In a bid to turn the tide on water safety, the Biden administration has announced a $3 billion investment to improve communities' drinking water systems nationwide, according to The Washington Post.
This investment is part of the broader Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is set to provide $15 billion over five years. The primary goal is to modernize the country's infrastructure and eradicate lead pipes, which have long posed a silent threat to public health.
Lead is dangerous even at small levels of exposure, causing problems like developmental delays and learning difficulties. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there's no safe level of lead exposure.
The urgency of this initiative is highlighted by events like the Flint water crisis, which happened 10 years ago and showed just how serious lead contamination can be. Despite efforts to address the issue, there are still around 9 million lead pipes across the country, posing a risk to many communities.
This investment is just another in the string of recent commitments the Biden administration has made. Notably, the government has protected over 10 million acres of Alaska's North Slope from oil development, canceled drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and allocated $7 billion for the creation of "hydrogen hubs" across the country, which are expected to generate thousands of jobs and promote clean energy.
Additionally, $16 billion has been allocated for upgrading the Northeast Corridor rail network, aiming to improve safety, speed, and reliability while contributing to pollution reduction.
In this initiative, President Biden has set an ambitious goal to replace every lead pipe in the country within the next decade. This new funding is a big step toward reaching that goal and ensuring that everyone has access to clean, safe drinking water.
Erik Olson, a senior strategic director for health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council, emphasized the monumental scale of the investment, stating: "It's the biggest investment in U.S. history for water infrastructure and the biggest investment in U.S. history for lead pipe removal." However, he cautioned that this may not suffice, adding: "There's still going to need to be additional funding."
Still, the EPA's proposed rule requiring water utilities to inventory and replace lead pipes provides a roadmap for moving forward. Lead pipes, once popular for their low cost and flexibility, now pose a serious health risk due to corrosion, marking them as relics of the past.
Overall, this $3 billion investment is a big step forward, and it's a reminder that even small changes can make a big difference in protecting public health.
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