Us One Step Closer To ‘100%’ Deal With Mexico Ending Decades-long Sewage Crisis Gripping Vacation Hotspot: Epa

The U.S. and Mexico are 1 measurement person to permanently ending a sewage situation spewing from crossed nan separator into waters disconnected nan seashore of San Diego, Environmental Protection Agency main Lee Zeldin announced. 

"This week, EPA transmitted to Mexico a projected ‘100% solution’ that would PERMANENTLY END nan decades-old situation of earthy sewage flowing successful to nan U.S. from Mexico. Next, method groups from some nations will beryllium gathering to activity done nan specifications basal to hopefully scope an urgent agreement," Zeldin posted to X connected Friday. 

Zeldin visited San Diego past month, wherever he announced talks pinch his authorities counterparts successful Mexico to extremity nan decades-long issue. The problem, blamed connected outdated wastewater infrastructure, has persisted for decades, but has spiraled successful caller years arsenic Tijuana's organization skyrocketed. 

The sewage h2o has not only threatened San Diego's monolithic tourism manufacture and section residents, but besides poses a nationalist information consequence arsenic it pollutes nan waters wherever U.S. Navy SEAL members and candidates train, Fox Digital antecedently reported. 

EPA CHIEF ZELDIN LAUNCHES TALKS WITH MEXICO TO END SEWAGE HITTING SAN DIEGO, NAVY SEALS: 'OUT OF PATIENCE'

The U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command is headquartered successful San Diego and is 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 that were attributed to nan contaminated water. 

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin attends a gathering pinch President Donald Trump successful nan Oval Office of nan White House connected March 13, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Veterans who said to Fox News Digital successful April described nan contaminated h2o arsenic 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 question and reply past month. "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." 

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

Zeldin said past period that he and his counterparts successful Mexico had launched good-faith talks to update infrastructure and h2o guidance facilities, adding that he zeroed successful connected nan "specifics," including drafting a "comprehensive database of everything that we judge pinch afloat assurance is going to extremity nan crisis" connected some nan U.S. broadside of the separator and Mexico's. 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum speaks during a briefing. (Luis Barron/Eyepix Group/LightRocket)

"Now, if you don't do each of nan different projects and each you do is cleanable up nan existent contamination, that feel-good infinitesimal will past astir a day," Zeldin said during a property convention successful San Diego past month. "We person to extremity nan travel in. Mexico needs to fulfill its portion successful cleaning up nan contamination that they caused." 

Aerial position of sewage h2o spilling into Playa Blanca formation successful nan seashore of Tijuana, Mexico connected March 21, 2024. (Getty Images)

Zeldin first addressed nan sewage problem successful March earlier previewing nan travel to return connected nan issue. 

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

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

Aerial position of Tijuana, Mexico, top, and San Diego, California (Getty Images)

"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, 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." 

"Our residents, are getting sick owed to polluted air," nan missive continued. "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 it's safe to spell outside. And nan economical effect is profound, pinch nan sewage situation hurting area tourism, maritime manufacture jobs and section spot values." 

San Diego is 1 of nan nation's apical cities for tourism – down different nationalist treasures specified arsenic New York City, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. – attracting astir 32 cardinal visitors to nan metropolis successful 2024, nan San Diego Tourism Authority antecedently reported. 

SAN DIEGO SUBURB FACES 'SEWAGE CRISIS' FROM LOCAL BEACH

During his sojourn to San Diego past month, Zeldin vowed to bring an extremity to nan rumor arsenic Californians tally retired of patience pinch nan crisis. 

A SEAL people participates successful a surf transition training workout astatine Naval Amphibious Base Coronado successful Coronado, California. (Getty Images)

"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."

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"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."