The Tijuana River sewage crisis is, in my view, the most serious environmental and public health issue facing our region. For Coronado, it affects our beaches, our residents, our Navy families, our visitors, our businesses, and ultimately our quality of life and health. On my very first day as a Coronado City Councilmember, I cast the deciding vote to declare a local emergency over the Tijuana River sewage crisis, breaking what had been a 2\u20132 vote of the Council. Since then, our Council has continued to support that emergency declaration unanimously, 5\u20130.<\/p>
I think that demonstrates both how seriously I take this crisis and how far we have come in building consensus around the need for action. As a Councilmember, my responsibility is to use every avenue available to keep pressure on the agencies that have the authority and resources to solve this problem. That means continued advocacy with our county, state, federal and international representatives, supporting infrastructure improvements on both sides of the border, and insisting on clear timelines and measurable results.<\/p>
But I also believe we need to be willing to look beyond traditional solutions. I am interested in innovative technologies, including nanobubble technology, which have been used in places such as Lake Elsinore and Los Angeles to improve water quality. These technologies may not replace the major infrastructure investments we need, but we should be willing to investigate whether they can become another tool in addressing contaminated water. I also serve as Coronado's representative on the Metro Wastewater JPA, and that experience has reinforced for me that we need to think differently about wastewater itself.<\/p>
In Southern California, water is simply too valuable a commodity to treat it as waste. It is not enough for our long-term strategy to be simply treating wastewater and pumping water that still contains pollutants back into the ocean. We should be exploring opportunities for greater water reclamation and looking at processes such as Pure Water, where advanced treatment allows wastewater to become a valuable part of our regional water supply. At the same time, I have been very focused on how we test our ocean water and communicate those results to the public.<\/p>
I want us asking hard questions about testing methodologies, including ddPCR and culture-based methods such as Enterolert, so that decisions affecting beach access are based on the best available science. My approach has been consistent from my first day on the Council: acknowledge the problem, follow the science, demand transparency, embrace innovation, insist on accountability, and keep Coronado at the table until we have clean water and clean air.<\/p>","answer_2":"
One of the most frustrating consequences of this crisis is that something as basic as going to the beach, surfing, swimming, or participating in an ocean-based youth program can no longer be taken for granted. The forum correctly points out that schools, recreation programs and outdoor businesses have all been affected by unsafe conditions. Our first obligation has to be public safety. We should never encourage people, particularly children, to enter water that public health officials have determined is unsafe.<\/p>
At the same time, we cannot allow this crisis to take away recreational and educational opportunities from an entire generation of young people. I would support partnerships between the City, our schools, nonprofits and recreation providers to develop alternative programming when ocean conditions prevent normal activities. Coronado is fortunate to have wonderful parks, recreation facilities, a strong library, community organizations and environmental groups that can help provide alternatives.<\/p>
I also think there is an educational opportunity here. Young people should understand what is happening in our watershed and ocean, how water quality is measured, and how environmental policy affects their everyday lives. Ultimately, however, alternative programming is not a substitute for solving the problem. Our goal must remain restoring safe, reliable access to our beaches and ocean<\/p>","answer_3":"
No single city can solve the Tijuana River pollution crisis. It requires sustained cooperation among local, state, federal and international partners, exactly as this question recognizes. Coronado's role is to be a persistent and active regional partner. I serve as Coronado's representative on the Metro Wastewater JPA, which gives me another opportunity to participate directly in regional discussions about wastewater infrastructure, treatment, capacity and our long-term needs. We need to continue advocating with our congressional delegation, County officials, state representatives, federal agencies, Mexico, and neighboring South Bay communities.<\/p>
We are stronger when Coronado, Imperial Beach, San Diego and the County speak with a coordinated voice. But coordination also means looking beyond the immediate crisis and asking what our wastewater system should look like 20, 30 or 40 years from now. Water is one of Southern California's most valuable resources. It does not make sense to spend enormous amounts of money treating wastewater only to discharge water that still contains pollutants into the ocean when we should also be examining how much of that water can ultimately be reclaimed and reused.<\/p>
That is why I believe water reclamation and advanced treatment processes such as Pure Water need to be part of the regional conversation. I also want us to remain open to innovative approaches, including nanobubble technology and other emerging treatment methods. If a technology is demonstrating success elsewhere, we should investigate the science, determine whether it is appropriate for our conditions, and understand whether it can complement our existing infrastructure. We also need accountability attached to every dollar we spend.<\/p>
It is not enough to announce that hundreds of millions of dollars have been appropriated. Residents deserve to know: What has actually been built? What remains to be completed? Is it on schedule? Is it working? And most importantly, are water and air conditions measurably improving? I also want much better coordination and transparency of data. Residents should not have to navigate multiple government websites or receive conflicting information from different agencies to understand whether their beach or air is safe.<\/p>
Ultimately, I want us to change the way we think about this issue. This isn't only about managing sewage. It's about protecting public health, restoring our ocean, and recognizing that water is a resource we should clean, reclaim and reuse whenever science and technology make that possible.<\/p>","answer_4":"
For communities that have lived with this problem for decades, frustration with government is understandable. The question specifically asks how residents, Tribal communities, young people, environmental justice organizations and local businesses can have a meaningful role in both developing solutions and measuring progress. I believe meaningful engagement starts with listening, but it cannot end there. Government needs to communicate regularly and in plain language. Residents should be able to see the same information decision-makers see\u2014water-quality results, air-monitoring information, infrastructure milestones, funding commitments and project schedules.<\/p>
I also believe strongly in bringing experts and community organizations into the conversation. Some of the most important questions being raised about water testing, health impacts and environmental conditions have come from residents and organizations that have been working on this issue for years. Coronado also needs to work closely with Imperial Beach and the other South Bay communities that have borne an enormous share of this burden. This isn't about one city's beach. It is a regional public-health and environmental crisis.<\/p>
Most importantly, community participation should help us measure whether government is succeeding. We should establish understandable benchmarks and report publicly on them. People shouldn't have to judge progress by press releases. They should be able to judge it by results: fewer sewage flows, cleaner water, cleaner air, fewer beach closures, and ultimately the ability for our families to safely enjoy our coastline again.<\/p>","submitted_order":11},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidate_response\/1524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/candidate_response"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/candidate_response"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"race","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tijuanarivercoalition.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/race?post=1524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}