The stench rolling across the Tijuana River valley and into South Bay neighborhoods is no mystery to locals. A broken sewer line in Mexico sent an estimated 120,000 gallons of raw sewage surging toward Imperial Beach, leaving residents and park visitors breathing foul air while crews scrambled to corral the mess with earthen berms and vacuum trucks near Monument Road. It is the latest chapter in a years-long saga of cross-border sewage flows that have shut down beaches and worn down communities in Imperial Beach and the estuary.
Containment and immediate response
Officials with the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission said crews were already working on upgrades at the Hollister and Goat Canyon pump stations when a line in Mexico ruptured,…..