“There is a crisis here but it has nothing to do with immigration,” said Mr. Rebollar, who is also an analyst at the Imperial County Air Pollution Control District. He and his neighbors suspect the corrosion damage is caused by chemicals in the air, though the local air pollution control board said it was not aware of these complaints. Ms. Zapata, 76, said her allergies have become so severe she has to go to the doctor weekly for treatment. Public health officials in the region said allergies are difficult to pin to specific environmental causes. That project, funded by North American Development Bank, which was created by Nafta, encased the river on the Mexican side in piping.

Source: New York Times February 09, 2019 16:41 UTC