Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz Secures Federal Commitments on New River During Calexico Tour, Roundtable with EPA, USIBWC

CALEXICO, Calif. - Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25) today toured the New River alongside U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 Regional Administrator Mike Martucci and U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) Commissioner Chad McIntosh, before joining federal, state, and local partners for a public roundtable on the river's ongoing environmental and public health crisis.

During the tour, officials observed firsthand the conditions driving the New River's public health and environmental crisis: a strong odor, water discolored a visible green and stretches of accumulated trash creating an environmental hazard along the riverbanks. The observations align with preliminary results from USIBWC's binational water quality study, which show elevated bacteria, nutrients, trace elements, and organic chemicals in the river.

Following the tour, Congressman Ruiz continued the conversation with USIBWC, EPA, and local, state, and federal partners on binational funding responsibility for New River infrastructure, stronger oversight of ongoing projects, and the river's role in restoring the Salton Sea.

Participants pointed to binational cooperation on the Tijuana River as a model for the kind of high-level engagement needed on the New River. These discussions carried into the public roundtable at the City of Calexico's Fernando "Nene" Torres Council Chambers, where USIBWC, EPA, and local officials provided updates on the status of New River improvements on both sides of the border, agency collaboration, and the binational water sampling study.

"Today's tour and roundtable presentation with public comment about the New River is a demonstrable action and necessary part of the process to clean the New River. I am very thankful to USIBWC Commissioner Chad McIntosh and EPA Regional Administrator Mike Martucci for hosting this gathering. It is vital that local participation and input be considered. I'm going to keep pushing for federal action and investments to protect the health of people in the Imperial Valley, and I want my constituents to know I'm not letting this go until an immediate and long-term solution is implemented," said Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz (CA-25).

"We appreciate the involvement and support of U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz, M.D., and other stakeholders as we continue to work together to address the New River's binational challenges," USIBWC and EPA said in a joint statement released today.

During the meeting, stakeholders identified three priority action items to guide the New River effort going forward.

First, developing a clear EPA-USIBWC action plan and timeline, including progress on a modernized U.S.-Mexico Minute and Memorandum of Understanding, firm deadlines for Mexicali infrastructure projects, and public release of the binational water quality study.

Second, identifying recurring federal and state funding for operations, maintenance, and monitoring, including Proposition 4 opportunities, and evaluating whether the federal Border Water Infrastructure Program should be expanded to address stormwater, trash, and other currently restricted needs.

Third, establishing a formal role for Imperial County, the City of Calexico, public health officials, environmental organizations, and residents in the binational process, with regular public reporting on water quality results, infrastructure milestones, spill notifications, and public health outcomes.

Participants also secured a commitment for EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to visit the New River and agreed to reconvene in Washington, D.C. to formalize next steps.

Background: The New River Crisis

The New River originates roughly 20 miles south of Mexicali, Mexico and flows 65 miles through Imperial County into the Salton Sea, carrying raw sewage, industrial waste, pesticides, and agricultural runoff across the border. It is widely regarded as one of the most polluted rivers in North America, and residents near the river have long reported elevated rates of asthma, cancer, and other health conditions.

USIBWC and EPA work with Mexico to monitor water quality and address sanitation issues under binational agreements including Minute 264, with the USIBWC Yuma Field Office overseeing ongoing monitoring. The U.S. and Mexican Sections of IBWC collect water samples twice monthly, and a Binational Technical Committee, including EPA, USIBWC, the City of Calexico, Imperial County, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Mexican agencies, and the North American Development Bank, meets every other month to review infrastructure projects and water quality data.

Current priorities in Mexicali include rehabilitating and expanding the Las Arenitas and Zaragoza wastewater treatment plants; roughly $100 million has been invested by the U.S. and Mexico in Mexicali's collection system since 2007. A notification protocol formalized in 2023 alerts local agencies on both sides of the border to untreated wastewater spills. USIBWC conducted a Binational Water Quality Study from November 2024 to December 2025 with Mexico's CONAGUA; preliminary results show elevated bacteria, nutrients, trace elements, and organic chemicals, and a summary of the full study is expected to be released soon.

Through EPA's Border Water Infrastructure Program, which requires a full funding match from Mexico, the U.S. has invested roughly $44 million across seven Mexicali infrastructure projects since 2007, matched by approximately $65 million from Mexico. A $50 million expansion of the Las Arenitas Wastewater Treatment Plant is currently in development, intended to protect the New River from raw sewage spills by increasing the plant's treatment capacity.

Background: Congressman Ruiz's Continued Fight for the New River

Today's visit builds on years of sustained advocacy by Congressman Ruiz to bring federal resources and urgency to the New River:

• Congressman Ruiz has repeatedly introduced and co-sponsored federal legislation, including the Border Water Quality Restoration and Protection Act, a bipartisan and bicameral congressional initiative to combat severe, ongoing transboundary sewage, trash, and chemical pollution within the Tijuana River and New River watersheds along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• In April 2026, Congressman Ruiz pressed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment hearing on the FY2027 EPA budget, securing a commitment from the Administrator to visit the New River, engage with the binational water quality study, and apply the same federal response model used for the Tijuana River crisis to the New River.
• Congressman Ruiz has pushed for a modernized binational "Minute" agreement to replace Minute 264, which has not been updated since 1980 despite the river's continued decline, and has criticized proposed federal cuts to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund that would undercut cleanup efforts.
• On May 11, 2026, Congressman Ruiz convened a federal roundtable at the Hector Mario Esquer Building in Calexico with EPA Region 9 leadership, federal and state agencies, and Imperial County residents, who shared firsthand accounts of breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and cancer linked to the river.
• On August 10, 2026, the office joined a New River Roundtable hosted by the offices of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla and California State Senator Steve Padilla at Calexico City Hall, alongside the City of Calexico, Comité Cívico del Valle, Imperial Irrigation District, and Imperial County, to discuss the river's environmental and public health impacts, cross-border water quality challenges, and opportunities for continued binational and federal collaboration.
• California voters approved $50 million for border river cleanup through Proposition 4 in November 2024; the State Water Board finalized the rules for distributing that funding on April 22, 2026.
• Congressman Ruiz continues to support the FY27 Calexico Wastewater Treatment Plant Restoration/Rehabilitation Project and other local infrastructure priorities as part of a broader push for binational investment in the New River.

####