The President Nora Vargas and Vice President Terra Lawson-Remer of San Diego County announced that they will declare a local state of emergency due to the growing environmental and public health crisis in the Tijuana River Valley. The policy will be presented during the next Board meeting on June 27.

This declaration is a response to the ongoing cross-border contamination between the US and Mexico, whose devastating effects have prompted the need for a federal state of emergency, stated the officials in their announcement.

Additionally, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) will be requested to assess the economic impacts of the crisis and provide a report to the Board within 120 days; efforts will also be made to seek federal and state funding to address the situation.

"I am proud to lead these efforts and declare, for the first time in the history of this decades-old problem, a local state of emergency," said Nora Vargas, the President of San Diego County, urging the federal government to prioritize this issue and provide additional support to address this crisis.

Vice President Lawson-Remer, a mother and surfer, expressed her horror at the continued flow of wastewater from the other side of the southern border: "This is unacceptable. We call on the Biden administration to declare a federal emergency and put an end to this environmental injustice."

According to the US International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), over 100 billion gallons of toxic effluents have crossed the border into the United States through the Tijuana River since 2018, of which 35 billion gallons have entered since December 28, 2022 alone.

This relentless flow of wastewater has had serious implications in terms of public health, economic stability, and environmental well-being in our communities, leading to the prolonged closure of several beaches for over 550 consecutive days due to persistently poor water quality. The emergency declaration seeks to turn the tide on this crisis that threatens not only the residents of the area but also the local wildlife and flora.