SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The California Assembly has unanimously approved a motion to ask President Trump to declare a state of emergency in the Tijuana River Valley that would expedite funding and the permit process to clean up pollution on the U.S. side of the border.
Almost all the contamination, including millions of gallons of untreated sewage, flow in from Tijuana on a daily basis with much of it ending up in the Pacific Ocean.
Now, it’s up to the state Senate to approve the proposal before Gov. Gavin Newsom can sign off on the idea, something he has been reluctant to do in the past.
“We need Gov. Newsom to sign it,” said Bethany Case, spokesperson for the Surfrider Foundation.
Previously, Newsom has said a state of emergency declaration won’t guarantee anything but instead mire and complicate other efforts.
“He has been saying this doesn’t fall under state of emergency guidelines but we know that it does, and we need everyone we can get to confirm this is a crisis, that we’re all affected on both sides of the border, Governor Newsom can be a strong voice in that,” said Case.
Assemblymember David Alvarez, one of the bill’s sponsors, says Trump needs to take action to address the “environmental injustice facing communities, which have endured beach closures, air and water contamination, and diminished economic activity.”
According to his office, more than 200 billion gallons of toxic wastewater have flowed into California from Mexico along the Tijuana River since 2018.
Case believes the time has come to make this bill a reality and hopes Trump does take action helping those who live along the Tijuana River Valley, and she supports what California lawmakers are trying to do.
“They know the federal government has the resources to stop, mitigate, clean up the mess. It’s dangerous environmentally to the health of people, plants and animals in the area.”
The bill, designated as AJR 16, has been sent to the California State Senate for a vote in the coming weeks.
Read: Read More