Epa Chief Zeldin Launches Talks With Mexico To End Sewage Hitting San Diego, Navy Seals: 'out Of Patience'

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin visited San Diego Tuesday to reside nan Mexican sewage flowing into U.S. waters from Tijuana that has contaminated nan California coast, including wherever Navy SEALs train. 

"The Americans connected our broadside of nan separator who person been dealing pinch this … for decades, are retired of patience," Zeldin said astatine a Tuesday property convention successful San Diego. "There's nary measurement that we are going to guidelines earlier nan group of California and inquire them to person much patience and conscionable carnivore pinch each of america arsenic we spell done nan adjacent 10 aliases 20 aliases 30 years of being stuck successful 12 feet of earthy sewage and not getting anywhere."

"So we are each retired of patience," he continued. "There's a very constricted opportunity. We're successful bully faith, some connected nan American broadside and besides connected nan Mexican side, what's being communicated by nan caller Mexican president is an aggravated desire to afloat resoluteness this situation." 

Zeldin said that he met pinch Mexican officials for astir 90 minutes Monday nighttime to talk nan sewage spewing into U.S. waters — and relayed that nan Mexican biology caput wants to person a "strong collaborative relationship" pinch nan U.S. to extremity nan pollution. 

"I will beryllium speaking pinch nan main of unit to nan Mexican biology caput to guarantee that complete nan people of nan coming days, complete nan people of nan adjacent mates weeks, that we are capable to put together a circumstantial connection from some countries connected a communal knowing of what Mexico is going to do to thief resoluteness this issue," he said. 

EPA CHIEF TAKES ON MEXICAN 'SEWAGE CRISIS' FLOWING INTO US WATERS WHERE NAVY SEALS TRAIN 

Lee Zeldin connected Capitol Hill for his Senate confirmation to service arsenic EPA administrator.  (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)

Zeldin said that he is focused connected nan "specifics" of ending nan issue, including drafting a "comprehensive database of everything that we judge pinch afloat assurance is going to extremity nan crisis" for projects connected some nan U.S. broadside of nan separator and Mexico. 

"We did it yesterday during nan meeting, wherever 1 peculiar task arsenic it relates to diverting 10 cardinal gallons per time of h2o from nan Tijuana River Valley, sewage from nan Tijuana River vale to nan dam, will thief relieve stress," he said. "And they were saying it was going to return until nan mediate aliases extremity of 2027, and we started talking done it. It was a very bully collaborative chat wherever astatine nan extremity of nan backmost and forth, nan Mexican officials were saying that they judge that we would beryllium capable to return disconnected a twelvemonth of that timeline." 

MEXICO IS POISONING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN A BORDER CRISIS ALMOST NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT

The rumor of sewage h2o flowing into U.S. waters is mostly attributed to outdated wastewater infrastructure crossed nan confederate border.

Zeldin said his Mexican counterparts cited 3 infrastructure projects that were completed to thief reside nan situation — including nan precocious updated San Antonio de los Buenos Wastewater Treatment Plant — but that a fistful of different projects are still successful nan works, specified arsenic installing caller "international collector floodgates connected nan Tijuana River" and rehabilitating pumping plants. 

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum successful Mexico City, Nov. 20, 2024.  (Rodrigo Oropeza/AFP via Getty Images)

Aerial position of nan metropolis of Tijuana, Mexico (top) and San Diego.  (Getty Images)

MEXICAN SEWAGE GUSHING INTO NAVY SEAL TRAINING WATERS IS US' 'NEXT CAMP LEJEUNE,' VETS WARN

Zeldin was joined by section leaders during nan property conference, including California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa and California Democratic Rep. Mike Levin, who recounted to nan media that his conflict to extremity nan situation was personal. 

"My wife's nephew trained successful Coronado arsenic a Navy SEAL. And successful his 20s, he coiled up getting cancer," Levin said. "We don't definitively cognize whether that crab was caused by his service. We cognize that he's gotten a batch better. … But for illustration truthful galore Marines and others — our Border Patrol and members of nan organization — they're impacted by toxic sewage successful nan water. We're impacted successful nan air."

Zeldin said he was headed to meet pinch Navy SEALs aft wrapping up nan property conference. 

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt commended Zeldin for nan travel during nan White location property convention connected Tuesday, adding that President Donald Trump is committed to having nan "cleanest aerial and nan cleanest water."

"I would besides adhd from nan president himself, he has ever maintained he wants America to person nan cleanest aerial and nan cleanest water. And we want to do what's correct for our situation and for our earth," she said. 

‘CONTAMINATED WATER’

United States Naval Special Warfare Command headquartered successful San Diego and is besides wherever Navy SEAL candidates complete their arduous six-month Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training astatine nan Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.

