Lee Zeldin on Capitol Hill for his Senate confirmation to serve as EPA administrator. (Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)
The EPA announced Thursday that it completed a 100-day review of all projects associated with correcting the sewage crisis and wastewater infrastructure along the border, and found it had shaved the timeline of completion for two other projects by another nine months, meaning roughly 12 years in total construction time was cut from the project.
"Important new progress to report on the efforts to implement a permanent, 100% solution to end the decades long Tijuana River Sewage Crisis: Today, EPA is announcing a nine month total reduction in the timelines for two additional key projects on the Mexico side of the border: Rehabilitation of Pump Station 1 and reconstruction of the Tijuana River Gates," Zeldin posted to X of the announcement.
Raw sewage from Tijuana is flowing into the San Diego area, causing illness to spread among SEALs and candidates. (Rob Sweetman )
Zeldin and his Mexican government counterpart, Secretary of the Environment and National Resources of Mexico Alicia Bárcena Ibarra, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in July that streamlined the two governments' efforts to correct the crisis.
The Memorandum of Understanding allows the Minute 328 agreement, which is a 2022 agreement between the U.S. and Mexico through the International Boundary and Water Commission to address the sewage crisis with 17 sanitation infrastructure projects.
TRUMP EPA CHIEF TO 'CONFRONT CRISIS' OF MEXICAN SEWAGE POLLUTING SAN DIEGO AREA BEACHES
The Trump EPA said the Minute 328 agreement "did not go far enough to achieve the 100% solution San Diego area residents so desperately demand," sparking the Trump administration to launch a full review of the projects and streamline their completion.
Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) class participate in a surf passage training exercise at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in Coronado, California. (Getty Images)
July's Memorandum of Understanding included Mexico designating millions of dollars in unused Minute 328 funding to the wastewater projects, as well as hashing out a reduced timeline for completion of the remaining Minute 328 projects, and mapping out other projects for Mexico to prepare for a further increase to Tijuana's population in the coming years. The MOU established that all Minute 328 projects must be completed no later than Dec. 31, 2027.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"Reducing timelines for existing infrastructure projects is a sign of great progress and demonstrates how both the United States and Mexico are faithfully upholding their agreed-upon responsibilities from July’s MOU," Zeldin said Thursday. "Through intensive collaboration, we were able to cut through red tape, identify efficiencies, and overcome bureaucratic hurdles. While substantial construction work lies ahead, this represents a crucial step in our commitment to protect American communities from cross-border pollution."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-epa-slashes-12-years-off-sewage-cleanup-crisis-has-rocked-california-decades