Preliminary findings of a new study sponsored by the county of San Diego estimate that Tijuana River pollution is reducing the region’s economic output by between $125.6 million and $503 million every year.
Cumulatively, over 20 years, that’s between $1.9 billion and $7.9 billion.
Why does that matter?
While scientists have been working to produce data to measure public health impacts, local businesses and residents have been struggling for years with a reality that has been largely undefined in terms of economic impact.
The draft study identified several ways the region has been affected, including reduced beach visitation and tourism, lower customer activity, business disinvestment, and changes in business starts. Supervisors expect a full report from the firm ECOnorthwest in October.
How these estimates might guide future investment is a question yet to be answered. The county supervisors are evaluating how to treat sewage on the U.S. side of the border and have placed a permanent half-cent sales tax measure on the November ballot that could raise money for a range of uses, including potential solutions to cross-border pollution.