International Border Community
The International Border Community encompasses parts of San Ysidro and Otay Mesa East. It was added to the Community Air Protection Program (CAPP or AB 617) by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2022.
Adjacent to Tijuana Mexico and located on unceded Kumeyaay territory, San Ysidro and Otay Mesa East are vibrant and culturally rich Tri-National communities with art, music, food, commerce, and people flowing back and forth across the border. But due to planning and infrastructure that has favored passenger vehicles and unsustainable commerce activities, this cross-border exchange comes at a cost to the environmental health of the communities on both sides of the border.
Community Priorities
The following list highlights some of the air quality priorities identified by the Community Steering Committee: (Note, it is not an exhaustive list of community-identified air quality priorities.)
- Actions that protect children, elderly, chronically ill, and other groups that are vulnerable to air pollution.
- Idling cars at the ports of entry.
- Traffic circulation near or around Las Americas Premium Outlets, Dairy Mart Rd., Calle Primera, Willow Rd., Camino De La Plaza, East San Ysidro Blvd., and more.
- Idling heavy duty trucks at the port of entry.
- Operations at warehouses, including current and proposed expansions.
- Current and future impacts to people living in new housing developments near freeways and warehouses, especially along California State Route 905.
- Dust and exhaust from Border Patrol ATVs and vehicles operating on the west side of San Ysidro. Emissions from freight trains going through the heart of San Ysidro.
- Pollution from both Brown Field Municipal Airport in Otay Mesa and Aeropuerto Abelardo L. Rodriguez in Tijuana.
- Odor from the Tijuana River caused by untreated sewage flowing from Tijuana.
- Trash and other items being burned in Tijuana.
- Industrial-related emissions coming from Tijuana.
To learn more about what are the community’s air quality priorities and strategies to address these issues, you can read the IBCSC Community Emissions Reduction Program (CERP) here. En Español.
Join the International Border Steering Committee!
If you are an interested International Border Community member, return this form to apcdoutreach@sdapcd.org.
International Border Steering Committee Meetings
The Community Steering Committee meets the third Wednesday of
every month from 5-7PM. Meetings are held remotely via Zoom, except
once every 3 months when we meet in person.
Meeting materials can be found by visiting the International Border Steering Commitee Meetings page.
Meeting materials can be found by visiting the International Border Steering Commitee Meetings page.
- 01/15/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 02/19/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 03/19/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 04/16/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 05/21/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 06/18/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 07/16/25 (In-Person, San Ysidro) Willow Elementary School, 226 Willow Rd, San Diego, CA 92173
- 08/20/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 09/17/25 (Virtual via Zoom)
- 10/15/25 (In-Person, San Ysidro) Willow Elementary School, 226 Willow Rd, San Diego, CA 92173
- 11/19/25
(Virtual via
Zoom)