Latest news with #PalomaAguirre
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Voting begins in runoff race for District 1 seat on Board of Supervisors
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Voting is officially underway in the runoff special election for the vacant District 1 seat on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. The Registrar of Voters mailed ballots to all registered voters in the South County district on Monday, giving residents just shy of a month to cast a vote in the race between Chula Vista Mayor John McCann and Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre. Completed ballots can either be returned through the U.S. Postal Service or by placing them in one of the more the two dozen drop boxes set to open up in the lead up to race day. To keep tabs on the ballot as it makes its way to the registrar for tabulation, voters can sign up for the county's 'Where's My Ballot?' tool. D1 Special Election: What to know | The Candidates | How to vote | More Stories District 1 residents who want to vote in person will be able to do so beginning on Saturday, June 21, when the first crop of seven vote centers opens. Just over a dozen additional polling places will be up and running on the final day of voting on Tuesday, July 1. Maps of all the vote centers and drop box locations across South County available to collect completed ballots can be found on the Registrar of Voters' website. The runoff between McCann and Aguirre will decide the successor to former Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas following her abrupt resignation from public office in November of last year — just weeks after winning a second term. The race narrowed from a field of seven candidates to a South Bay mayoral showdown after no one secured more than 50% of the vote — the threshold for an outright win — in the special election's first round back in March. Whoever wins in the runoff will serve out the remainder of the term Vargas vacated, which runs through January 2029. Since the race is at a district level, only residents who live within its boundaries will be eligible to cast a vote in the race. This includes neighborhoods in south San Diego, such as Barrio Logan, Chollas View, East Village and Golden Hill, as well as the whole of Chula Vista, Imperial Beach and National City. San Diegans can look up their supervisorial district on the Registrar of Voters website. All residents who are already signed up to vote in the district will be able to participate in the election, but the Registrar of Voters' office encourages people to check their voter status before the registration deadline passes on Monday, June 16. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
26-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
In California, There's One Import That Nobody Wants
White sand stretches for miles where Pacific Ocean waves crash into the shore. Nearby, bicycles lean against seaside cottages that are accented by banana and palm trees out front. A rickety wooden pier offers spectacular views of sherbet-hued sunsets over the water. To the eye, Imperial Beach, Calif., is an idyllic beach town, a playground for tourists and Southern California residents alike at the southern border with Mexico. But lately, the view has been ruined by the sea breeze, which reeks of rotten eggs. The surfers who once prepared for big-wave competitions are gone. So are the tourists who built intricate sand castles and licked ice cream cones on the pier. Imperial Beach is now the center of one of the nation's worst environmental disasters: Every day, 50 million gallons of untreated sewage, industrial chemicals and trash flow from Tijuana, Mexico, into southern San Diego County. The cross-national problem traces back at least a century. But it has significantly worsened in recent years as the population of Tijuana has exploded and sewage treatment plants in both countries have fallen into disrepair. 'It's a public health ticking time bomb that isn't being taken seriously,' said Paloma Aguirre, the mayor of Imperial Beach. 'We need help.' Imperial Beach's shoreline, which has drawn tourists for more than a century, has been closed for more than 1,200 days in a row because of health concerns. A growing body of research suggests that even breathing the air may be harmful, as toxic particles in the water can become airborne. There are no overnight solutions, and officials on both sides of the border say that it will take yearslong expansions of sewage treatment plants to stop the pollution. In the meantime, Ms. Aguirre permanently sealed shut the windows of her home to keep out the noxious stench. More than 1,100 Navy recruits have contracted gastrointestinal illnesses after training in southern San Diego waters, the Office of the Naval Inspector General determined. And nearly half of the region's 40,900 households have experienced health problems, including migraine headaches, rashes and shortness of breath, that were most likely attributable to the sewage, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Things have grown so desperate that when Lee Zeldin, President Trump's new environmental secretary and a former Republican congressman, arrived last month, even local Democrats cheered. On Earth Day, Mr. Zeldin came to Imperial Beach and vowed to urgently fix the sewage problem, which he said was 'top of mind' for Mr. Trump. 