Contaminated water sign in Imperial Beach. County News Center photo
Much of Imperial Beach’s shoreline reopened Monday after three years of near-continuous beach closures due to sewage and pollution.
Late Sunday, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health Quality lifted beach closures at the end of Cortez Boulevard and Seacoast Drive in Imperial Beach.
The coastline from the border to the southern end of Seacoast Drive, Tijuana Slough, remains closed to the public because bacteria levels remain high.
“For the first time since December 2023, a large portion of Imperial Beach’s coastline is open and safe for public use,” San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas said.
“Now that the water from Seacoast Drive north meets provincial health standards, residents and visitors can once again enjoy our beautiful coastline.
“While this is a positive step, having beaches open and safe should be the norm, not the exception. There is still work to be done to reopen the rest of our coastline. Our families deserve clean and safe beaches all year round, so I remain committed to pushing for a comprehensive solution to this long-standing environmental issue.”
Earlier this month, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to continue a local cross-border pollution emergency declaration between the U.S. and Mexico after reports of toxic gases near the border.
The commission first approved an emergency declaration in June 2023 in response to pollutants and sewage flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The commission’s vote came after a news conference in which Vargas said that despite foul odors and elevated gas levels coming from the Tijuana River Valley, the area’s air quality does not pose a public health threat.
“I want to reassure everyone that this is not an imminent threat and that it is safe to travel and attend school,” Vargas said. “Our county experts are actively collecting public health data and conducting research to provide the most accurate information.”
“It’s unacceptable that South County residents have to worry about whether it’s safe to go out,” she added. “I fight every day to get to the root of this problem, but for now, trust the data: we’ll protect you.”
Not everyone believed it.
Sarah Davidson, a member of the Surfrider Foundation, said the levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air were dangerously high.
“This is the most serious public health and environmental justice emergency in the county right now,” Davidson said, adding that it requires an immediate response from the county.
“I ask this board and all of us in this room to ask ourselves what we can do and then have the courage to do it.”
Vargas was in Washington, D.C., last week and held several meetings with federal and Mexican officials about environmental issues, including pollution in the Tijuana River basin.
She’s currently in New York for Climate Week NYC, where she’ll be “discussing climate change strategies with world leaders and exploring partnerships to support local efforts to address climate-related issues.”
City News Service contributed to this report.
