Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre joined San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer downtown on Monday to call for more action from local sources on dealing with the Tijuana River pollution crisis.
Aguirre, who laid out a five-point “County Sewage Action Plan” in May, called on county leaders to adopt “immediate, targeted action” in their upcoming budget to protect South Bay residents’ health amid the trans-border sewage issue.
“South County families are living through a toxic health emergency — and the county’s budget puts just 0.02% toward addressing it. That’s not serious, that’s shameful,” Aguirre said on Monday.
“Basic steps from the county could make an urgent difference — eliminating the worst toxic hot spot on the Tijuana River and protecting children’s health from poisonous sewage odors.
“With momentum for solutions to the sewage finally building in Washington, there’s no excuse for the county to stay on the sidelines.”
Aguirre’s five-point plan called for:
- Eliminating a toxic sewage “hotspot” at the Saturn Boulevard bridge by fixing a poorly designed bridge that “traps river sewage underneath and magnifies toxic odors”;
- Protecting school children with upgraded air filtration and ventilation systems in schools and day cares;
- Launching a comprehensive public health study to “guide medical interventions, especially for young children,” and help unlock more state and federal funds;
- Appointing a county sewage crisis chief to coordinate action at all levels of government; and
- Authorizing an economic impact report of the crisis’ financial impacts on homeowners and area businesses.
“Mayor Aguirre has put forward a clear, thoughtful plan grounded in what families and workers are experiencing every day,” Lawson-Remer said.
“From school air quality to toxic hot spots like the Saturn Boulevard culvert, these are the kinds of community-driven solutions we should be working to advance.
“I’m proud to stand with Mayor Aguirre today and committed to continuing this partnership as we work to strengthen our region’s response.”
The sewage issue continues as the District 1 supervisorial seat — which covers the South Bay — remains vacant. Aguirre is a candidate for that vacant seat in the special election.
In recent years, the U.S.-Mexico border sewage pollution problem has closed beaches and caused serious health issues for some residents.
Untreated wastewater from the Tijuana River washes out to sea just south of Imperial Beach. The bacterial buildup from raw sewage in the wastewater has necessitated the closure of South Bay beaches almost without interruption for three years.
City News Service contributed to this report.
