Otay Mesa East Toll Facility Act: toll revenues.

Senator Padilla's legislation expands the permitted uses of toll revenues from the Otay Mesa East facility to address longstanding sewage treatment challenges along the California-Mexico border. The measure allows the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to direct toll funds toward maintaining the South Bay International Boundary and Water Commission sewage treatment facility and developing additional sanitation infrastructure for the Tijuana River, provided these expenditures align with federal agreements.

The bill establishes a hierarchy for toll revenue allocation, explicitly prioritizing bond repayment obligations ahead of other uses. Existing authorized expenditures remain in place, including facility construction and maintenance, toll collection systems, administrative costs capped at 3% of revenues, and transportation improvements along the corridor. The legislation preserves SANDAG's ability to reimburse federal, state and local agency costs related to the facility's operations.

According to the bill's findings, the South Bay treatment plant currently processes up to 25 million gallons of wastewater daily but requires critical repairs due to increased flows. The International Boundary and Water Commission reports that 100 billion gallons of untreated sewage entered the Tijuana River over the past five years. While recent federal appropriations provided $456 million for facility expansion, the bill's authors note no dedicated funding source exists for ongoing maintenance operations.