'We are all out of patience,' Mr. Zeldin said. The crisis has upended life in southern San Diego County — what locals call South County — which has an unusual mix of touristy beach towns and industrial warehouses. The region is defined by its border with Mexico, where Spanish and English flow interchangeably and the densely populated hillsides of Tijuana loom in the distance. But South County residents have felt powerless when it comes to the complex international dynamics that have allowed so much sewage to overwhelm their neighborhoods. 'We want to be able to survive,' said Jesse Ramirez, 60, who has owned a skate and surf shop on Imperial Beach's main drag for three decades. On a recent morning during what would typically be the start of tourist season, his store was entirely empty. Imperial Beach, known to locals as I.B., was never as glamorous as the wealthy beach spots farther north. It takes its name from Imperial County, an inland region from which farmers once arrived each summer to escape the sweltering heat. The city has long been a working-class community, and its nearly four miles of coastline have functioned as a town square at the southwestern corner of the continental United States. Not long ago, surfers rode the world-renowned swells at Tijuana Sloughs, the city's southernmost beach. Locals walked their dogs on the warm sand and enjoyed the sea breeze and pints of beer on outdoor patios. But so-called extreme odor events happen more nights than not. Tests have found a disturbing slew of contaminants in the water, including arsenic, heavy metals, hepatitis, E. coli, salmonella, banned pesticides such as DDT, and more. 'We have watched in horror as the amounts of sewage have catastrophically increased,' said Serge Dedina, a surfer and environmentalist who served as mayor of Imperial Beach from 2014 to 2022. 'It's become kind of like a collective mental health crisis.' In the 1990s, in an act of binational cooperation, the United States built a plant on its side of the border to help treat sewage from Tijuana, which often flowed into San Diego beaches via northward currents from Mexico. At the same time, Mexico established a plant in Tijuana as well. But those plants haven't kept up with explosive population growth in Tijuana, one of Mexico's fastest-growing cities. Roughly 2.3 million people now live in the city, spurred in part by American companies that built factories there for cheap labor. Aging infrastructure and damage from turbulent rains have further reduced how much sewage the plants can treat. The sewage problem now stretches up to Coronado, a wealthy enclave known for the historic Hotel del Coronado, where rooms regularly go for $1,000 a night and a $550 million renovation just finished after six years. Beaches have been forced to close there as well, so fewer tourists are booking lodging, said John Duncan, the city's mayor. 'My biggest concern as mayor is that the reputation as 'the toilet of Mexico' starts to stick at some point and really hurts us,' Mr. Duncan said. In addition to the sewage that goes directly into the ocean, another 10 million gallons each day flow into the 120-mile Tijuana River, which begins in Mexico and winds northward into the United States before emptying at Imperial Beach, according to the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission, which manages the U.S. treatment plant and is overseen by the State Department. The river waste comes from factories, as well as from shantytowns in Tijuana that aren't hooked up to the city's sewer system. The river provides habitat for 370 species of birds along the Pacific Flyway, an important migratory pathway. But in recent years, it has essentially become an open sewer running through southern San Diego neighborhoods and near schools, researchers say. On a recent day, the water in the Tijuana River appeared fluorescent green and was spotted with foam, what scientists say is the product of industrial chemicals. Beneath lanky willows, discarded tires clogged the waterway. Crushed milk jugs and scraps of clothing piled up on the river's muddy banks. The sulfur stench was pungent, even through a respirator mask. Along the river, scientists have detected astronomically high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air, which can cause headaches, fatigue, skin infections, anxiety and respiratory and gastrointestinal problems. Residents have complained about such symptoms for years, said Paula Stigler Granados, a public health researcher at San Diego State University. 'I consider this to be the largest environmental justice issue in the whole country,' Ms. Granados said. 