WASHINGTON: States, Native American tribes and US territories will receive $7.4 billion in 2022 to improve water quality and access, the first installment from the infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed into law last month, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. said on Thursday.
The law promises $50 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure over five years, with $15 billion allocated for the removal of lead pipes and $10 billion in cookware, carpets, firefighting foam and other products frequently used. Allocated to address pollution from the toxic chemicals used.
The federal government can’t decide how that money is spent, but the EPA says it is urging governors, mayors and other local administrators to prioritize sending money to historically underserved communities, Those who have been facing challenges in accessing clean water for a long time.
It’s no secret who needs those resources most, said EPA Administrator Michael Regan, who recently visited the low-income, largely minority communities in the South that faced problems of industrial pollution and water scarcity. has tolerated.
Of the $7.4 billion given to states, tribes and territories, $2.9 billion will help pay for the replacement of lead pipes and service lines, and $866 million in water per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants. are to be addressed.
Sometimes called forever chemicals, PFASs have been found in public drinking water systems and private wells. In October, the EPA said it was working toward setting limits on PFAS in drinking water and requiring manufacturers whose products contain the chemicals to disclose how toxic they are.
The Biden administration initially proposed investing $45 billion as part of a bipartisan infrastructure deal to eliminate every lead pipe and service line in the country. At the time, water experts said it was a realistic estimate of how much it would cost to drain and remove pipes thought to remain underground. For decades, lead pipes have posed a threat to contaminated water in schools and homes.
Still, experts say the $15 billion included in the final version provides a historic opportunity to address the problem.
After the bill passed in November, Environment America’s senior attorney John Rumpler said, it gives us a third of there …
He said there would be a concerted effort by local officials and community activists and state agencies to ensure that this money is used as effectively as possible.
The EPA said that of the $50 billion for water in the infrastructure deal, about $44 billion will go through state revolving funds, which are low-interest loans to cities, counties and utilities to invest in water and sanitation infrastructure. were established as a way to provide.
A recent report by University of Michigan researchers found that smaller communities and people with greater racial diversity were less likely to receive funding from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, according to an analysis of national and state-level data between 2011 and 2020.
They also found that communities with lower median household incomes were somewhat more likely to receive wealth.
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