IMPERIAL BEACH, Calif. (KGTV) – Imperial Beach is a place to take in the sun and watch the surf and see a constant reminder of how polluted the waters are here.
“You could not worse or more dire situation. We have a 159 consecutive days of beach closures in Imperial Beach,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. “The situation is as grave and as bad as it’s ever been.”
Aguirre sent a letter to the Biden-Harris administration calling for a federal emergency declaration for the Tijuana River and Imperial Beach shoreline because of the pollution. She told ABC 10News that this situation merits the level of attention that other crises have gotten.
“So why now? Because the consequences are very real. They’re very real to our kids’ health. Our youth programs are having to be canceled. Our seniors are being affected. Our national security is being affected,” Aguirre said.
She hopes the letter at least gains more acknowledgment of what’s happening here when it comes to the pollution.
“You have an entire office created the office of environmental justice. You don’t have a worse environmental injustice than the one we are expecting here today,” Aguirre said.
Baron Partlow, who’s a local dedicating his time to curbing the pollution, told ABC 10News there’s a sense of doubt while waiting for a seal of approval from the feds.
“Yes, sir. And we really need help. And is it to the point where we’ll take help wherever we can get? If it’s definitely viable help that’s going to help, we’re not going to tell help how to help, help,” Partlow said.
The mayor of Imperial Beach feels with more data than before it can help bolster their cry for help.
“I am going to call to the four winds of whoever I need to call. But we need the help today; not tomorrow, not in two years,” Aguirre said.
