(AGENPARL) – gio 22 agosto 2024 Biden-Harris Administration Announces $191,000 in Grants to Protect Children from Lead in Drinking Water at Schools and Childcare Facilities in New Mexico
DALLAS, TEXAS (August 22, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $191,000 in funding for New Mexico to protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities. This grant funding will be used by 55 states and territories and the District of Columbia to reduce lead exposure where children learn and play while advancing the goals of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.
In children, lead can severely harm mental and physical development, slowing down learning, and irreversibly damaging the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer.
The funding announced was authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and is provided to states, the District of Columbia, and participating territories as grants for lead testing and remediation in schools and childcare facilities. Since 2019, the Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant has provided over $150 million in funding to conduct testing and removal of lead sources in drinking water in schools and childcare facilities across the U.S.
Background
The Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dedicated an unprecedented $15 billion to removing lead from drinking water. This funding can be used to deliver on the White House’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan by encouraging federal, state, and local governments to use every tool to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, and remediate lead paint. It is especially critical to make improvements to places where children spend significant time such as schools, childcare centers, family childcare centers, preschools, and Head Start programs.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law builds on successful programs like the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act’s Grant Programs to bring more benefits to communities across the country.
______________________
Environmental Protection Agency, 1201 Elm Street, Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75270 United States