Port of San Diego declares emergency due to Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The Port of San Diego has declared a state of emergency linked to the ongoing Tijuana River Valley crisis, according to a news release Wednesday. The port joins the cities of Imperial Beach and San Diego as well as the County of San Diego, which have issued similar actions.

According to the release, more than a hundred billion gallons of untreated sewage and other pollutants have flowed into the Tijuana River Valley and out into the Pacific Ocean, causing a series of beach closures in Imperial Beach and Coronado due to public health concerns.

“This crisis is sickening our South Bay communities and our beaches have been closed for nearly 850 days and counting,” Commissioner Dan Malcolm, Imperial Beach’s appointee on the Board of Port Commissioners, said in the release. “This environmental and public health nightmare must end! Our emergency declaration is a statement that we are still in this fight, and we will not stop advocating for every dime that is needed to STOP THE SEWAGE once and for all.”

New website launched to monitor illnesses caused by South Bay pollution

The contaminated water is meant to go through treatment plants under the jurisdictions of both the U.S. and Mexico federal governments; however, the infrastructure needs to be improved and expanded, the port said.

The port emphasized that additional funding is needed to improve and expand operations of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is operated by the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.