The U.S. EPA announced $2.6 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve drinking water infrastructure. This includes nearly $25 million for Maine. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat from Maine’s 1st Congressional District, praised the Biden-Harris administration Tuesday for a new rule requiring states to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years.
As a ranking member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, which oversees the Environmental Protection Agency, Pingree, along with fellow Democratic U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, has long pushed for such a rule.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure of children to lead can lead to long term health impacts, such as damage to the brain and nervous system and slowed growth and development.
“Nearly 40 years after lead pipes were banned in the U.S., we’re finally taking the necessary steps to ensure that all outdated systems and pipes are replaced—including right here in Maine,” Pingree said in a news release Tuesday.
The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements will also require more testing for drinking water, a lower threshold for taking action for potential lead exposure in water, and better communication with communities about the risks of lead in drinking water and plans to remediate.
With those changes, the EPA announced $2.6 billion in funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve drinking water infrastructure. This includes nearly $25 million for Maine.
“Once again, the transformative Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering real, tangible benefits to the people of Maine — and citizens across the country,” Pingree added.
The 1926 Maine Plumbing Code includes a ban on lead service lines starting at that time. Currently, the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention is completing an inventory of service lines to determine which ones have lead and need to be replaced. Those inventories must be submitted by Oct. 16.
In March, Pingree reintroduced bipartisan legislation to provide grants for water testing and treatment technology to individuals and nonprofits in rural communities. Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins introduced the same Healthy Drinking Water Affordability Act (Healthy H2O Act) in the Senate.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.