Senator Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, on Thursday joined local leaders in introducing a bill to consolidate all infrastructure projects in the Tijuana and New River watersheds under the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2024 is sponsored by both Padilla, chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, and Sen. Laphonza Butler, a California Democrat. Reps. Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, both San Diego Democrats, joined Padilla at the border today to announce the bill.

“It should be outrageous to all of us that in 2024, raw sewage and toxic waste are closing public beaches, polluting our air and threatening the health of our families and the readiness of our military and border personnel,” Padilla said. “By giving (EPA) a clear role to coordinate with federal, state, local and tribal leaders to maintain the health of the watershed, we are bringing the full weight and commitment of the federal government to address the Tijuana River pollution crisis.”

Additionally, a bill proposed Thursday would allow the Environmental Protection Agency to manage rivers through a water quality management plan within 180 days of its enactment, require the Environmental Protection Agency to create a list of projects by consensus and give the International Boundary and Water Commission more authority to address stormwater quality.

“From foul odors to closed beaches, toxic sewage pollution harms our communities every day,” Vargas said. “It’s important that we have a streamlined and effective federal response. But right now, there’s no single agency responsible for addressing the pollution. There are too many cooks in the kitchen.

“This legislation would task EPA with coordinating with federal, state and local agencies to respond to wastewater pollution, streamlining decision-making and strategic planning across agencies. We are committed to working to combat this pollution, and this bill is an important step toward achieving that goal.”

Late last month, elected leaders welcomed IBWC’s announcement that it had awarded a contract for a project to expand the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant — one of several sources of sewage and wastewater spills into the Tijuana River Valley.

Over the course of the project, IBWC will allocate more than $400 million in federal funding raised by the congressional delegation to repair and expand the plant.

A bill introduced Thursday could change how federal funds are distributed and managed, even for projects already in the works.

“This is an environmental crisis, a public health crisis and an economic crisis for the residents of San Diego,” Peters said. “The federal government should treat it as such. The legislation introduced today establishes a whole-of-government approach to addressing this crisis. It’s the same type of program you see in San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes; San Diego deserves no less.”

In March, the U.S. Congressional delegation in San Diego secured more than $156 million for critical repairs at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.

In 2019, the delegation secured $300 million to expand the South Bay facility from 25 million gallons per day to 50 million gallons per day. In 2022, the delegation passed legislation allowing the IBWC to use the funds to combat pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.

In May 2024, elected officials called on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate contaminants in water, soil and air from sewage and their connection to reported increases in illnesses and other symptoms. The CDC agreed to begin an investigation into the public health impacts of sewage contamination from the Tijuana River.

This fragmented approach makes it difficult to organize aid and projects, something the leaders proposing the bill would like to avoid in the future.

In late August, California senators and much of the local congressional delegation demanded answers about why, despite dry weather, environmental officials were reporting increased sewage flows and strong odors from Mexico into the Tijuana River.

“We are writing to you to express our deep concern about the significant transboundary water flows in the Tijuana River Valley due to drought, reports of increased sediment coming from Mexico, and the recent increase in unpleasant odors emanating from the Tijuana River Valley. We also urge Mexican officials to address these issues as soon as possible,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to the IBWC.

The International Boundary and Water Commission reported an increase in sewage flows into the Tijuana River coming from Mexico. Mexico has not yet identified the source of the flow.

The IBWC believes the sediment buildup in the river is due to an ongoing freeway construction project in Tijuana. As of June, more than 3,815 tons of sediment and trash had been removed from the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant, a nearly fivefold increase from last year, officials said.

In addition, as a result of finalizing a community assessment agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Thursday, San Diego County has expanded its South County public health website. The CDC will assess the impact of sewage contamination on nearby communities across a broad spectrum of society.

The study will cover several hundred households located near the border.

“People in South County have lived far too long with raw sewage flowing into the Tijuana River Valley, and it’s affecting their lives,” said San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas. “This agreement with the CDC is a major victory for us, and one I advocated for. It brings the world’s leading public health experts to our community to help us get the answers we deserve.”