Press Release

Senate Passes Senator Padilla’s Resolution Urging CDC to Investigate Sewage Crisis

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California State Senate passed Senate Joint Resolution 18, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), which urges the Center for Disease Control to conduct an investigation into the health impacts surrounding the ongoing pollution crisis in the Tijuana River, a piece of Senator Padilla’s Tijuana River pollution legislative package.

“This never-ending tide of sewage and pollution is poisoning our communities, leaving businesses empty, and filling hospital beds,” said Senator Padilla. “Alarm bells need to be ringing across every corner of our state and federal government. We must have those that safeguard the public health at the highest levels of government intervene and explore the damage that has been done to our neighborhoods.”

Senator Padilla’s Tijuana River Pollution Legislative Package includes:

  • Senate Bill 1178, the California Water Quality and Public Health Protection Act, would require transnational corporations to report their discharges that pollute California waters and label their products with the following warning: “Warning: The creation of this product contributed to the contamination of California water quality potentially threatening the health and safety of its residents.”
  • Senate Bill 1208, which prevents the development of a landfill within the Tijuana River watershed that will contribute to pollution
  • Senate Joint Resolution 18, which requests the Centers for Disease Control to investigate the impacts of cross border pollution on public health of South Bay residents

SJR 18 passed the Senate with bipartisan support by a vote of 39 to 0 and now heads to the Assembly. To learn more about Senator Padilla’s Tijuana River pollution legislative package and the ongoing pollution crisis, click here.

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Steve Padilla represents the 18th Senate District, which includes the communities of Chula Vista, the Coachella Valley, Imperial Beach, the Imperial Valley, National City, and San Diego. Prior to his election to the Senate in 2022, Senator Padilla was the first person of color ever elected to city office in Chula Vista, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. Website of Senator Steve Padilla: https://sd18.senate.ca.gov/