San Diego, CA
If you weren’t selected for the CDC’s Tijuana River sewage survey, here’s another one you can take
Late last week, local and federal public health officials interviewed households near the Tijuana River Valley about how the crossborder sewage crisis may be impacting their health. For those who did not receive a visit, there’s a new opportunity to share feedback.
On Monday, the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), in collaboration with San Diego County, launched an Assessment of Chemical Exposure, or ACE, an online survey aiming to identify how many people have been exposed to contaminants related to untreated wastewater and toxic chemicals in the Tijuana River Valley, symptoms they may be experiencing and what immediate support they may need.
“This community deserves better,” Ankita Kadakia, county interim public health officer, said in a statement. “By bringing in this federal agency to help us conduct an ACE survey, individuals who live or work near the water have a chance to voice their concerns, their experiences, and the impacts to their physical and mental health.”
According to the federal agency’s website, an ACE can include interviewing people about their exposure and medical history, symptoms experienced, the health services they’ve received, and even if their pets’ health has been affected. Hospital staff and incident responders are also contacted to learn more details about who has been exposed and what’s been done to protect people.
The information collected can help local health departments identify a group of exposed people that could be followed for long-term effects, find ways to prevent further exposure, decide whether to modify emergency response procedures or take other measures to protect the public.
The ACE in South County follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER), which officials conducted in person from Oct. 17-19. County officials said there are noticeable differences between the two surveys, however.
With the CASPER, surveyors visited 210 randomly selected households closest to the Tijuana River Valley to document how sewage pollution may be affecting their health. ACE is meant to capture more individuals who live, work or frequent beaches in Imperial Beach and Coronado and around the Tijuana River Valley, than the household survey. County officials said some crossover is possible.
Officials said they want to hear from people who have done anything like surfing, shopping, fishing or walking near those areas in the last month.
Tom Csanadi, an Imperial Beach resident and retired pediatrician who lives on the city’s beach, said he has a lot to say about how the crossborder sewage crisis has impacted his household. But he was not part of the 210 surveyed last week. So, he plans to take the ACE survey.
“As a resident living very close to the water, close to where a great volume of raw human sewage pours onto our shores and soil, it’s impossible to believe that there are no harmful effects to people who live and visit this area,” he said. “And so, in situations like this, you have to cast a wide broad net.”
Residents have reported experiencing symptoms such as chronic coughs, watery eyes, headaches, nausea and diarrhea after being regularly exposed to strong odors emanating from the Tijuana River or after heavy rains that bring more polluted flows across the U.S.-Mexico border and sometimes spill onto local roads. Local university researchers have also discovered that bacteria from raw sewage in the waters of Imperial Beach and the river have become airborne.
The sewage crisis is primarily caused by outdated and underfunded treatment infrastructure that has been unable to clean the volume of wastewater produced by Tijuana’s growing population. In the last year, more than 30 billion gallons of polluted flow and trash have made their way into South County via the river and Pacific Ocean.
Over the past months, the local public health department has been working with the state and CDC to dig deeper into potential health impacts of the sewage crisis that have not shown up in reportable county health data. Besides securing the CASPER with the CDC, the county had also inquired with the ATSDR to conduct an ACE.
ACE will be open through Nov. 22. To take the survey, available in English and Spanish, visit redcap.link/tjrv2024.
Gloria relents on December Nights, some community cuts in budget revise, but arts funds still on chopping block
by City News Service | Times of San Diego
Some library and recreation center hours and December Nights support were restored in Mayor Todd Gloria’s revised Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Wednesday, but city funding for the arts could still be gutted.
Gloria was joined by civic leaders Wednesday morning to announce changes to his initial proposed budget, released last month. He added “targeted protections” of certain neighborhood priorities and maintained police and fire service levels while arriving at a balanced budget.
Proposed additions include protecting rec center and library hours in Council Districts 4, 8 and 9, represented by Henry L. Foster III, Vivian Moreno and Sean Elo-Rivera, respectively.
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The Learning Curve: He’s San Diego Unified’s Next Trustee – No Race Needed
By Jakob McWhinney | Voice of San Diego
The primary is still nearly a month away. The general election is even further out. Still, it’s already clear that Hayden Gore will be San Diego Unified’s next trustee. That’s because he’s running unopposed to fill the seat left open by current Trustee Cody Petterson, who opted not to run for re-election.
Though he’s a political newcomer, Gore was the early choice of San Diego Unified’s union. In fact, he was recruited by the former president of the San Diego Education Association to run for the seat.
It’s not hard to see why. He’s an avowed progressive and a longtime educator who led the then-newly formed union at High Tech High to its first contract. Exactly the kind of resume that would have SDEA champing at the bit.
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Join Us Friday, July 17, 2026 for the 11th Annual USD School of Law – RJS LAW Tax Institute
By RJS Law
The Institute is the premier annual tax event in San Diego. The region’s top tax attorneys, enrolled agents (EAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), law and business school professors will discuss topics including government loan relief and abuses, challenges in cross-border transactions, and practical and realistic solutions in trust, estate planning, and tax matters.
DATE AND TIME
Friday, July 17, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION
Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Theatre
5555 Marian Way, San Diego, CA 92110
EVENT STATUS
Open to the Public
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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – For many families, libraries are a safe space for kids after school and a place to study.
After community outcry, the city is scaling down some of its proposed budget cuts, bringing the original $6.3 million in cuts to libraries down to $4.8 million.
Patrick Stewart, CEO of Library Foundation SD, said the change is a step in the right direction.
“We are very pleased. I think this moves the needle in the right direction.”
Mayor Gloria’s revised budget proposal restores funding focused on youth-centered programs, which includes bringing back library hours in Council Districts 4, 8, and 9 — those in underserved communities.
“This is City Heights and San Isidro, Barrio Logan, and Oak Park, and traditionally, those are smaller branches. And the kids and the families in those communities frankly, they use their library very differently than in a lot of other communities, and it’s a lifeline to them,” said Stewart.
The City Heights library is among those included in the mayor’s revised budget to restore funding. While library officials say this is a good first step, there is still concern about long-term financial challenges.
In order to voice concerns about how deep the cuts go, the Library Foundation has created a way for supporters to express that through postcards. Thousands of cards have been mailed directly to Mayor Gloria and councilmembers.
Stewart said the effort is making an impact.
“They’re seeing that this is hundreds and hundreds of people that are taking this very seriously, so it helps them to know immediately what their community feels like when it comes to these proposed cuts,” he added.
The restored funding would also keep Monday hours at Carmel Valley Library and protect the North Clairemont Library branch from closure.
Library officials remain optimistic as the revised budget heads back to the City Council.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
A man suspected of a fatal shooting in Barrio Logan was arrested Tuesday.
Benito Garcia Jr., 31, was arrested in the 3600 block of Grand Avenue in San Marcos at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for allegedly gunning down 64-year-old Raul Torres near the east end of the Coronado Bridge, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Patrol officers responding to an anonymous report of a shooting found the mortally wounded victim on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of National Avenue, near Chicano Park, shortly after 10 p.m. last Tuesday. Torres died at the scene, SDPD Lt. Lou Maggi said.
Police have not disclosed a suspected motive for the slaying.
Garcia was booked into San Diego Central Jail on suspicion of first- degree murder. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
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