Democrats introduced legislation Thursday directing EPA to develop a new water management program for the San Diego-Mexico border, where the scourge of sewage pollution has drawn bipartisan complaints.
The “Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act” would make EPA the lead coordinator for water infrastructure projects in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds. It would direct EPA to create a water quality program for the region similar to existing programs for the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes and other aquatic ecosystems to encourage restoration and local partnerships.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff of California and Cory Booker of New Jersey, along with Democratic Reps. Juan Vargas of California and Scott Peters of California, seeks to curb the flow of sewage and industrial pollution from Mexico into San Diego communities like Imperial Beach.
In recent years, the city has experienced more than 1,000 consecutive days of beach closures due to Tijuana sewage pollution, which has been blamed for sickening Navy SEALs who train in nearby coastal waters.
