Imperial Beach urgently needs federal funding to put an end to the Tijuana River’s ongoing sewage spill that’s kept portions of the city’s beaches closed, Mayor Paloma Aguirre wrote in a letter to the White House.
Seeking a federal state of emergency status for the continued pollution, Mayor Aguirre called on the Biden administration to declare the emergency for the shoreline of Imperial Beach and the Tijuana River Valley. Such a proclamation would expedite funding and projects across federal agencies to tackle the source of the issue.
San Diego News
“With over 500 consecutive days of beach closures due to the ongoing influx of sewage, industrial discharges, and trash from the Tijuana River, the community of Imperial Beach is bearing the brunt of this environmental disaster,” Aguirre wrote in her request.
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According to the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic waste have been documented entering the U.S. from the Tijuana River since October 2018. The effluent has also been credited with contributing to 34,000 illnesses in 2017, according to the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
“Researchers are monitoring the airborne transmission pathways for coastal water pollution and documenting concerning levels of industrial chemicals and pathogens from aerosol sea spray generated from wind and ocean waves,” Aguirre’s letter said. “These potential public health concerns are why the Cities of Imperial Beach and San Diego maintain an ongoing State of Local Emergency related to the impacts of cross-border pollution in the Tijuana River.”
Aguirre sent the letter on Tuesday. It is unclear when the White House will respond to the request.
