Local leaders in San Diego County, California, declared a state of emergency over the sewage spill from Tijuana, Mexico, in an effort to convince the state and federal governments to do the same.
The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to address the pollution crisis at hand. The board is looking to get Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on board in declaring it a state emergency, which could then prompt President Joe Biden to declare a national emergency in response to the crisis.
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The county’s recently issued proclamation stated both requests.
Update: The San Diego County Board of Supervisors just declared a state of emergency over the Tijuana sewage crisis at the border. They want @GavinNewsom & @JoeBiden to do the same. https://t.co/1j746ELGyB
— MacKenzie Elmer (@mckelmer) June 27, 2023
The Tijuana River, located in Southern California along the U.S.-Mexico border, continues discharging water and waste into the Pacific Ocean.
If Biden acted on the environmental crisis, federal funds would be accelerated toward fixing the broken plant that treats Tijuana’s sewage. The plant needs extensive repairs, such as new pipes and hardware, because the facility hasn’t been largely updated since it opened in 1997, according to the Voice of San Diego.
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Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre was the first in the affected area to declare the constant sewage contamination a state of emergency on June 21.
The sewage spill, though it’s been a problem for the past several decades, has become increasingly worse.