Lawmakers call for federal action on Tijuana River pollution crisis

Sen Alex Padilla visited the Tijuana River Valley region in June to advocate for improved sewage remedy File photo courtesy of Sen Alex Padilla California lawmakers on Thursday re-introduced the Margin Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act to combat ongoing contamination from the Tijuana River San Diego Democrats Juan Vargas and Scott Peters introduced the bill in the House of Representatives Two fellow members of San Diego s House delegation Sara Jacobs and Mike Levin are cosponsors on the bill along with Rep Raul Ruiz D-La Quinta On the Senate floor both California senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff introduced the bill This is an environmental problem a general medical emergency and an economic dilemma for San Diegans The federal regime should treat it as such Peters mentioned in a press release This is not the first time the bill has surfaced as a piece of bicameral decree It was introduced in and again in However the reintroduction comes just after officers issued results from the Centers for Affection Control s survey of how people near the dividing line felt about the Tijuana River garbage predicament and its effects on them Roughly of people surveyed commented they were concerned about beach water quality and another cited concerns over the Tijuana River s quality Lastly of respondents had concerns over the cleanliness of their drinking water In an effort to more effectively deal with the waste dilemma the new bill leans on the Environmental Protection Agency to step up The Dividing line Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act would establish the EPA as the lead agency coordinating efforts between federal state tribal and local agencies to deal with toxicity The bill also would establish an EPA Geographic Campaign that would implement a water quality management undertaking within days of the bill s passing The EPA already has Geographic Programs that protect local ecosystems through water quality improvement habitat restoration and environmental mentoring It s absolutely critical that we have a streamlined response from the federal regime But right now there is no one agency in charge of addressing the litter There are too a great number of cooks in the kitchen Our bill would eventually change that Vargas mentioned The bill is backed by local cities including San Diego and Coronado Imperial County Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre an incoming county supervisor the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and more