The Rundown
- The agency that assesses toxic substances and health releases its report on bad air from Tijuana River sewage.
- Congressional Budget Office estimates the future federal savings from investing in flood adaptations today.
- EPA finalizes a three-year delay for hazardous chemical spill response plans.
And lastly, the GAO assesses the Army Corps’ mitigation of ecosystem losses in its civil works projects.
“Moreover, none of the Chief’s Reports that we reviewed provided details on how the Corps determined that the adverse impact on fish and wildlife and ecological resources from the project would be negligible.” – Excerpt from a GAO report on the Army Corps generally not justifying its decisions not to require mitigation for ecosystem damage for some of its civil works projects.
By the Numbers
30 Percent: Share of the 74 Army Corps projects submitted to Congress between 2020 and 2025 that the Corps said required a mitigation plan for ecosystem losses, according to the Government Accountability Office. GAO recommends that the Corps justify its decision that no mitigation is required. The law requires that, but Corps officials did not agree with the recommendation, arguing that they do provide enough information.
News Briefs
Foul Air in Tijuana Area
Excessive sewage in the Tijuana River is contributing to harmful air pollution in San Diego County that, at rare times, is high enough to sicken people, according to a federal health assessment.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s draft report outlines the health effects from hydrogen sulfide, a gas that comes from untreated sewage and smells like rotten eggs.
Hydrogen sulfide is pervasive at low levels in the Tijuana River region – low enough not to breach health standards but high enough that a working nose can smell it.
Infrequently, levels have spiked above the threshold for short-term illness, with symptoms that include headaches, dryness of the nose and throat, and difficulty breathing for those with pre-existing conditions. These levels were registered at an air-quality monitor near an elementary school, but only for three days in September 2024.
ATSDR, however, does not expect intermediate or long-term health damage from hydrogen sulfide levels measured to this point. The agency cannot make claims about health risks before September 2024, when sufficient data began to be collected.
The report recommends that federal and state agencies continue to work to reduce sewage in the river. For local agencies, the suggestion is to monitor air quality and log complaints while also educating the public about the risks.
Federal agencies in Mexico and the U.S. are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in sewage treatment upgrades and river cleanup.
This is the first ATSDR health report on the Tijuana River, which was requested by California’s congressional delegation. A second report on toxic exposures via surface water and soil is forthcoming.
Studies and Reports
Reducing the Future Cost of Flooding
Bean counters at the Congressional Budget Office published a report arguing that the federal government should invest in flood adaptation today in order to reduce disaster response cost in the future.
Every federal dollar spent on adaptation today – things like property buyouts, elevating houses, and building levees – lowers damages over a 30-year window by $3 to $4. (Those future benefits are expressed in present-day dollars.)
Federal investment is good for homeowners, too. Flood insurance premiums would also decrease to reflect the reduction in flood risk.
In context: An Obscure Provision in FEMA’s Program to Prevent Disaster Is Making Serious Flooding Worse
On the Radar
Hazardous Chemicals Response Plans
The EPA is extending the deadline for facilities with hazardous chemicals to develop response plans for spills that would affect coastal and inland waterways.
The three-year delay will push out the compliance date to June 1, 2030. Regulated industries – paper mills, textiles, oil and gas, utilities, and others – said they could not meet the initial deadline because of the rule’s complexity.
Per the Trump administration’s orders, the EPA is also removing references to climate change and environmental justice from the rule, owing to “concern that undue focus on particular communities rather than on the risks posed to the community by any [Clean Water Act] hazardous substance release could lead to improper planning.”
Zeldin in Iowa
Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, is visiting Iowa on October 12 to mark National Farmer’s Day. Zeldin will visit a water facility in Dubuque.
In context: Political Surprise in the Corn Belt
Federal Water Tap is a weekly digest spotting trends in U.S. government water policy. To get more water news, follow Circle of Blue on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter.
