Sen. Alex Padilla joined local elected leaders Thursday to announce a bill intended to consolidate infrastructure projects in two border watersheds, including the Tijuana River.
The bill, the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2024, would place projects along the Tijuana River, as well as the New River in Imperial County, under the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency.
The legislation is sponsored by California’s senators, Padilla and Laphonza Butler, both D-California.
“It should be an outrage to all of us that in 2024 raw sewage and toxic waste is shutting down public beaches, polluting the air and threatening the health of our families and readiness of our military and border personnel,” Padilla said. “By assigning the [EPA] with the clear role of coordinating with federal, state, local and Tribal leaders to maintain the health of the watershed, we’re bringing the full weight and commitment of the federal government to address the Tijuana River pollution crisis.”
Additionally, the bill proposed Thursday would allow the EPA to manage the rivers through a water quality management plan within 180 days of its passing, require creation of a consensus list of projects and give the International Boundary and Water Commission more authority to address stormwater quality.
San Diego Democratic representatives Scott Peters and Juan Vargas joined Padilla at the border.
“It’s important that we have a streamlined and effective federal response. But right now, there is no one agency in charge of addressing the pollution. There are too many cooks in the kitchen,” Vargas said. “This legislation would put the EPA in charge of coordinating with federal, state and local agencies to respond … streamlining decision-making and strategic planning between agencies.”
Late last month, elected leaders applauded the IBWC’s announcement that it has awarded the contract for a project to expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Over the course of the project, the IBWC will use the more than $400 million in federal funding secured by the Congressional delegation to repair and expand the plant to address wastewater and sewage spillage into the Tijuana River Valley.
The bill proposed Thursday could change how federal funds are doled out and managed, even for projects already in the works.
“This is an environmental crisis, a public health crisis and an economic crisis for San Diegans,” Peters said. “The federal government should treat it as such. The legislation introduced today institutes a whole-of-government approach for resolving this crisis. This is the same type of program you see in the San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes; San Diego is no less deserving.”
In 2019, the delegation secured $300 million to expand the South Bay plant from 25 million gallons per day to 50 million gallons per day. In 2022, the delegation backed legislation to allow the IBWC to use funds to address pollutants in the Tijuana River Valley.
In May, officials also called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to look into contaminants in the water, soil and air and the connection to reported increases in illnesses and other symptoms. The CDC agreed last month to begin an investigation into the public health impacts.
The scattershot approach makes it more difficult to organize aid and projects, which is what the leaders proposing the bill hope to avoid in the future.
In late August, California’s senators and much of the local Congressional delegation sought answers as to why, despite the dry weather, environmental officials are reporting an increase in sewage flow and strong odors from Mexico in the river.
The IBWC believes a sediment buildup in the river is being caused by an ongoing highway construction project in Tijuana. As of June, more than 3,815 tons of sediment and trash have been removed from the South Bay treatment plant, a nearly five-fold increase over last year, officials said.
Additionally, as a result of finalizing an agreement for a community assessment with the CDC on Thursday, San Diego County expanded its website focused on South County public health. The CDC will assess the impact of pollution on nearby communities.
That survey will involve several hundred households near the border.
“People in the South County have lived far too long with flows of raw sewage in the Tijuana River Valley impacting their lives,” said county Supervisor Nora Vargas. “This agreement with the CDC is a big win for us, and one I have advocated for. It brings the world’s leading public health experts into our community to help get us the answers we deserve.”
– City News Service