A Superfund designation lets the EPA clean up contaminated areas. Noted projects include Love Canal in Niagara Falls, New York and the Upper Columbia River in Washington state.

The push to explore a potential Superfund designation for the Tijuana River Valley hit a snag Wednesday when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told San Diego County leaders that the federal agency’s priority is to control the flows of sewage and trash that spill over from Mexico.

The outflow of untreated sewage into California's coastal waters has created environmental, health and economic problems for residents living on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Federal agency said samples of contaminants from previous years did not exceed its thresholds for public health concerns

"The reality is that things have gotten much worse since then," she said. "Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."