EPA Will Open San Diego Office to Focus on Pollution Near Border

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday that it would open an office in San Diego focusing on the problems of air, water and hazardous waste pollution along the Mexican border.

The unit, one of two the EPA is setting up to deal specifically with border issues, grows out of concern that increased trade with Mexico under NAFTA could cause increasing environmental headaches. EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner signaled last year that she wanted to direct more resources to the border region. The other EPA office will be in El Paso.

Reps. Lynn Schenk and Bob Filner, both Democrats from San Diego, had pushed for the establishment of the office. Schenk said it would be located in her 49th District. Schenk had lobbied President Clinton to bring the Border Environmental Cooperation Commission--an outgrowth of NAFTA--to the San Diego/Tijuana region, but Schenk conceded this week that the commission will most likely be situated in Juarez, Mexico.