Sen. Alex Padilla joined local elected leaders Thursday to announce a bill intended to consolidate infrastructure projects in two border watersheds, including the Tijuana River. The bill, the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act of 2024, would place projects along the Tijuana River, as well as the New River in Imperial County, under the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency. … Additionally, the bill proposed Thursday would allow the EPA to manage the rivers through a water quality management plan within 180 days of its passing, require creation of a consensus list of projects and give the International Boundary and Water Commission more authority to address stormwater quality.

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