Vice President Kamala Harris addresses Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Michael Regan during an Accelerating Lead Pipe Replacement Summit at the White House on January 27, 2023. They will announce clean water investments in Pittsburgh on Tuesday. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI | License Photo
Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan will travel to Pennsylvania Tuesday to detail a $5.8 billion investment for clean water infrastructure.
On the visit to Pittsburgh Harris and Regan will stress that all families deserve access to clean, safe water, which the White House seeks to provide through the funding allotted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Advertisement
“Over two million people in America live without running water, tens of millions more lack access to safe and reliable drinking water and sanitation, and over nine million homes, daycares, and businesses receive their water through a toxic lead pipe,” the White House said.
“Due to decades of inequitable infrastructure development and underinvestment, lack of access to clean water disproportionately affects low-income and underserved communities.”
The clean water investment includes more than $3.2 billion through the Drinking Water State Recovery Fund to expand clean water access and more than $2.6 billion from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund for wastewater, sanitation and stormwater infrastructure improvements.
The EPA will also dedicate more than $1 billion to address the growing concerns over PFAS contaminants, so-called “forever chemicals.” Advertisement
“Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the administration has launched over 1,300 drinking water and wastewater projects across the country, including projects that will replace hundreds of thousands of lead service lines,” the White House said.
A study by The Guardian released in 2022 found that EPA tests missed large levels of PFAS pollutants. The chemical is widely used to repel water and stains and break down slowly over time. They can be found in shampoo, cosmetics, nonstick cookware, food packaging and clothing.