'I don't know any other place where millions of gallons of raw sewage would be allowed to flow through a community.' The U.S. boundary commission has secured $600 million to double its treatment capacity to 50 million gallons per day, according to Frank Fisher, a spokesman. The Mexican plant is also working on repairs and expanding capacity, he said. Many worry that the changes will take too long: The expansion at the American plant alone will take five years. Some short-term ideas that have been floated include trying to treat the river water before it reaches neighborhoods and giving air purifiers to residents. Mr. Zeldin said when he visited San Diego in April that he was compiling a list of projects that would solve the crisis sooner. He suggested building a funnel at the Mexican treatment plant that would send sewage farther from the shore. Mr. Dedina, the former Imperial Beach mayor, moved there when he was 7 and grew up surfing and lifeguarding. But he surfed those waters for the last time in 2019, he said, heading back to shore despite perfect, 10-foot waves. The water that day was simply too foul. 'I just said: 'I can't do this anymore. I can't go in the water,'' he recalled. 'It's like Russian roulette.' In 2022, Mr. Dedina moved Wildcoast, the environmental nonprofit he runs, out of Imperial Beach because his employees began complaining of toxic fumes. Then, last year, he and his wife moved to central San Diego, away from the stench. The health risks in his hometown had become too much. 'I miss the life that I had,' he said. 'Grabbing my surfboard, going in the water. It's gone and it's tragic.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Imperial Beach leaders call for action on Tijuana River sewage crisis
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Imperial Beach city leaders are calling for more federal accountability and legislative actions to address the ongoing Tijuana River pollution. In a four to one vote, the city council approved a resolution Wednesday night that lists several priorities to help solve the public health crisis. Mayor Paloma Aguirre was the only dissenting vote. The resolution, spearheaded by Councilmember Mitch McKay, is largely symbolic as Imperial Beach has no jurisdiction over any of the actions, but it intends to send a message to the federal government, as well as state and local partners, about possible next steps. Deadly crash near SDSU prompts temporary shutdown of I-8 east 'We think Mexico wants to be good neighbors. But on the same token, if we're not enforcing the laws or the rules and they don't see it as necessary or there's any incentive to do it, maybe they're not going to do it,' said McKay. The resolution urges Congress to adopt legislation that strengthens enforcement of international water and environmental treaty obligations, and hold Mexico accountable for failing to control transboundary pollution in the Tijuana River. It calls for the acceleration of the implementation by the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) of the design and construction of the Tijuana River Diversion project to capture and treat transboundary flows in the river, as well as the acceleration of the implementation by IBWC of a permanent trash capture system for the main Tijuana River channel. The resolution also strongly opposes the construction of a 50-million-gallon-per-day (MGD) desalination plant in Playas de Rosarito as part of Mexico's National Water Plan, unless Mexico completes the wastewater recycling projects identified in IBWC Treaty Minute 328 anddemonstrates sufficient capacity and funding to provide wastewater treatment for any new potable water deliveries. The resolution asks Congress to consider passing statutory enforcement requirements to regulate or restrict the export of potable water into the City of Tijuana, Mexico during any health-related threat(s) declared by the County of San Diego (DEH). According to the resolution, Tijuana depends on the U.S. for 90% of its water imports. The council also decided to amend the resolution to request that Congress consider restrictions could also include limited commercial crossing activity at U.S. ports of entry during the aforementioned declared health threats. Other approved amendments urge California and the federal government to declare states of emergencies in relation to the sewage crisis. 'Commercial is where the biggest money is. We don't want to hurt the individuals. We don't want to hurt those who are coming to work in our country or those coming to shop,' said District 2 Councilmember Jack Fisher. While Mayor Aguirre expressed support for the majority of the actions in the resolution, she expressed concerns over how language related to crossing activity would be perceived in relation to immigration. Some residents worry about the possible economic impacts that could have. 'Limiting cross border activity even temporarily would have serious impact repercussions for our region,' said Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce CEO, Marcy Weaver. The resolution additionally directs SANDAG to continue to advocate for potential funding sources from the Mexican share of the toll revenues to offset the detrimental impacts of the transportation, trade and population nexus being created at Otay Mesa East Port of Entry. It also requests President Trump consider initiating an executive order requiring such near-termactions with enforcement, as necessary, by all Federal Entities and departments, including but not limited to: Department of State, EPA and the Department of the Navy. 'Lee Zeldin is coming to town next week and we're asking him to take a look at this as well, and say 'hey are there things we're missing?' Are there things that are already in place that we should be doing that can help this problem?' asked McKay. EPA Administrator Zeldin will visit San Diego on Tuesday, saying on 'X' Wednesday that his visit is meant, 'to ramp up efforts to permanently end decades of raw sewage entering the U.S. from Mexico.' He also said, 'A comprehensive plan must IMMEDIATELY and URGENTLY be deployed to stop this contamination coming from across the border.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Board of Supervisors District 1 special election results
