Governor Signs Legislation to Protect Workers from Tijuana River Valley Pollution
SB 1046 ensures workers have appropriate training and protections when working outdoors in areas affected by the pollution
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed legislation by Sen. Catherine S. Blakespear, D-Encinitas, to protect workers from ongoing pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.
SB 1046 will set safety standards for lifeguards and park rangers exposed to hazardous, transboundary pollution that crosses the California-Mexico border. The Tijuana River transports millions of gallons of untreated wastewater, including sewage and industrial waste, from Tijuana into California every year. This decades-old problem has plagued the South Bay coastline with more than 1,300 consecutive days of beach closures.
“I thank the Governor for signing SB 1046, which ensures that lifeguards, park rangers and others forced to work outside in the Tijuana River Valley area are adequately protected,” Sen. Blakespear said. “The untreated wastewater pouring into the Tijuana River Valley has been an environmental nightmare for decades, and we need to protect any workers exposed to it.”
SB 1046 directs CalOSHA to develop workplace standards for minimizing exposure to transboundary pollution, including adopting requirements for personal protective equipment, hazard communication, incident reporting and trainings.
The guidelines are to be developed with input from communities exposed to the pollution as well as lifeguards, park rangers, local governments, labor unions, air districts and academic experts.
Research shows that pollutants from the Tijuana River’s contaminated water aerosolize, entering the air and causing health impacts in nearby communities. The contaminated air can contain high levels of hydrogen sulfide, a dangerous, odor-causing gas. Heavy rain and flooding, which has become increasingly common due to climate change, make it worse.
Exposure can result in gastrointestinal illness, skin infections and respiratory and neurological disorders. Workers in the Tijuana River Valley have experienced headaches, fatigue, nausea and bloody noses.
In December 2025, Sen. Blakespear held a joint state legislative hearing with the Senate Environmental Quality Committee‚ which she chairs‚ and the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee to explore the Tijuana River Valley pollution problem. Afterward, Sen. Blakespear visited a pollution “hot spot” in Imperial Beach.
In February this year, Sen. Blakespear participated in a roundtable discussion held by two federal agencies – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) – to better understand the problems created by the pollution and what can be done about them.
The measure, which passed the Legislature without opposition, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
SB 1046 is sponsored by SEIU. Sen. Blakespear worked closely with SEIU Local 221, which represents more than 13,000 workers in San Diego County, to develop the legislation.
Sen. Blakespear represents Senate District 38, which covers northern San Diego County and southern Orange County. To learn more about the district and Sen. Blakespear, visit her Senate website.
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