U.S., Mexico sign new agreement on Tijuana River sewage crisis

The United States and Mexico signed a new agreement Monday aimed at addressing the decades-long Tijuana River sewage crisis, but U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials who announced the accord were not clear about penalties for Mexico if their side of the agreement was not held up, nor did it address a critical pollution hotspot on U.S. soil.

Minute 333 outlines infrastructure projects, enhanced monitoring and planning for operation and maintenance of wastewater systems to account for future population growth in Tijuana — a component missing from previous agreements. The U.S.-Mexico accord does not obligate any additional taxpayer funding, including for Mexican-side projects.

“This strategic legal contract between the governments of Mexico and the United States contains measurable progress of necessary infrastructure projects — on both sides of the border — moving us closer toward a final 100% Solution for our region’s long-standing Transboundary Sewage Crisis,” Imperial Beach Mayor Mitch McKay said in a statement.

The agreement follows a memora...