U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced an initiative to accelerate lead pipe replacement in Pennsylvania.
The Lead Service Line Replacement Accelerators initiative was announced during the recent White House event. The Jan. 27 summit was attended by EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan, Vice President Kamala Harris and state and local leaders from across the country, according to an EPA news release.
"The science is clear — there is no safe level of exposure to lead," Regan said in the news release. "EPA is committed to partnering with states and communities to protect children and families and ensure our nation's drinking water pipes are lead-free."
The initiative demonstrates EPA's "commitment to ensuring every community has access to safe, clean drinking water," Regan said before referring to legislation signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, the release reported.
"By leveraging the historic investment made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are moving one step closer to achieving President Biden's vision of 100% lead-free water systems for all," Regan said in the release.
The initiative aims to provide technical assistance to underserved communities in the U.S., help them access funding to replace lead pipes and reduce health risks posed by lead exposure to families and children. The White House summit also marked the one-year anniversary of the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan, according to the release.
"Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to clean air and pure water, but far too many communities here in Pennsylvania suffer from old and outdated lead pipes that endanger the health of our children and families," Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said in the news release. "My administration is ready to work with President Biden, Vice President Harris and our federal partners to make life-saving investments that will deliver clean drinking to families across the commonwealth, especially in communities that have been left behind for too long.
"Working with our federal partners, we can rebuild our infrastructure, create good-paying jobs and guarantee that constitutional right holds for all Pennsylvania, regardless of their zip code," Shapiro added, according to the release.