Above: FOX 5 report on voters headed to the polls for the District 1 special election. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — The first batch of unofficial results in the crowded race to succeed Nora Vargas on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors are expected to be released by the Registrar of Voters shortly after polls close at 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Seven candidates are currently vying for the District 1 seat: Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez, energy consultant Elizabeth Efird, former Imperial County Supervisor Louis Fuentes, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, and marketing firm associate Lincoln Pickard. D1 Special Election: What to know | The Candidates | How to vote | More Stories FOX 5/KUSI will update this page with real-time results as soon as they are made available. The first drop of unofficial returns is anticipated to represent mail-in ballots received prior to election day and those cast early at in-person vote centers. Once all the ballots have been counted, the Registrar of Voters has until May 8 to certify the race results, making it official. In order for a candidate to win outright, they would need to have received 50% of votes in the final tally. Should no candidate meet this mark, a runoff between the two candidates with the most votes will take place on July 1. The race is the second time South Bay residents took to the ballot box to select their representative on the County Board of Supervisors in less than six months, having just re-elected Vargas to a second term in the District 1 seat in the November general. San Diego County loses $40M in funds just before new public health lab opens The former board chair announced she would not be taking the oath of office again abruptly a few weeks after her resounding win, citing 'personal safety and security reasons' — the details of which have still not been disclosed. Her resignation set up another high-stakes contest with the potential to swing partisan control of the technically non-partisan body back into the hands of Republicans after just four years with a Democratic majority. Whoever wins in the special election will serve out the remainder of Vargas' term, running through January 2029. FOX 5/KUSI will be following this race throughout election night. Check back for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
District 1 voters have until Tuesday night to vote in special election
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Voters in District 1 have until 8 p.m. Tuesday to cast their vote in the County Supervisor District 1 Special Election. Seven candidates are vying for the position after Nora Vargas resigned. The seven candidates are Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Chula Vista Deputy Mayor Carolina Chavez, energy consultant Elizabeth Efird, business owner Louis Fuentes, Chula Vista Mayor John McCann, San Diego City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno, and South County resident Lincoln Pickard. What to Know: San Diego County Supervisor District 1 Special Election Seven vote centers will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Monday: Bonita-Sunnyside Branch Library – Community Room 4375 Bonita Rd., Bonita, 91902 Chula Vista City Hall 276 4th Ave., Chula Vista, 91910 County of San Diego HHSA – Conference Room 690 Oxford St., Chula Vista, 91911 West View Elementary – Auditorium 525 3rd St., Imperial Beach, 91932 Mountain View Community Center – Back Meeting Room 641 S Boundary St., San Diego, 92113 San Ysidro Senior Center 125 E Park Ave., San Ysidro, 92173 Spring Valley Community Center – Olsen Room 8735 Jamacha Blvd., Spring Valley, 91977 On Tuesday, the final day of voting, six additional vote centers will open, bringing the total to 13 locations. Voting hours on that day will extend to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. If no candidate receives a majority vote during the April 8 special primary election, the top two vote-getters will move on to the special general election on July 1. Voting centers open for county's District 1 supervisor special election The winner will serve the remainder of the current term ending in January 2029. Only voters residing in the First Supervisorial District can vote in this special election. Voters can find more information on the special election, including vote center locations and ballot drop box sites, at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
