SAN DIEGO -- A government watchdog for the Department of Defense found that Navy SEAL candidates frequently train in sewage-tainted waters where pollution from Tijuana, Mexico, regularly fouls California's South County shorelines, resulting in hundreds of cases of acute gastrointestinal illnesses.
The Feb. 7 report by the inspector general looked at how many times bacteria in the water exceeded state safety levels from February 2024 to September 2024 and whether the Naval Special Warfare Command, located on the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, relocated or rescheduled training to avoid exposure to the pollution.
Of 228 water quality tests conducted on samples taken from north and south beaches off the base, 76% of tests showed that bacteria surpassed safety levels, according to the DOD inspector general's findings.
During that same seven-month period, the command relocated only 5% of 265 water training events, despite county beach postings directing the public to avoid contact with the polluted water. The command also disregarded those same beach closure advisories for three training events during a September 2023 Hell Week, the report added.
"As a result of Navy SEAL candidate exposure to contaminated water during training, candidates are presented with increased health risks and NAVSPECWARCOM's training mission could be impacted," said Bryan Clark, assistant inspector general for Evaluations Programs, Combatant Commands and Operations, in the report.
Medical issues have been reported after training in polluted ocean water.
Clark said the Naval Special Warfare Command reported 1,168 cases of acute gastrointestinal illnesses, such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, among Navy SEAL and Special Warfare Combat crewman candidates at the Coronado base from January 2019 to May 2023. Nearly 40% of those cases were diagnosed within one week of exposure to ocean water that exceeded state limits.
Clark advised the command to develop a policy establishing "the roles and responsibilities for monitoring water quality and relocating, rescheduling, or canceling water training when bacteria levels exceed state health standards." Additionally, he recommended that command officials be notified of water quality results and the decision to alter the training schedule.
The command agreed to implement the recommendations by the end of the year, but stated that as a federal entity, it "retains flexibility to determine SOP (standard operating procedures) independent from state requirements."
Clark said the department would verify whether the recommendations were implemented.
The inspector general report comes after San Diego congressional leaders asked the Navy last year to release information such as the number of times training had been relocated because of beach closures, the costs of having to relocate or halt operations and how often personnel raised concerns about sickness or injuries.
Meredith Berger, former Assistant Secretary of the Navy, responded in a letter to Rep. Scott Peters in April 2024. She said that from January 2022 through December 2023, 309 of 975 in-water trainings were relocated to San Diego Bay because of beach closures.
She added that while relocations outside of San Diego have not been necessary, the command was working on a plan to relocate to Camp Pendleton -- about 60 miles north of the Coronado base. The potential relocation and cost depend on the availability of meal services, berthing and emergency facilities, Berger said.
Hell Week for SEALs and the Tour for Special Warfare Combat Crewmen, for example, cost about $675,000 combined. These trainings occur six times per year, she said.
Berger told Peters that the Navy's top priority is "to provide a safe training environment" and that the service has had "increased focus and attention on impacts of transboundary pollution."
The study has not yet been finalized, Capt. Jodie Cornell, the command's public affairs officer, said Friday.