Imperial Beach

They found concentrations were significantly higher in the air near the river mouth at the border and Imperial Beach than farther north along the coast at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla.

The study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, involved testing air and airwater samples collected in 2020 at locations including the U.S.-Mexico border, Imperial Beach and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla.

The city’s growth has far outpaced the existing sewage treatment plants, and inadequate and broken facilities spew waste into the river, polluting the water and air in Imperial Beach and other communities near the border.

Zeldin toured the South Bay plant, where he met with Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and other officials.

The Tijuana River flows 120 miles, starting in Baja California and crossing into Southern California, then reaching the Pacific Ocean in Imperial Beach.