Submitted by Daron A. Case, Esq.
Honorable Mayor & Council:
The Department of Environmental Health (DEH) has issued closures for all beaches within Coronado city limits including Silver Strand. Each time we have a beach closure it is another opportunity for the City of Coronado to declare a state of emergency for the sewage and toxic waste from Mexico that fouls our waters adversely affecting our tourism industry and the health and safety of residents, visitors, tourists, border patrol and military personnel who use our beaches. The cities of San Diego and Imperial Beach have ongoing declarations of emergency for the sewage spills — the City of San Diego’s declaration of emergency extends back to 1993. As the tiniest baby step related to our transborder sewage crisis, the City of Coronado could issue a Nixle alert for beach closures. Coronado has two existing Nixle accounts (City and CPD), and there would be no additional cost to post a Nixle alert when DEH closes any beach within Coronado city limits. Residents of Coronado who are signed up for Nixle alerts in the 92118 zip code would appreciate this information. Please see petition now signed by 170+ citizens asking for Nixle alerts for beach closures: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nixle-alerts-for-beach-closures
Note that participants in the URT Santa Surf Off event at Shipwrecks on Christmas Eve morning were exposed to sewage contaminated water as the closure was issued that same day. There were reports of beach goers in the water at Coronado beaches after the closure was issued, with inadequate signage and no notice to beach goers to get out of the water. A Nixle alert would help to notify residents of beach closures when they may otherwise be unaware. Attached is a photo of the only closure sign at the entrance to my beach at the Coronado Cays — there is only one sign which is upside down and has fallen off its base. There are no visible closure signs at the entrance to the state park. The Lorton Surf Fest contest scheduled for this Saturday in Coronado has been postponed due to sewage contaminated water.
Until Coronado takes the tiniest baby step of issuing a free Nixle alert for beach closures within Coronado city limits, it is challenging, if not impossible, to take the rest of Coronado’s approach to our regional transborder sewage crisis seriously.
Happy Holidays.
Cheers,
Daron A. Case, Esq.
Coronado Residents Against Poop (CRAP)
