Why this matters
Pollution from the Tijuana River sewage crisis creates high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the South Bay. The gas carries a strong odor.
By inewsource community reporting intern Christopher Edwards
About half of the 10,000 free air filtration devices that a San Diego County program has made available to South Bay residents impacted by the cross-border sewage crisis have yet to be distributed.
Air Pollution Control District officials are looking for more households to apply for the Air Improvement Relief Effort Program, a representative of San Diego Councilmember Vivian Moreno’s office said during an Otay Mesa-Nestor Community Planning Group meeting last week. Residents in Otay Mesa West, San Ysidro, Egger Highlands, Nestor, Imperial Beach and the Tijuana River Valley are eligible.
The purifiers are intended to combat the smell of hydrogen sulfide, a colorless gas that has been described as smelling like rotten eggs and is a byproduct of the high levels of sewage in the Tijuana River.
Eligible households can apply online and must provide their name, address and proof of residency. Only one application per household should be submitted. The program will prioritize households with children and residents over 65.
From the Documenters
This story came from notes taken by Stephanie Lao, a San Diego Documenter, at an Otay Mesa-Nestor Community Planning Group meeting last week. The Documenters program trains and pays community members to document what happens at public meetings. Read the note here.
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.