Senator Padilla, Local & Environmental Leaders, Announce Legislation to Allocate Toll Funds Towards Clean Up of Tijuana River
SACRAMENTO – On Monday, the first day of the 2025/2026 legislative session, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) introduced Senate Bill 10, creating a permanent source of funding for Tijuana River remediation efforts by authorizing funds from the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry toll road to be allocated towards the restoration of the Tijuana River Valley.
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.
While sewage treatment facilities exist on the river, the sheer volume of wastewater flowing into the river has far exceeded their capacity and overwhelmed any efforts to address the issue. Last December, Senator Padilla, chair of the Senate Select Committee on California-Mexico Cooperation and Dialogue, held a hearing to listen to federal officials, experts, local elected representatives, and the public about the efforts to address cross-border pollution. As a result of those conversations, he introduced a legislative package seeking to stem further sources of pollution, hold California companies financially responsible for their role in the pollution, and urge the CDC to investigate the harm this pollution has already inflicted on South Bay residents.
“The crisis at the Tijuana River comes from decades of neglect,” said Senator Padilla. “We must explore every source of funding and every option available to us to finally put an end to the poison in the very air we breathe. We will no longer accept anything but the justice this community deserves.”
This 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.
Senate Bill 10 is supported by a broad coalition of environmental justice and community organizations.
"In August, our City Council took a decisive step by unanimously approving a resolution to establish a long-term environmental mitigation fund, leveraging the new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry, to specifically address the pollution impacts of transboundary sewage flows from the Tijuana River,” said Mayor Paloma Aguirre, Mayor of Imperial Beach. “I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Senator Padilla for championing this critical issue as legislation today and for his unwavering advocacy for our communities. I strongly urge California legislators to stand with us and support this vital bill."
"Coastkeeper strongly supports Senator Padilla's tireless efforts to secure funding and political attention to resolve the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis," said Phillip Musegaas, Executive Director of San Diego Coastkeeper. "The Otay East border crossing will facilitate billions of dollars in trade between U.S. and Mexico - it is high time people living in our South County communities benefit from the same trade that has burdened them with toxic air and water pollution for decades."
“WILDCOAST strongly supports Senator Padilla’s East Otay Mesa Toll Facility Act, because it will provide a direct source of revenue to finance environmental mitigation measures to restore the Tijuana River Valley and reduce the impact from increasing amounts of cross-border water and air pollution,” said Serge Dedina, Ph.D., Executive Director of WILDCOAST. “There is nothing more important than making sure that our communities have access to clean water and air and open spaces and this bill will provide a significant boost to efforts to halt the worst environmental crisis in California.”
"The toxic waste flowing in the Tijuana River Watershed and resulting environmental catastrophe continues to worsen by the day,” said Sarah Davidson and Bethany Case, Clean Border Water Now, Surfrider Foundation Someone. “This waste causes widespread water and air quality impairments that are making people sick, destroying ecosystems, limiting coastal access, and crippling economies. We must prioritize the safety of frontline communities bearing the brunt of this public health and environmental justice emergency by investing in immediate relief and long-term infrastructure solutions. We are glad to see legislation introduced that would provide much needed funding to address this emergency and we support this effort."
"Our community has been severely impacted by the unsafe conditions at Imperial Beach caused by ongoing sewage and other pollutants,” said Ashley Hedrick, Ocean Lifeguard II, Department of Marine Safety, City Imperial Beach and member of SEIU 221. “Every day, my coworkers and I are exposed to these hazardous conditions, which directly threaten our health and well-being. This bill aims to secure long-term funding for the cleanup of the Tijuana River Basin, ensuring that we can restore safety to our local environment and allow the public to once again enjoy places like Imperial Beach without fear of contamination."
"The Tijuana River watershed, home to over 370 bird species including five federally endangered species, stands as one of America's ten most endangered rivers due to toxic pollution that threatens both wildlife and human communities,” said Savannah Stallings, Conservation Advocacy Coordinator, San Diego Bird Alliance. “Senator Padilla's proposal to direct Otay Mesa East Port of Entry toll road funds toward river valley restoration offers hope for protecting this critical ecosystem that knows no borders. San Diego Bird Alliance endorses this vital initiative as an essential step toward safeguarding one of our region's most precious natural resources for generations to come."
SB 10 will be heard in the Senate in the coming months.
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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/