Navy SEALs Sickened by Tijuana River Sewage During Training

Tijuana River Sewage Crisis

• ⚠️ The EPA is demanding Mexico stop dumping billions of gallons of toxic sewage into the Tijuana River, which flows into Southern California.
• 🌊 This pollution has led to the closure of California beaches near the border for the past four years and sickens people even if they don't enter the water.
• 💨 Scientists report that the sewage vaporizes, creating toxic air that people breathe.

Navy SEAL Training Impacted

• 🎖️ Retired Navy SEAL Jeff Gum describes becoming severely ill during training in 2008 due to the contaminated water, experiencing vomiting, dehydration, and rhabdomyolysis.
• 🏊 Seal training involves intense physical exertion, including "surf torture" and long runs, making illness from sewage extremely dangerous and potentially causing long-term health problems.
• 📍 Despite recent relocation of SEAL teams to a new complex in Imperial Beach, they still cannot use the beach due to the sewage flowing into the area.

Long-Standing Environmental Issue

• ⏳ The problem of sewage and waste flowing from the Tijuana River into the U.S. has been ongoing since the 1960s, affecting older "frogmen" as well.
• 🏞️ The Tijuana River, a 120-mile-long waterway, crosses into Southern California, flows through Navy-owned land, and empties into the Pacific Ocean.
• 🇺🇸 The EPA is providing Mexico with a list of projects to address this environmental crisis, which is impacting local residents and military personnel.

Border Vets Organization's Perspective

• 🤝 Kate Monroe of the Border Vets Organization highlights how overwhelmed infrastructure in Tijuana leads to sewage and trash being dumped into culverts, ultimately polluting U.S. waters.
• 🏥 This pollution affects not only military personnel but also children and the general public, causing illness and environmental damage.