IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) — New action taken by Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre on Monday has inspired hope for people who have long been impacted by the Tijuana Sewage Crisis, leaving some optimistic the move will finally make a difference.
Aguirre sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency's newly-appointed administrator, Lee Zeldin, asking him to reconsider a previous rejection by the EPA earlier this year to designate a Superfund status for the river valley.
“The cost of inaction is much greater than the cost of getting it done," said Imperial Beach resident Marvel Harrison.
"My name is a superhero," she added. "I’m not one, but I'm desperate to find one.”
Harrison said they don't need to have a cape or know how to fly. She wants her superhero to approve a Superfund to fix the Tijuana Sewage Crisis.
“I know that people get kind of freaked out about, you know, it'll lower our property values," she said. "Well, you know what, there's a class action suit already in this community based on lowered property values, and they're just gonna keep going down if we don't have this mess taken care of.”
Harrison has a unique perspective on the problem. For one, she believes it's impacted her health.
“I’ve been diagnosed with reactive airway disease," she said. "It’s just this chronic, low-grade cough that’s always there.”
Additionally, a team of researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography installed a spectrometer inside her home to continuously test levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air, which is a toxic gas that can emanate from sewage.
“Usually it’s around 1.6 parts per billion, but when we open the door in the evenings and the stench just wreaks in, we can come up here and look and watch it, within less than two minutes, go up to close to 21 parts," Harrison said.
Back on January 3rd, the EPA formally denied a request to investigate the area for a Superfund designation.
In a letter sent by Michael Montgomery, director of the EPA’s Superfund and Emergency Management Division, officials were told "none of these contaminants exceeded EPA’s regional screening levels for human health in residential soil."
That was before Zeldin became the new EPA Administrator. He was sworn in on January 29th.
RELATED: Superfund Site for South Bay may be back on the table in Trump administration
During Zeldin's confirmation hearing on January 16th, Rep. Adam Schiff questioned Zeldin about the Superfund rejection.
“Not asking you to pre-judge it, but will you agree to review and consider if a new judgment should be reached?” Schiff adked.
“Yes, Senator," Zeldin replied.
Harrison is hopeful things will be different now and feel's Aguirre's letter will finally tip the scales in their favor.
“You want to make America great again? Clean up the sewage," she said. "Zeldin has a chance to lead that charge and be the superhero that I'm looking for.”
Follow ABC 10News Anchor Max Goldwasser on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
