(AGENPARL) – mer 09 ottobre 2024 Issued: Oct 8, 2024 (7:59am EDT)
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Biden-Harris Administration Protects Communities from Lead in Drinking Water,
Announces $24.9 Million in Funding to Delaware to Provide Clean Water to
Schools and Homes
EPA announces new final regulations and new funding under the Biden-Harris
Administration’s Investing in America agenda for clean drinking water
PHILADELPHIA  (October 8, 2024) – Today, the Biden-Harris Administration
issued a final rule requiring drinking water systems across the country to
identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years. The Lead and Copper Rule
Improvements (LCRI) also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a
lower threshold for communities to take action on lead in drinking water to
protect people from lead exposure. In addition, the final rule improves
communication within communities so that families are better informed about
the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes, and plans for
replacing them. This final rule is part of the President’s commitment to
replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade, making sure that all
communities can turn on the tap and drink clean water.  
Alongside the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, EPA is announcing $24.9
million in newly available drinking water infrastructure funding for Delaware
through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This funding will flow through the
drinking water state revolving funds (DWSRFs) and is available to support lead
pipe replacement and inventory projects. Additionally, 49% of the funding must
be provided to disadvantaged communities as grant funding or principal
forgiveness that does not have to be repaid. EPA is also announcing the
availability of $35 million in competitive grant funding for reducing lead in
drinking water. Communities are invited to apply directly for grant funding
through this program [insert link to grants.gov]. Additional federal funding
is available to support lead pipe replacement projects and EPA has developed a
website identifying available funding sources. 
EPA estimates that up to nine million homes are served through legacy lead
pipes across the country, many of which are located in lower-income
communities and communities of color, creating disproportionate lead exposure
burden for these families. Eliminating lead exposure from the air people
breathe, the water people drink, and the homes people live in is a crucial
component of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic commitment to
advancing environmental justice. 
The LCRI establish achievable, common-sense practices which have been
implemented by several states and cities. The public health and economic
benefits of the final rule are estimated to be more than ten times greater
than the costs, and together with new funding announced today under
Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, water systems
will be able to accelerate removal of lead pipes and create good-paying local
jobs in the process. 
“We’ve known for decades that lead exposure has serious long-term impacts
for children’s health. And yet, millions of lead service lines are still
delivering drinking water to homes,” said EPA Administrator Michael S.
Regan. “President Biden is putting an end to this generational public health
problem. With the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements and historic investments
in lead pipe replacement, the Biden-Harris Administration is fulfilling its
commitment that no community, regardless of race, geography, or wealth, should
have to worry about lead-contaminated water in their homes.”   
“Every step that brings us closer to being a country free of lead service
lines and reducing the threat of lead in our drinking water is a step worth
celebrating,” said Adam Ortiz, EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator.
“This once-in-a-generation funding will go a long way in upgrading the
infrastructure in the Mid-Atlantic Region, some of the oldest in the entire
country.” 
The science is clear: Lead is a potent neurotoxin and there is no safe level
of lead exposure, particularly for children. In children, lead can severely
harm mental and physical development, slow down learning, and irreversibly
damage the brain. In adults, lead can cause increased blood pressure, heart
disease, decreased kidney function, and cancer. If someone is impacted by lead
exposure, there is no known antidote, according to the Centers for Disease
Control. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements strengthen nationwide
requirements to protect children and adults from these significant and
irreversible health effects from lead in drinking water.  
Communities across the country have already begun to tackle lead pipes.  
Milwaukee Water Works is on track to replace all remaining lead pipes within
the EPA’s ten-year timeframe. In 2024 alone, Milwaukee received
approximately $30 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to replace
3,000 lead service lines.  
The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department has replaced nearly 10,000 lead
service lines since 2018, more than half of which were replaced in 2024. 
Cincinnati, Ohio, has passed an ordinance to develop a program aligned with
President Biden’s goal of removing all lead pipes. Since 2018, the Greater
Cincinnati Water Works has replaced over 6,000 lead service lines. 
The Erie, Pennsylvania Water Works has been working to remove lead pipes for
the past 20 years and anticipates removing 7,200 lead goosenecks by
2027.   
The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements will help protect millions of Americans
from exposure to lead in drinking water. EPA estimates that on average, every
year after the LCRI is issued it will:  
protect up to 900,000 infants from having low birthweight;  
prevent Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in up to 2,600
children;  
reduce up to 1,500 cases of premature death from heart disease;  
and prevent up to 200,000 IQ points lost in children.  
Investments in identifying lead pipes, planning for their removal, and
replacing them will create jobs in local communities while strengthening the
foundation of safe drinking water that supports economic opportunity. 
For more information about the final rule, including a pre-publication version
of the federal register notice and fact sheets, visit the rule webpage. 
Background 
EPA is taking a comprehensive approach to getting the lead out, including: 
Regulatory Framework. EPA’s final Lead and Copper Rule
Improvements follow the science and EPA’s authority under the Safe
Drinking Water Act to strengthen regulatory requirements to address lead in
drinking water. 
Funding. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $50 billion to support
upgrades to the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. This
includes $15 billion over five years dedicated to lead service line
replacement and $11.7 billion of general Drinking Water State Revolving Funds
that can also be used for lead service line replacement. There are a number
of additional pathways for systems to receive financial support for lead
service line replacement. These include billions available as low- to no-cost
financing through annual funding provided through the Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program and low-cost financing from the Water
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Funding may also be
available from other federal agencies, state, and local governments. These
efforts also advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative,
which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal
investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by
underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. 
Technical Assistance. EPA’s water technical assistance (WaterTA),
including the LSLR Accelerators and the Get the Lead Out Initiative, helps
communities identify lead services lines, develop replacement plans, and apply
for funding, including DWSRF funding,to get the lead out. 
Practical Implementation Tools. Through training, tools, webinars, and case
studies, EPA provides support to drinking water systems to reduce lead
exposure. 
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