[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 6 (Thursday, January 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H55]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 WASTEWATER SEWAGE IS AN EMBARRASSMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Peters) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address an issue that may not be 
on the top of the agenda for most politicians in Washington but could 
very well be the greatest ongoing environmental disaster in the United 
States today. I am referring to the billions of gallons of raw 
wastewater sewage, industrial waste, and other pollutants that flow 
from Mexico down the Tijuana River into San Diego and onto our beaches.
  Those flows sicken our communities, they shutter our local 
businesses, they harm our tourism industry, and they threaten our 
servicemembers and Border Patrol agents stationed in San Diego.
  The solution is simple. The United States owns and operates a 
wastewater treatment plant on our side of the border that in the past 
decades has not been maintained and is in desperate need of repair and 
expansion to handle the flows. President Biden included $310 million in 
his supplemental funding request that would make those repairs and 
upgrades possible. It is not a small price, but is there any more 
worthy investment than in the health of our constituents?
  Air quality monitors that were recently installed in the region have 
confirmed what residents have felt for years--that unhealthy levels of 
pollution are present not only in the ocean, but sewage that washes up 
on land dries up and is sending dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide 
into the air around people's homes.
  Many of the communities hit hardest by this are low income and 
communities of color. I can't help but think that if this was happening 
somewhere that wasn't 3,000 miles from here like the Chesapeake Bay or 
even the Great Lakes, it would already have been taken care of.
  The public health disaster alone should be enough to force action. 
The harm it causes our local small businesses alone should be enough to 
force action. But in addition to all of that, the cross-border 
pollution poses a grave national security threat.
  Coronado, which is in my district, is home to the Naval Special 
Warfare Command where Navy SEALs train in waters polluted with human 
feces. I am proud to represent these brave warfighters, but I am 
ashamed that we have not done more to protect their health.
  Everyone expects this training to be tough and uncomfortable, but it 
should not pose potential long-term health problems.
  Some former SEALs who now serve in Congress--all Republicans, by the 
way--have told me about the disgusting waters they had to train in, and 
I am thankful to have their support to get this funding.
  Now, we know that Mexico must also do its part, and much of their 
infrastructure has also fallen into disrepair. The good news is that 
Mexico is bound by a treaty we signed in San Diego in 2022 to spend 
nearly $150 million to fix their pipes and their treatment plant. That 
is on top of the $2 million plus that Mexico pays the United States 
annually to treat these contaminated waters.
  Mexico, to its credit, has made great strides in the last year on 
their side of the border. They have repaired and replaced key 
infrastructure like sewage pipes that redirect the contaminated water. 
And just today, January 11, they are breaking ground on replacing the 
wastewater treatment plant on their side of the border that has been 
broken, as well.
  We should be embarrassed--embarrassed--that Mexico is acting with 
more urgency than we are.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, this is an urgent public health, business, 
and national security disaster. The more we delay in addressing cross-
border pollution, the more costly and difficult it will be to fix it in 
the future.
  I urge all my colleagues to support this funding, and I ask that 
congressional leadership and appropriators include this funding in any 
upcoming spending package.

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