American authorities announced on Thursday that they plan to replace all lead pipes in the country within 10 years to protect the population from possible water pollution, which is particularly dangerous for the health of children.
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President Joe Biden’s administration had already set a goal of removing all of these pipes, but the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new regulatory proposal sets a binding horizon this time.
In 2014, lead-contaminated water in the city of Flint represented one of the worst public health scandals in recent years in the United States.
Up to approximately 10 million American households still get their tap water through lead pipes. African Americans and other minorities and low-income people are disproportionately affected and often live in older homes.
“President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris believe everyone should turn on the tap and know that the glass of water they pour themselves is safe to drink,” White House environmental manager Brenda Mallory said in a statement.
In 2021, Joe Biden’s big infrastructure modernization plan included $15 billion in funding to replace lead pipes and develop a national inventory of them.
Experts say no level of lead exposure is completely safe. It can seriously affect children’s physical and mental development. In adults, it can cause high blood pressure, heart problems, kidney problems and cancer.
This new regulation, which must undergo a mandatory public debate before its final adoption, “is an essential response to a health crisis that has been ongoing for more than a century,” responded Suzanne Novak, environmental lawyer, in a press release from the Earthjustice association.