Issues of concern include:

• impacts to the numerous endangered, threatened, and sensitive animal, plant, and flower species found in and surrounding the location including the Quino checkerspot butterfly, Tecate cypress, burrowing owl, California gnatcatcher, and Otay tar plant.

• wildlife corridors and linkages and habitat connectivity - the San Ysidro Mountains and Otay foothills provide one of the largest continuous undisturbed tracts of natural open space in San Diego County, significant for migration, species diversity, and viability

• air quality and greenhouse gas emissions - landfills emit gases into the air consisting mostly of methane and carbon dioxide, with small amounts of volatile organic compounds from organic materials. Methane and carbon dioxide are both greenhouse gases. Methane emissions are a leading contributor to global warming and climate change. In San Diego County, landfills are the third leading source of methane gas emissions.

• water quality - the project falls in the Tijuana River Watershed, a watershed already grappling with water pollution along the border. Water quality can be at risk by the leaching of substances such as metals, minerals, organic chemicals, bacteria, viruses, flammables, and other toxic materials.

• Border security and operations - the location of the landfill just north of the border wall is regularly patrolled by border patrol agents who monitor the area for smuggling and illegal trespassing.

• environmental justice - the landfill would be sited in an already environmentally burdened part of the county and in close proximity to residential communities just south of the border wall.

• conflict with and possible violation of pollution-preventing policies - several cooperative agreements, Sub Area Plan policies, and collaborative programs are in place that speak to avoiding or precluding pollution-generating or harmful industries being located near the Mexican border.

• questionable need for a new landfill - at the time the initiative was placed on the ballot in 2010, the case being argued was that the county was going to run out of landfill space, though no evidence or needs assessment information accompanied the measure. Eleven years later, the county has achieved initial waste diversion goals and advanced programs and policies to meet local and state targets for waste diversion and reduction of methane emissions from landfills.