Coronado beaches have frequently been closed due to dangerous levels of bacteria – a very real reminder (and repercussion) of the Tijuana sewage crisis that has, for decades, been silently dumping billions of gallons of waste into the Pacific Ocean.
Years ago, local officials started pressing California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency, recognizing the pollution’s devastating impact on the health, economies and quality of life impact in Imperial Beach and Coronado.
During that time, the crisis – which is the result of aging, overwhelmed wastewater treatment plants in Mexico and the U.S. – has only gotten worse. Along with pollution of the beaches and the Tijuana River, new studies show dangerous levels of airborne toxins, including hydrogen sulfide gas, which causes breathing problems. National news sites are calling the situation a “poo-nami.”
Everyone from state officials and local politicians to high school students and community members have made their pleas known: They want a declaration of emergency.
In 2023, every single mayor in San Diego County, including former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey, sent a letter urging Newsom to immediately issue a state of emergency. The 18 mayors said the issue extended beyond the realm of local control and called for a declaration.
His answer then was no. And today? Still no.
His argument? The South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant is a federal facility in a federally-controlled area; a state proclamation of emergency would not accelerate work, he contended. It needs to come from the president.
“Look no further than the wastewater treatment plant responsible for the TJ River: it’s a federal facility, making the federal government directly responsible for both the infrastructure and the fix,” Anthony Martinez, the governor’s deputy communications director, said last month.
Since when has Newsom ever allowed daylight between state and federal issues? Immigration, defense, and foreign policy are just a few examples. Just earlier this year, he was hobnobbing with the global elite in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum. By all accounts, he is preparing to run for the highest office in the federal government, so why not start by campaigning on a real environmental issue in his own backyard?
Many argue that a state declaration holds no weight – it would be purely symbolic.
But symbolic gestures hold power by communicating a stance, prompting further action, and standing in solidarity with those most affected by the crisis. An emergency declaration at the state level is not just that. It would grant the governor explicit legal authority to direct state agencies to reallocate some of their existing budgets for emergency response. Funding could be pooled from various departmental budgets.
Just last month, voters passed Proposition 4, which freed up $46 million in funding for projects on the Tijuana River. That funding amount had been earmarked by Newsom to address the environmental issue – an action his office boasted about in a news release.
This move by Newsom proves that he believes that the state has power to make a change. In his own way – by sidestepping a declaration of emergency and focusing on Prop 4 funding – he dismissed his own argument that the federal government is the sole entity responsible for this mess.
What is the downside to declaring a state of emergency? Why not declare an emergency to put more pressure on the federal government and spotlight the issue?
With his term coming to a close, it’s time for Newsom to step up, take ownership, and put that bully pulpit to use against a major environmental disaster right in his own state. Those most impacted by the problem are tired of having their cries met with silence.
