The Long Journey to Rejuvenating the Public Health Concern: The Challenge of Lead Pipe Replacement in the United States and the U.S.
“Folks, there has never been more federal funding available to remove lead pipes,” Regan said. There is an effort by Republicans and Democrats. There have been people on both sides of the aisle who have called for the removal of lead service lines. The largest source of lead exposure in the US is those service lines.
President Joe Biden is scheduled to travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, today to hype up the new drinking water rule and funding announcement. The city has been able to meet the EPA’s new deadline of replacing lead pipes in a decade instead of 60 years. According to the EPA, it received $30 million to replace 3,400 lead service lines.
Reply to the Biden Question: Making Sure the EPA Lead Pipes Require a Statewide Action for Children’s Health
But no level of lead exposure is considered safe. Lead exposure raises the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other health issues in adults. Being exposed to lead can also affect brain development in children, potentially lowering IQ and leading to behavioral changes like difficulty concentrating. If people store lead in their bodies, they could expose a fetus to the toxic metal.
“EPA’s action today is a leap forward in protecting the health of tens of millions of Americans from this scourge,” said Erik Olson, a health and food expert at the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Folks, what is a government for if it cannot protect the public health?” Biden inquired about a crowd of union members at a cavernous Department of Public Works warehouse. There are 5 lead pipes in the city according to the EPA.
“We’re finally addressing an issue that should’ve been addressed a long time ago in this country,” he said. “We are showing up as a partner to get it done.”
The EPA estimates the stricter standard will prevent up to 900,000 infants from having low birth weight and avoid up to 1,500 premature deaths a year from heart disease.
The agency is helping communities comply with the law by making more money available for drinking water infrastructure. The agency will award $35 million in grants to help reduce lead in drinking water.
The 10-year period won’t start for three years, giving water utilities time to prepare. A limited number of cities with large volumes of lead pipes may be given a longer timeframe to meet the new standard.
The EPA rule is notworkable, underfunded and unnecessary, as was stated by fifteen Republican attorneys general. The GOP officials are worried that homeowners might have to pay to replace pipe sections under their property because Congress didn’t authorize it. Federal grants worth billions of dollars will help communities replace their pipes, the EPA said, but cost decisions ultimately are up to local utilities.
Where are the lead pipes? How does it get there and how can you find them? Comment on Regan, Schwartz, and BlandConduit
Regan said the benefits of the rule far outweigh the costs. He said that they did it in a legal way supported by the science.
Another hurdle is finding the lead pipes. Initial pipe inventories are due this month, and many cities have said they don’t know what substances their pipes are made of. Without knowing their location, it is hard to efficiently replace them, according to Eric Schwartz, co-founder of BlueConduit, a company formed in response to the Flint crisis that helps cities find their lead pipes.