Opinion: South County Stands United Against an Unnecessary and Unjust Landfill Plan

The Tijuana River is the environmental and social justice crisis of our lifetime in San Diego. Despite recent successes, things could soon get much worse.

That’s because a pair of private developers is trying to build a new landfill in East Otay Mesa, within the Tijuana River watershed. On land that drains directly into the contaminated river. Near vulnerable and underserved communities that already suffer the greatest pollution burden in the entire state.

It’s the last place on earth we should ever put a new landfill.

South County stands united on this. I’m proud to have joined with a broad coalition of elected officials, environmental groups, community advocates and local residents to raise awareness of this dangerous project that can only prolong our region’s pollution nightmare.

And for us, it’s personal.

South County beaches near the Tijuana Slough have been closed continuously since Dec. 8, 2021, due to unsafe conditions. That’s more than 800 straight days that local families have been denied the ability to enjoy our shore.

Now this Tijuana River Landfill could drain even more pollution into the Pacific Ocean, causing more beach closures and sick surfers and swimmers. This, in a state where coastal access is paramount, and in a region where our sunny beaches fuel an economy that relies heavily on tourist dollars. 

The Tijuana River Landfill also poses a significant threat to our South County environment. It will bulldoze hundreds of acres in the Otay Foothills, eliminating critical habitat for numerous endangered, threatened and sensitive species. It will sever a key wildlife movement corridor used by animals migrating between the two countries as well. If this landfill is constructed, the only movement corridors will be lines of trash trucks heading to and from the dump.

Plus, the existing pollution crisis has degraded the Tijuana River Estuary and our coastal ecosystem to the brink of collapse. We cannot risk further damage to these wetlands from even the best planned and mitigated landfill.   

But more than anything, the Tijuana River Landfill is bad for South County’s working families. It will be located near one of the most polluted and underserved areas in all of California. This is where so many of our region’s essential workers call home – our nurses, janitors, construction crews and cooks. These mainly black and brown communities already bear the brunt from decades of incompatible land uses that harm our health and quality of life. An injustice against them is an injustice against all of South County. 

There’s already one landfill in South County just a few miles away and it has plenty of room left. But here they go again trying to burden us with another. It is morally wrong to build a new landfill in this area and subject the next several generations to the same history of environmental injustice. Simply put, they would never try this in other parts of the County.

As an elected official, I’m equally troubled by the approval process for this landfill. The developers are using a rare procedure that bypasses all local environmental review. This would be the only landfill in California approved in this manner. As it stands today, we risk the project breaking ground without a single meaningful public hearing or a single elected representative having a say in the matter. That’s a dangerous precedent that will effectively silence disadvantaged communities throughout the state moving forward.    

And to make matters worse, we don’t even need another landfill! Studies show San Diego County has enough capacity in existing landfills to last more than 30 years. We won’t need another one until the 2050s, and likely longer as we continue to reduce waste and increase recycling. As a result, there is absolutely no reason to risk all this environmental and social harm.  

Despite this, developers are fast-tracking the project and could break ground as soon as next year.

The good news is that a solution is in the works. State Sen. Steve Padilla has introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1208, that would prohibit the construction of new landfills within the Tijuana River watershed. This important bill would help break the cycle of environmental injustice and avoid an unnecessary burden on those who can least afford it. It sends a clear message that South County and our border region face unique challenges, and that bold action is necessary to protect our communities from further harm.

We thank Senator Padilla and all of our region’s leaders who have stepped up to address the Tijuana River pollution crisis. Let’s not move backwards by dumping a landfill into the mix. 

Ron Morrison is mayor of National City. For more information on the No Tijuana River Landfill Coalition, visit notjriverlandfill.org.