HR4357-119

What This Bill Does

The Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act builds a federal framework for transboundary sewage, stormwater, and pollution problems in the Tijuana River and New River watersheds. For the Tijuana River, EPA must establish a Tijuana River Public Health and Water Quality Restoration Program within 180 days, designate a qualified Program Director, consult federal, state, Tribal, local, public, nonprofit, and regional stakeholders, and develop an action plan that incorporates the July 1, 2022 U.S.-Mexico statement of intent and USMCA contaminated transboundary-flow projects. EPA may provide grants, technical assistance, interagency agreements, and North American Development Bank or similar grant-management arrangements for priority projects, with annual budget plans and biennial implementation reports. The bill creates a parallel California New River Public Health and Water Quality Restoration Program, action plan, grant authority, annual budget plan, and biennial reporting structure for New River pollution affecting Calexico, the Imperial Valley, Mexicali, and the Salton Sea. Title III creates a United States-Mexico border water infrastructure program for eligible drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, natural infrastructure, reuse, and recycling projects within 100 kilometers of the border that address human health or ecological issues and have an effect in the United States. Title IV lets the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission study, design, construct, operate, and maintain projects for the Tijuana and New River watersheds, directs the Secretary of State acting through the Commissioner to construct U.S. priority projects with available funds, and authorizes agreements with Mexico for joint study, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.

Who Benefits and How

Imperial Beach and San Diego communities benefit from EPA-led Tijuana River projects addressing sewage, trash, sediment, bacteria, and stormwater flows. Calexico and Imperial Valley communities benefit from a New River program focused on water reuse, recycling, green infrastructure, and public-health outcomes. Tribal governments, local governments, water districts, nonprofits, and universities benefit from eligibility for grants and technical assistance. The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve and New River watershed ecosystems benefit from priority water-quality restoration projects.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Environmental Protection Agency must establish two geographic programs, action plans, grant criteria, budget materials, and biennial reports. The U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission must study, design, construct, operate, and maintain priority border-water projects. The President must include current-year, budget-year, and five-outyear project estimates in annual budget submissions. Mexican federal, state, and municipal water agencies may need to coordinate on eligible projects and joint agreements with U.S. authorities.

Key Provisions

• Creates Tijuana River and California New River public-health and water-quality restoration programs within EPA.
• Requires action plans, priority project lists, grants, technical assistance, interagency agreements, annual budget plans, and biennial reports.
• Authorizes a United States-Mexico border water infrastructure program for eligible drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, reuse, recycling, and green-infrastructure projects.
• Provides U.S. IBWC Commissioner authority and State Department-led Mexico agreements for project study, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.