California Gubernatorial Candidate Tackles Toxic Waste Issues

Steve Hilton, a Republican running for governor in California, has promised to tackle the ongoing toxic waste issues in the Tijuana River Valley if he wins the election.

On Monday, he shared a video during a recent visit to the Tijuana River, highlighting Mexico’s continued discharge of untreated sewage into the waterway. Hilton criticized the current governor, Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, for not effectively addressing this urgent health crisis.

“If this isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is,” Hilton asserted, pledging that, if elected, he would promptly declare a state of emergency and push for solutions.

In the video, he exclaimed, “Today I’m going to show you what’s happening in this incredibly horrifying situation that’s been ongoing for 35 years in San Diego, right near the border.” He described the river’s water as “raw sewage, human waste, that comes into our country from Mexico, flowing out into the ocean.”

Hilton pointed out that the Naval Special Forces Training Center in Coronado is just about 21 miles from the coast, stating, “Our Navy SEALs are swimming in untreated sewage from Mexico.” He mentioned the river’s white foam, attributing it to “permanent chemicals” and “toxic waste” emanating from Mexican factories. “It’s an utter disgrace,” he added.

The candidate reiterated his commitment: “If this isn’t an emergency, I don’t know what is. We will declare a state of emergency from day one in response to this unacceptable situation.”

In 2024, research from San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego, highlighted dangerously high levels of toxic gases linked to untreated sewage from Mexico in the Tijuana River Valley. This raised public health alarms and spurred some local Democratic politicians to urge Newsom to declare a state of emergency. Newsom has previously attributed the issue to “decades of federal government failure.”