SAN DIEGO—The San Diego County Board of Supervisors June 25 unanimously approved a policy for the county Health and Human Services Agency to examine health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis on South Bay residents.
As proposed by board Chairwoman Nora Vargas and Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer, the policy will direct county staff to begin meeting with a dedicated task force within 45 days and to develop coordinated strategies for mobilization, which include:
- launching a community health survey examining health impacts beyond direct water exposure;
- development of a Tijuana River Public Health Risk Dashboard;
- development of local decontamination protocols for sewage contaminated flood waters;
- requesting ZIP-code level data from the California Breathing Program;
- enhanced interagency communication, including with the San Diego Regional Water Control Board, Air Pollution Control District, California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control; and
- pursuing additional funding to assess the impacts of the sewage crisis.
