San Diego – The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to declare pollution in the Tijuana River Valley a public health crisis.
Nora Vargas, District 1 superintendent, said immediate action was necessary due to the years of pollution that the bi-national region has endured.
Según el condado, la región ha estado bajo constante contaminación en el aire, agua y suelos por el desague de aguas residuales, desechos de plantas industriales, basura, y mala calidad de aire en el área fronteriza.
Vargas, who has worked to find solutions since 1993, explained, “This problem is very personal to me. Our societies cannot survive under these conditions.”
The supervisor added that she will continue to fight for economic funds to clean up the area and provide support to communities affected by low air quality and high pollution.
San Diego County leaders endorsed the statement, including Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego, Paloma Aguirre, Imperial Beach Council member, Terra Lawson Rimer, District 3 superintendent, and Jim Desmond, District 5 superintendent.
District 2 superintendent Joel Anderson said the Biden administration should work with Mexico to solve the problem, because it’s a bi-national problem.
Superintendent Vargas announced on January 30th new environmental measures to be followed, including a project that seeks to find possible solutions to pollution of the Tijuana River.