KPBS: California leaders push for EPA management of border sewage crisis amid public health concerns
By Alexander Nguyen and Mike Damron
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California, was joined by local elected leaders on Thursday to announce a bill intended to consolidate all infrastructure project efforts 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, chair of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, and Sen. Laphonza Butler, D- California. Reps. Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, both D-San Diego, joined Padilla at the border today to announce the bill.
“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 the EPA to create a consensus list of projects and give the International Boundary and Water Commission more authority to address stormwater quality.
“From terrible smells to closed beaches, toxic sewage pollution hurts our communities every single day,” Vargas said. “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.
“This legislation would put the EPA in charge of coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies to respond to the sewage pollution, streamlining decision-making and strategic planning between agencies. We’re committed to working to combat this pollution and this bill is an important step towards that goal.”
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 — one of several culprits for wastewater and sewage spillage into the Tijuana River Valley.
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.
The bill proposed Thursday could change how the 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 March, the San Diego Congressional delegation secured more than $156 million in funding toward critical repairs to the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
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 passed legislation to allow the IBWC to use funds to address pollutants in the Tijuana River Valley.
In May 2024, the elected officials called on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to look into the contaminants in the water, soil, and air from the sewage and the connection to reported increases in illnesses and other symptoms. The CDC has agreed to begin an investigation into the public health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage pollution.
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 its local Congressional delegation demanded answers as to why despite the dry weather, environmental officials are reporting an increase in sewage flow and strong odors from Mexico in the Tijuana River.
“We write to you to express our deep concerns regarding the significant dry weather transboundary flows in the Tijuana River Valley, reports of increased sediment coming from Mexico, and the recent increase in odors coming from the Tijuana River Valley, and to urge you to press 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 has reported an increase in sewage flows in the Tijuana River originating from Mexico. To date, Mexico has not identified the origin of the flows.
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 International Wastewater 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 U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Thursday, San Diego County expanded its South County public health focused website. The CDC will assess the impact of the sewage pollution on nearby communities across a wide swathe of society.
That survey will involved 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 San Diego 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.”
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