The Tijuana River has been plagued with raw sewage and industrial waste from Tijuana for decades, fouling beaches along the U.S.-Mexico border with polluted water and sending foul odors drifting through communities in San Diego County. On Wednesday, the environmental group American Rivers ranked the Tijuana River No. 2 on its annual list of the nation’s most endangered rivers, up from No. 9 on the list last year. The group said it elevated the river on the list, right behind the first-ranked Mississippi River, to bring greater attention to the waterway’s chronic pollution problems and the lack of action to clean it up. Activists with another group, Surfrider Foundation, are also circulating a petition calling for President Trump to declare a national emergency to expedite efforts to curb the flow of untreated sewage and clean up the river.

Other Tijuana River news:

• Fox News: EPA chief takes on Mexican ‘sewage crisis’ flowing into US waters where Navy SEALs train​
• KPBS (San Diego): Area representatives ask for meeting with EPA head on Tijuana River sewage
• Times of San Diego: Vargas, other members of Congress, seek meeting with EPA head on Tijuana River pollution
• The Inertia: Tijuana River named second most endangered river in America
• ABC10 (San Diego): 80% of South Bay residents report negative impacts from sewage contamination, CDC survey finds