SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — On Tuesday, San Diego City Council members unanimously passed a resolution requesting the federal government declare a national emergency to address the Tijuana River infrastructure crisis.
More than a dozen residents spoke directly to the council during the meeting, urging action.
“I can’t stand the smell anymore … I just can’t,” one resident said.
“What do we have to do at 7 o’clock? 6 o’clock? It’s embarrassing. We have to run inside, close the doors, close the windows,” another added.
A federal emergency declaration would unlock additional funding to help address the decades-old sewage crisis in the South Bay area.
The resolution was introduced by District 8 Councilmember Vivian Moreno, who held a press conference ahead of Tuesday’s meeting. She shared a personal memory from summers past as a young South Bay mother inside her home.
“As the stench surrounded us, my newborn daughter and I were marinating in the awful smell … it was scary for me and my family,” she said.
Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre also spoke, revealing that she was recently hospitalized with lung inflammation.
“I actually thought I was having a heart attack,” Mayor Aguirre said. “But my situation is not unique.”
In recent weeks, ABC 10News has interviewed doctors and local research teams concerned about hydrogen sulfide levels, a toxic byproduct of sewage that can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues.
On Tuesday, residents brought signs to City Hall reading, “We can’t breathe,” “The smell is making us sick,” and “This is an emergency.”
