SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — More than 2,150 San Diego County residents responded to a federal survey about how pollutants in the Tijuana River Valley have impacted their lives, the county announced Monday.
The Assessment of Chemical Exposures was started by the county in partnership with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry in October. The goal was to receive feedback from people who live, work or play in South County about how the ongoing sewage pollution crisis has affected them.
"The information from the survey is important to informing what needs to be done to address the sewage crisis," said Dr. Ankita Kadakia, county interim public health officer. "We are so grateful to everyone who took the time to share their stories. It's clear that not only physical health but also mental health has been impacted by these ongoing sewage issues."
The survey had a particular interest about how the pollution is impacting children in the South Bay. It asks about physical and mental health, health services used and medical history, as well as a section for pet health.
The ACE survey went live immediately after the CDC's Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response -- or CASPER -- door-to-door household survey focused on the Imperial Beach and Nestor communities.
While the CASPER focused on households and families, the ACE survey focused on people who work or live near the water from Coronado to Imperial Beach. Both surveys were intended to identify necessities for communities near the border sewage pollution crisis and its impacts on health.
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