The South Bay in San Diego County is the site of one of the nation’s worst environmental disasters. Fifty million gallons of untreated sewage and industrial chemicals flow daily into the Tijuana River and out of Imperial Beach. New research connects the waste to worsening air quality, which has been linked with headaches, skin infections and gastrointestinal problems in the local population. We’ll talk about why solutions could be years away.
Forum from the Archives: Tijuana River Pollution Reaches Crisis Point in San Diego County, Scientists Warn
We look back on our conversation about why a solution to the pollution in Tijuana River could be years away.
View of the US-Mexico border wall from Border Field State Park on May 12, 2025 in Imperial Beach, California. (Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times)
Guests:
Soumya Karlamangla, national correspondent, based in the Bay Area, The New York Times
Paula Stigler Granados, associate professor at the School of Public Health and head of the Environmental Health Division, San Diego State University
Paloma Aguirre, mayor, Imperial Beach