Padilla, Schiff Invite EPA Head Zeldin to South Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), along with Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.-52), invited Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin to visit San Diego’s South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBITWP) to see firsthand the ongoing environmental and public health consequences of the cross-border Tijuana River sewage crisis on local communities.
Administrator Zeldin recently expressed concern about the flow of sewage flowing across the border, posting about a briefing he received on the crisis and pushing Mexico to “honor its commitments to control this pollution and sewage.” The lawmakers wrote to ensure new EPA leadership fully understands the scope of this environmental catastrophe and their role in addressing the environmental and public health harms it causes.
“As you know, decades of underinvestment in cross-border wastewater infrastructure have led to the flow of untreated sewage into San Diego,” wrote the lawmakers. “EPA served as an important advocate for this issue in the last Trump Administration and we hope the agency will continue to do so once again.”
“Researchers have recently discovered that toxins and bacteria from the Tijuana River can be aerosolized, unveiling additional potential risks to the air quality in our communities. EPA, working with the International Boundary and Water Commission, will play a critical role in addressing these issues and helping the region recover from decades of pollution and environmental degradation,” continued the lawmakers.
Since 2018, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and causing harmful impacts on public health, the environment, and water quality. U.S. military personnel, border patrol agents, and the local economy have also suffered harmful impacts from airborne and waterborne transboundary sewage flows. In 2023, sewage flowed across the border at the highest volume in a quarter century, exceeding 44 billion gallons.
The SBIWTP project broke ground in October 2024, and over the next five years, the SBIWTP will double in capacity, reducing transboundary flows by 90 percent. Importantly, Mexico’s rehabilitated San Antonio de los Buenos wastewater treatment plant is expected to be fully operational by Spring 2025, further reducing flows to California communities.
Senator Padilla has prioritized addressing the Tijuana River pollution crisis since he first came to the Senate. In response to a request from Padilla and the San Diego Congressional delegation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an investigation into the public health impacts of air pollution caused by the ongoing Tijuana River transboundary pollution crisis. Senator Padilla and the delegation also recently secured a $200 million authorization for the Tijuana River Valley Watershed and San Diego County through the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to help address the ongoing transboundary sewage crisis through stormwater conveyance, environmental and ecosystem restoration, and water quality protection projects. They also delivered over $103 million in additional funding for the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) in the bipartisan FY 2024 appropriations package. Padilla previously successfully secured language in the FY 2023 appropriations package to allow the EPA to unlock $300 million previously secured in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement to the IBWC for water infrastructure projects. Last year, Padilla and Representatives Peters and Vargas announced bicameral legislation to help combat the Tijuana River sewage pollution crisis.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Administrator Zeldin,
We would like to invite you to visit the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant (SBIWTP) in the Tijuana River Valley and appreciate your interest in addressing the cross-border sewage crisis.
As you know, decades of underinvestment in cross-border wastewater infrastructure have led to the flow of untreated sewage into San Diego. Since 2018, more than 100 billion gallons of toxic sewage, trash, and unmanaged stormwater have flowed across the United States-Mexico border into the Tijuana River Valley and neighboring communities, forcing long-lasting beach closures and negatively impacting the local economy, environment, and health of U.S. military and Homeland Security personnel. EPA served as an important advocate for this issue in the last Trump Administration and we hope the agency will continue to do so once again.
While this wastewater pollution crisis is not new, it has intensified over the past two years. Researchers have recently discovered that toxins and bacteria from the Tijuana River can be aerosolized, unveiling additional potential risks to the air quality in our communities. EPA, working with the International Boundary and Water Commission, will play a critical role in addressing these issues and helping the region recover from decades of pollution and environmental degradation.
We look forward to working with you on this important issue, and we hope to host you at SBIWTP so you can see first-hand the challenges confronting our region. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
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