San Diego County has formally called for an investigation from both state and federal public health agencies into the impact of cross-border pollution in the area.
Public health director for San Diego County, Dr. Wilma Wooten, has submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an official public health request.
Spillage from Tijuana
The directive comes at the behest of Nora Vargas, county Chairperson, who has reported that communities in her district have been suffering from sewage and toxic chemicals from Tijuana.
CDC Director Mandy Cohen was the recipient of a letter from Vargas herself in her attempts to direct attention to the matter.
Vargas’ Pertinent Letter
In the letter Vargas submitted to Cohen she urged the CDC “to examine the prevalence of contaminants in the air, water and soil of these communities”.
Vargas went on to ask for an investigation into “their connection to community-reported increases in gastrointestinal issues and other symptoms.”
Rising Concern in the Area
In appealing to the CDC the issue has escalated to a new level following calls from Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre as well as members of the San Diego Congress for public health agencies to look into the matter.
These requests to investigate the contamination in the border area have so far been brushed aside by national public health agencies.
Local Public Health Authorities Causing Delays
According to the CDC, the local public health authorities must invite the agency in cooperation with state authorities to provide epidemiological assistance (Epi-Aid).
As per the CDC’s website an Epi-Aid investigation would “assist partners in making rapid, practical decisions for actions to control and prevent the public health problem.”
Lack of Concrete Evidence
The county has so far kept its action to just surveillance as they claim they have not observed a rise in documented cases of infection from interaction with polluted water.
Epi-Aid, if permitted, would allow for “rapid, short term (1-3 weeks), generally onsite, technical assistance by (Epidemic Intelligence Service) officers and other CDC subject matter experts”.
San Diego Taskforce
As it is not a requirement for all infections to be logged to the relevant public health authorities, the numbers of those exposed to polluted water are unclear.
Researchers and physicians in San Diego have formed a task force in order to find out if there are any links between water and air contamination and symptoms of illness in the population.
Aguirre Expresses Frustrations
Leading the task force is Aguirre who submitted a statement saying “The people of South Bay have been suffering appalling conditions for the better part of the last two years.”
She went on to say “We hope the CDC, CDPH and the office of the Governor give this emergency the serious level of attention it merits.”
Affected Communities Experiencing Illness
In South County, those living in Imperial Beach, Nestor, the Tijuana River Valley, and San Ysidro have been among those reporting illness as a result of water contamination.
Their symptoms include headaches, chronic coughs, vomiting, and diarrhea amongst other ailments. These were reported at their highest levels following heavy rains and on hotter days.
Connection Between Sewage Pollution and Illness
Physicians in the area have found links between the sewage pollution plaguing the area and respiratory as well as gastrointestinal problems.
In a broader context, public and environmental health researchers have pointed to evidence of health endangerment for those exposed to water and air contamination.
Lack of Upkeep in Treatment Plants
Following years of neglect and underfunding, treatment plants on both the U.S. and Mexican sides of the border have caused partially treated wastewater to cause issues for residents of Tijuana and south San Diego County.
Cross-border efforts to improve the standard of maintenance in these plants have been limited by a lack of funding which is spread across a large number of initiatives.
Urge for Increase in Budget
The International Boundary and Water Commission has appealed for an increase to its annual budget in order for repairs to take place and to tackle the contamination issue.
Governor Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden are now under pressure to declare an emergency regarding the cross-border pollution in order to secure additional resources.
With limitations as to how public health agencies can intervene in tackling the issue of contamination in these communities, it may be some time before we see improvements to this problem unless a state of emergency is called.
