Senator Padilla and Local Leaders Announce Legislation to Give Public Greater Say in Landfill Development in Environmentally Sensitive Areas
SACRAMENTO – Today, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) amended Senate Bill 594, to give communities across the state with existing environmental pollution burdens the opportunity to voice their concerns in a publicly noticed hearing when a new landfill development is proposed.
For generations, billions of gallons of contamination, pollution, and wastewater, stemming from failing infrastructure, have ravaged California’s southern coastline. San Diegans are suffering from the health, economic, and environmental impacts of these continued transboundary flows. As a result of this perpetual contamination, the Tijuana River Watershed was recently named in the 10 most endangered rivers in America, a list managed by environmental organization, American Rivers. The designation comes from an analysis of the hazardous industrial waste and raw sewage present in the river.
According to a study conducted by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, coastal water pollution transfers to the atmosphere in sea spray aerosol, which can reach people beyond just beachgoers, surfers, and swimmers increasing the risk of exposure and illness to a greater area of coastal communities.
However, this is not the only source of pollution that the South Bay faces. Over 15 years ago, private developers put a misleading measure on the ballot in San Diego County and secured the approval of a second landfill in the county’s general plan – cutting out local elected officials and creating a truncated CEQA process that silenced local input and review. The landfill would be built less than 2 miles from the Tijuana River, squarely in the River’s already severely environmentally distressed watershed.
“We need to listen to the multitude of voices in our communities calling for an end to companies adding to the pollution they face, all to make a quick buck,” said Senator Padilla. “People need assurances that developers cannot add to the challenges environmental overburdened regions already face.”
SB 594 would require local enforcement agencies hold a publicly noticed hearing when a new Class III landfill is proposed to be built in an area with a pollution burden score in the 90th percentile as determined by the California Communities Environmental Screening. The will would also require that a state agency not issue a waste discharge permit for such a landfill until a local enforcement agency has certified that the landfill will not disproportionately impact or harm the environmentally sensitive community.
Last year, seeking to create a permanent source of funding for projects remediating the extensive environmental damage and expanding the capacity of the sewage systems in place, Senator Padilla introduced SB 10 would expressly authorize funds from the new toll road to be used for water treatment, environmental mitigation, and restoration of the Tijuana River Valley. These funds could be allocated for the improvement of wastewater infrastructure and related projects to address the sewage crisis and benefit the residents of South San Diego County and adjacent areas.
Senator Padilla’s legislative package protecting these environmentally sensitive regions is supported by a broad coalition of local leaders, environmental justice advocates, and community organizations.
"We are thankful for Senator Padilla’s leadership on authoring this legislative package to help our South Bay communities start to end our decades-long pollution crisis,” said Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Mayor of Imperial Beach. “SB 10 and SB 594 are critical steps to addressing a part of this crisis. We urge regional southbay leaders to join us in supporting these bills."
"I’m proud to stand with Senator Padilla in support of SB 10 and SB 594—two critical pieces of legislation that bring long-overdue solutions to the cross-border pollution crisis plaguing our communities,” said Councilmember Michael Inzunza of Chula Vista. “These bills secure permanent funding for wastewater infrastructure and protect environmental justice communities from further harm. Senator Padilla’s leadership delivers real action where it’s most needed, and I’m honored to support it."
"We need creative and determined responses to address the Tijuana River Valley sewage crisis, and I strongly support Senator Padilla’s leadership efforts to find new sources of funds to fix the sewage infrastructure,” said San Diego County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer. “I urge the State Senate and Assembly to pass this important bill."
"For years, Coronado has faced the impacts of untreated sewage and contaminated water from the Tijuana River Valley. These discharges threaten the health of our citizens and the economic viability of our businesses,” said John Duncan, Mayor of Coronado. “SB 10 offers an opportunity to address the region’s growing trade demand while also directing a portion of toll revenues toward much-needed wastewater infrastructure improvements and environmental restoration."
"Coastkeeper strongly supports Senator Padilla's legislation to secure long term funding for critically needed sewage infrastructure in the Tijuana River Valley, and to increase transparency and public input for new landfills in California," said Phillip Musegaas, Executive Director of San Diego Coastkeeper. "These are common sense legislative solutions that will benefit South County communities by creating a new funding stream to address the Tijuana sewage crisis, and provide people across California a meaningful voice when landfills are proposed in their communities."
“At WILDCOAST, we fully support giving a voice to communities facing environmental pollution burdens and working toward solutions,” said Fay Crevoshay, Senior Communications and Policy Director at WILDCOAST.
"The toxic contamination flowing in the Tijuana River Watershed and resulting public health crisis continues to worsen by the day. This pollution is making people sick, destroying ecosystems, limiting coastal access, crippling economies, and threatening our national security. We must prioritize the safety of impacted communities by investing not only in immediate relief, but also in long-term infrastructure solutions,” said Sarah Davidson and Bethany Case of San Diego Surfrider. “SB 10 would provide on-going funding to support operations and maintenance of much needed infrastructure solutions and SB 594 would give impacted communities a voice when new landfills are proposed that could cause them harm. We are grateful to Senator Padilla for introducing these two bills. Surfirder supports both in the ongoing effort to elevate impacted community voices and address the cross-border pollution crisis that is devastating communities in South San Diego County and beyond."
SB 10 will be heard in Senate Transportation Committee tomorrow and SB 594 will be heard in the Senate this spring.
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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/