CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Chula Vista has joined other cities in declaring a state of emergency over the Tijuana River sewage crisis.
The city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution introduced by Mayor John McCann Tuesday evening.
Mayor McCann says people in the city have been complaining about the smell. He says most complaints come from people in the southwest portion of the city.
The mayor says the proclamation is meant to raise awareness about the problem and hopefully attract the attention of the state and federal governments, which would, in turn, lead to more funding to fix it.
Chula Vista's state of emergency comes after others like Imperial Beach, San Diego, and the county made their emergency declarations.
ABC 10News has been following through on the problem for decades; most recently - the calls to address the ongoing smell and beach closures are getting louder.
In recent months, the CDC surveyed households about the impact of sewage on families. The state treasurer also visited the region, vowing to push for more financial resources.
Just two weeks ago, officials celebrated the start of repairs and expansion at the international wastewater treatment plant, a project that will cost roughly 400 million dollars in federal funding.
While Chula Vista residents feel the city's declaration is a start, others feel shutting down commerce and trade at the border would solve the problem in a heartbeat, even for a day.
The mayor hopes the federal government will take notice and support the calls for Governor Newsom to declare a state of emergency for the region.
