GreenLatinos Applauds New Biden- Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan

California - Today, the Biden Administration came out with the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. This plan would replace the flawed standard of testing and replacing lead pipes in the United States, getting the lead out of paint and other housing related health hazards, and creating jobs, by having 15 new actions from more than 10 federal agencies to ensure that the federal government is going to replace all lead pipes and remediate lead paint in the next decade.

In response to the proposed plan, Mariana Del Valle Prieto Cervantes, Water Equity and Ocean Program Director issued the following statement:

“ Millions of families and children are exposed to lead in our communities, causing critical public health issues, from brain damage to damaging fetus, infant and child development. While Latinos and other communities of color, including low-income communities, are disproportionately exposed to the risk of lead-contaminated drinking water– no one should have to live with the concern that their child is being exposed to this harmful element. We are excited to hear about the historic investments in replacing lead service lines as a good first investment.  We also appreciate the federal agency collaboration to remediate lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities, and the efforts by EPA to develop a proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvement rule, including prioritizing the replacement of all lead service lines, strengthening compliance tap sampling and prioritizing historically underserved communities. While there are many good major steps in this plan, we recognize that more needs to happen to ensure that all communities are without lead including more investment to replace lead pipes and stronger enforceable requirements. We hope to continue working with agencies to get the lead out!”

Mark Magaña, Founding President & CEO of GreenLatinos added:

“We believe that everyone has the fundamental human right to drink clean, healthy and affordable water, breathe fresh air and be provided with a healthy home for themselves and their children. The Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan is a good plan to finally get the lead out of our communities– from removing lead from our drinking water to removing lead-based paint in our homes. As stated in the plan, there is no known safe level of lead for our children and we are passed due to seriously addressing these wrongs done to our communities.  Millions of our households, schools and childcare centers are served by lead service lines, pipes or other fixtures and we look forward to partnering with federal agencies to ensure that these critical resources get to our communities.”

Here is more information on the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan:

• Collaborating with local, state, and federal partners to accelerate the replacement of lead pipes over the next decade;

• EPA allocating $3 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to states, Tribes, and Territories for lead service line replacement in 2022, and calling on states to prioritize underserved communities;

• EPA launching a new regulatory process to protect communities from lead in drinking water;

• Treasury clarifying that the $350 billion State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund provided in the American Rescue Plan can be used for lead service line and lead faucet and fixture replacements;

• EPA and DOL establishing regional technical assistance hubs to fast track lead service line removal projects in partnership with labor unions and local water agencies;

• HUD awarding grants to remove lead paint and other home health hazards in low-income communities to protect children and families;

• CDC closing gaps in childhood lead testing through the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program;

• HUD, USDA, and DOI committing to remove lead service lines and paint hazards in federally-assisted housing, including Tribal housing; and

• Establishing a new Cabinet Level Partnership for Lead Remediation in Schools and Child Care Centers.

GreenLatinos is an active comunidad of Latino/a/x leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.