tijuana if the problem is not resolved. Tijuana imports the vast majority of its water from the United States
Such ideas have disrupted certain business leaders.
“The limitation of cross -border activity would even temporarily have impact impact repercussions,” said Marcy Weaver, CEO of Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
The day before the member of the Council of Imperial Beach, Mitch McKay, presented the resolution, the county supervisor Jim Desmond, a republican colleague, called to limit travel and cross -border water expeditions. Desmond, who announced that he was presented to the Congress against Levin next year, also attended the press conference.
The mayor of Imperial Beach, Paloma Aguirre, a democrat, was the only “no” vote on the resolution. Aguirre was not invited to the round table or the press conference, but apparently crushed the factory tour and joined Zeldin, telling the administrator of health effects and other impacts on his city, which has experienced almost constant beaches and foul smells due to pollution.
John McCann, the republican mayor of Chula Vista who appears against Aguirre for the county supervisor, appeared at a press conference last week in favor of the resolution.
McCann also participated in the press conference and the Zeldin round table on Tuesday, as well as other municipal officials and the county, most of them were republicans. The representatives of Darrell Issa, R-Bonsall, and the Democrats of San Diego Sara Jacobs and Juan Vargas and Levin also joined Zeldin at times of his trip.
“It is not a partisan press conference,” said Zeldin, recognizing the democratic members of the Congress. “It’s not a partisan day.”
As for the partnership with Mexico, Bárcena declared in an article on social networks that she had a “very productive meeting” with the administrator of the EPA. Zeldin said Bárcena said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and his administration are “fully determined to do their part to solve this problem,” said Los Angeles Times.
At the end of Zeldin’s visit, there was a considerable optimism that the relief of the spills of border wastewater gained ground at the highest levels of American and Mexican governments. The EPA was not immune to the deep cuts of the Trump administration in federal agencies and there was an uncertainty about how it could affect the financing of borders.
However, over the years, there have been some reversals of the momentum to a real solution, but no more reverse.
As they have done before, San Diegans is waiting to see what type of follow -up takes place on both sides of the border.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
