Page 4 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 EPA announces partnerships with six Massachusetts cities to accelerate replacement of lead water pipes and protect public health O n Sept. 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced collaborations with the Cities of Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere and Taunton to help identify lead pipes that are used to deliver drinking water and accelerate their replacement to protect public health. These six Massachusetts cities are participating in the EPA’s Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative, a program funded entirely by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help move the nation toward achieving 100% lead service line replacement. The GLO Initiative will provide technical assistance to approximately 200 communities nationwide. “There is no safe level of lead exposure, and that’s why the Biden-Harris Administration is providing funding and technical assistance to help identify and replace lead service lines in Massachusetts and around the country,” said EPA Chief of Staff Dan Utech. “The Get the Lead Out Initiative is a big step towards the goal of 100% lead service line replacement in Massachusetts.” “Everyone deserves to have Malden and Revere to receive assistance The Bipartisan Infrastrucsafe, clean water in their homes, no matter where they live or how much they earn. With today’s announcement, we’re helping six communities in Massachusetts accelerate the replacement of lead pipes, protecting children and families from the harmful eff ects of lead exposure,” said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “This support, made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, helps to ensure that no community is left behind when it comes to accessing the resources needed to make that a reality.” Consuming lead in drinking water can cause serious health impacts, including irreversible harm to brain development in children. To protect children and families, the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests a historic $15 billion to replace lead pipes and deliver clean and safe drinking water, including over $50 million for Massachusetts just this year alone. RON’S OIL Call For PRICE MELROSE, MA 02176 NEW CUSTOMER’S WELCOME ACCEPTING VISA, MASTERCARD & DISCOVER (781) 397-1930 OR (781) 662-8884 100 GALLON MINIMUM ture Law also allocated another $11.7 billion to the General Supplemental Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which can be used for lead pipe replacement. However, many underserved communities lack the resources to plan for lead pipe replacement and access federal investments. The technical assistance provided through the GLO Initiative will help ensure that no community is left behind in the opportunity to replace lead pipes. Locally, under the GLO Initiative — to move quickly toward the goal of 100% lead-free pipes — EPA will support: • Malden will receive assistance with lead pipe identifi cation through field verifications and door-to-door eff orts to identify private service lines, along with excavation work. Additionally, Malden will also receive help developing a comprehensive community engagement plan aimed at improving outreach eff orts, encouraging customer participation and providing translation services for better community involvement. • Revere will receive support in identifying lead pipes through the development of a fi eld verifi cation plan and conducting excavations. Revere will also be assisted in creating a lead service line replacement plan and in community outreach by developing engagement materials, supporting public events and off ering translation services to reach as many residents as possible. What they are saying “Access to clean, safe drinking water is a basic human right. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re going to keep children and families safe by fi nding and replacing nearly 200,000 lead pipes across the Commonwealth, including in Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere, and Taunton,” said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. “It’s simple: every Massachusetts resident—regardless of their zip code—deserves access to safe, clean drinking water in their home, school, and place of work,” said U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey. “I am proud to have fought for the funding in the landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made the Get the Lead Out Initiative possible, and I won’t stop fi ghting until all Massachusetts communities with old building stock have achieved 100% lead service line replacement.” “We are grateful to the BidenHarris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which aff ords Malden the opportunity to participate in the EPA’s Get the Lead Out Initiative,” said Malden Mayor Gary Christenson. “The assistance we will receive to identify lead service lines and educate residents of the significant health hazard is critical in making sure that everyone in our community has clean, safe drinking water. We also thank EPA for their collaboration in these eff orts. It is these partnerships that will create healthier and safer environments for our residents.” “The City of Revere is committed to providing our residents with the safe, high quality drinking water they have always known and enjoyed. Our DPW teams have been working for the past several years to inventory every service line in the city — identifying and replacing lines with traces of lead at no cost to homeowners. We are taking an aggressive approach to our goal of 100% lead free and are grateful to have the EPA as partners in accelerating our progress with critical additional resources. This work is a great example of partnership across local, state and federal government to provide our residents with the services they deserve,” said Revere Mayor Patrick M. Keefe Jr. Background Signed in 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided a historic $50 billion investment in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, dedicating more than $15 billion to replacing lead service lines and another $11.7 billion to the General Supplemental Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. EPA is committed to ensuring every community, particularly underserved and disadvantaged communities, can access their fair share of this unprecedented investment through a robust portfolio of Water Technical Assistance programs, such as the GLO Initiative. As part of the Administration’s whole-of-government eff ort to tackle lead exposure, EPA will help communities remove the barriers to lead pipe replacement. Through GLO, EPA will develop tools and case studies to share information and best practices between the agency, state and Tribal programs, water system managers, and community leaders. More information For help on identifying lead service lines in your home, check out https://www.epa.gov/ ground-water-and-drinkingwater/protect-your-tap-quickcheck-lead-0, an online step-bystep guide. The guide also provides tips on actions to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, information on certifi ed laboratories for water testing, and resources to learn more.
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