Permit approved and funding declared to clean up California toxic river

Months after San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency to address the toxic sewage and fumes at the Tijuana River, Newsom said the state is sending over another $46 million to address the crisis.

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The sewage at the Tijuana River has been an ongoing problem for decades, but it recently broke records for the amount of hydrogen sulfide gas that it’s releasing into the area, causing residents in the South Bay area of San Diego to suffer from migraines along with respiratory, heart and neurological problems. It has also closed the beach in Imperial Beach for over 1,000 days, crippling the area’s businesses and tourism economy. 

In a news release, the governor’s office said the $46 million is coming from Proposition 4. Approved by voters in 2024, the ballot initiative yielded “a general obligation bond that will yield $10 billion for a variety of climate resilience, water, and natural resource management programs,” according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The $46 million is in addition to the $38 million that the state has been using to address the crisis since 2019. 

“People in San Diego County shouldn’t have to worry about getting sick, losing access to their beaches, and living with polluted air,” Newsom said in a news release. 

Government officials have scrimmaged over who is responsible for cleaning up the sewage, which is so widespread that it can be seen from space. In April, Aguirre, a champion of this issue whose supervisorial district covers the affected area, called out Newsom on social media and asked why he had not declared a state of emergency. 

Aguirre thanked Newsom and said residents in her district have waited long enough for a long-lasting solution.

“I appreciate the Governor’s attention and commitment to addressing the cross-border pollution crisis and welcome the availability of these funds to combat this emergency,” Aguirre said in a statement. “The priority now is simple: let’s get the money to the Tijuana River Valley and get it there fast. 

Newsom has long maintained that, because the river is a transnational issue shared with Mexico, declaring a state of emergency would be moot. In the news release, the governor said he traveled to Washington, D.C., in May to ask Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin to follow through on addressing the crisis.

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“California has stepped up repeatedly, but we can’t solve a decades-long federal failure on our own,” Newsom said in the release. “The Trump administration must do its part, honor its commitments, and finally deliver the lasting solutions this community deserves, and they have a moral obligation to provide.”

The EPA told SFGATE in April that the Trump administration’s memorandum of understanding, issued in July 2025, and Minute No. 333, issued in December 2025, have accelerated timelines to clean up the river by 12 years. The EPA also followed through on a 100-day expansion of the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant to prevent 10 million gallons of raw sewage per day from entering U.S. waters. The EPA did not immediately comment on Newsom’s most recent statement. 

On Wednesday, the California Coastal Commission also approved a permit for a temporary pipe extension to address damaged infrastructure that has worsened conditions at the hot spot near Saturn Boulevard in the South Bay. The temporary solution is set to drastically reduce air contaminants. 

“The approval of the Saturn Boulevard permit is far more than just an infrastructure improvement; it is a crucial step toward cleaning up the air we breathe at a major hotspot,” Aguirre said in a news release. “By advancing this project, the Commission is sending a powerful message that chronic environmental injustices deserve fast-acting solutions.”