In February, nan Department of Defense's inspector wide released a study uncovering that nan Naval Special Warfare Center reported 1,168 cases of acute gastrointestinal illnesses among SEAL candidates betwixt January 2019 and May 2023 alone. 

"Navy SEAL campaigner vulnerability to contaminated h2o occurred because (Naval Special Warfare Command) did not travel San Diego County's Beach and Bay Water Quality Program's formation closure postings," nan inspector wide study found. "As a consequence of Navy SEAL campaigner vulnerability to contaminated h2o during training, candidates are presented pinch accrued wellness risks and NAVSPECWARCOM's training ngo could beryllium impacted."

Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) people participate successful a surf transition training workout astatine Naval Amphibious Base Coronado successful Coronado, California.  (Getty Images)

Veterans who said to Fox News Digital earlier successful April described nan contaminated h2o a nationalist information crisis. 

"This is simply a immense nationalist crisis," Navy SEAL vet Jeff Gum, who was sickened by nan h2o erstwhile he was moving done SEAL training successful 2008, told Fox Digital successful a Zoom interview. "Like half nan SEAL teams are located successful San Diego, nan different half are successful Virginia Beach. So erstwhile you've sewage half nan SEAL teams who are getting exposed to this, past it's a awesome issue." 

The CEO of VetComm, which advocates for abnormal veterans and those navigating nan VA's analyzable wellness system, compared nan situation to nan Camp Lejeune h2o crisis. Thousands of Marines and others were sickened astatine North Carolina's Camp Lejeune guidelines betwixt 1953 and 1987 arsenic a consequence of h2o contaminated by business solvents utilized to drink, bathe and navigator astatine nan training accommodation and on-base housing. 

Sewage h2o spills into Playa Blanca formation successful nan seashore of Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, connected March 21, 2024. (Getty Images)

"This is going to be, successful my opinion, nan adjacent Camp Lejeune h2o problem that costs our authorities $21 to $25 billion," VetComm CEO Kate Monroe told Fox Digital earlier successful April. "That's conscionable successful nan compensation directly, for illustration nan suit information of it. That doesn't screen each nan compensation you person to salary these veterans tax-free for nan remainder of their lives. I would opportunity that this rumor present successful San Diego, if you look astatine it complete nan clip that group person been training here, you're looking astatine different $21 to $25 billion, positive each of nan compensation that's going to come. It would beryllium cheaper for our state to hole this than it would to let it to continue." 

US SENATOR BLASTS PRESIDENT OF MEXICO, SAYS TOXIC SEWAGE DUMP THREATENS ‘NATIONAL SECURITY’

Zeldin first addressed nan sewage problem successful March earlier previewing nan travel to return nan rumor caput on. 

"I was conscionable briefed that Mexico is dumping ample amounts of earthy sewage into nan Tijuana River, and it’s now seeping into nan U.S.," he posted to X March 8. "This is unacceptable. Mexico MUST honor its commitments to power this contamination and sewage!" 

Local leaders person been sounding nan siren connected nan sewage problem, including Imperial Beach's Mayor Paloma Aguirre, who sent a missive to Zeldin successful March describing really nan earthy sewage has sparked 1 of "America’s astir horrendous biology and nationalist wellness disaster" arsenic billions of gallons person polluted nan Pacific Ocean since 2023 alone. 

EPA main Lee Zeldin traveled to San Diego County complete concerns that Mexican officials are not doing capable to reside sewage successful nan Tijuana River that pollutes beaches connected nan U.S. broadside of nan border.  (Getty Images)

SAN DIEGO SUBURB FACES 'SEWAGE CRISIS' FROM LOCAL BEACH

"The toxic sewage coming crossed nan separator from Mexico into South San Diego County is among America’s astir horrendous biology and nationalist wellness disasters," Aguirre's March 3 missive to Zeldin and published online reads. "Since 2023, complete 31 cardinal gallons of earthy sewage, polluted stormwater and trash person flowed crossed nan Mexican border, down nan Tijuana River, done nan cities of San Diego and Imperial Beach and into nan Pacific Ocean." 

A photograph of Mexican sewage flowing into nan U.S. (Rob Sweetman)

The missive called connected Zeldin to assistance pinch nan situation by authorizing a caller reappraisal of nan Lower Tijuana River Valley’s sewage situation for Superfund designation. The situation has not only affected Navy SEALs, but besides tourism and homeowners, according to nan mayor's letter. 

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"Our residents, are getting sick owed to polluted air," nan missive stated. "Workers, including Navy Seals training successful nan area, person been sickened connected nan occupation by waterborne and aerosolized diseases. Many homeowners person been forced to spot aerial value monitors connected their spot truthful they cognize whether aliases not its safe to spell outside. And nan economical effect is profound, pinch nan sewage situation hurting area tourism, maritime manufacture jobs and section spot values."