A report released September 23 by a federal public health agency confirmed that hydrogen sulfide concentrations above the Tijuana River Valley have crossed into territory capable of harming human health — a finding that residents on both sides of the border have been demanding for decades.
The timing could not be more consequential. After the Trump administration declined to extend the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement for a new 16-year term on July 1, 2026 — triggering a period of rolling annual reviews — California lawmakers and border advocates are now pushing to make enforceable environmental protections a non-negotiable condition of any renegotiated deal.
