The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced $26 million in funding, including $298,000 allocated for Maine, to protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities. This grant aims 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.
"Every person, every child, deserves safe and clean drinking water. As students, staff, and teachers start returning to classrooms across New England, no one should have to worry whether the water their loved one drinks at school or daycare is safe," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This funding for testing water taps at schools and childcare facilities will help ensure that every child in Maine can learn and grow in an environment free from the dangers of lead exposure. Coupled with the historic $15 billion investments under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and replace lead pipes, we're working together with our partners to protect the health of our communities and to ensure a future for all of our children that is safe and lead-free."
"Clean drinking water is essential to the success of Maine children, yet many public schools remain in need of pipe replacements and proper paint remediation to remove the potential for lead exposure," said U.S. Senator Susan Collins. "We know that no level of lead is safe, and exposure can have severe negative effects on a child's physical and educational development. As Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support investments that modernize drinking water infrastructure in Maine communities."
"When families drop a child off at school, they should be focused on homework and report cards — not whether their water fountains pose a health risk," said U.S. Senator Angus King. "Lead poisoning poses a serious health threat, especially for children who are still growing and developing. This grant from the EPA — a key component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will better protect our children's health and set them up to thrive. An investment in the health of our young people today is an investment in the future of our families and in Maine."
"The science is indisputable: there is no safe level of lead exposure, especially for our children," said U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree. "This federal funding coming to Maine is a critical step towards ensuring that our children, particularly those in schools and childcare centers, are protected from the harmful impacts of lead in their drinking water. As we've seen with our efforts to combat PFAS contamination, tackling these issues head-on is essential for the well-being of our state. Thanks to the unprecedented investments for clean drinking water in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure that every child in Maine can grow up in a safe and healthy environment."
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 this past week was authorized by the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act and is provided to 55 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 United States.
The grant program requires recipients to use the 3Ts – Training, Testing, Taking Action – to reduce lead in drinking water. The 3Ts Program provides valuable resources for states, territories, Tribes to take action on lead and protect children in early care settings.
EPA is also advancing its Get The Lead Out (GLO) initiative which partners with underserved communities nationwide providing technical assistance needed to identify/remove lead service lines.
The Biden-Harris Administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law dedicated an unprecedented $15 billion toward removing lead from drinking water aiming at delivering clean drinking water replacing pipes/remediating paint especially critical where children spend significant time like schools/childcare centers.
