EPA Administrator addresses Tijuana River sewage crisis in San Diego

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin held a press conference in San Diego, California, on April 22,2025, with elected officials and local stakeholders on the Tijuana River sewage crisis.

EPA states that untreated sewage and contaminated stormwater has been discharged by Mexico into the U.S. and has resulted in severe public health, environmental and national security consequences, particularly in the San Diego border region.

Prior to the conference, Zeldin toured the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant which sits on the American-Mexico border, and attended a roundtable with local, state and federal elected officials to discuss the impacts this crisis has had on the community.

At the press conference, Administrator Zeldin updated the public on his meeting with his Mexican counterpart, Secretary Alicia Barcena, discussing necessary next steps to end the crisis.

“This visit for EPA is very important to us to make sure that we aren’t just seeing and hearing firsthand on the ground in southern California, but ensuring the path forward is one of max collaboration and extreme urgency to end a crisis that should have ended a long time ago,” said Administrator Zeldin in an EPA press release.

Following the press conference, Zeldin took a helicopter tour with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to view more of the area of concern on both sides of the border. He concluded the day at the Naval Special Warfare Command to meet with Navy SEALs also impacted by the sewage.