After a monthslong delay, the Trump administration on Tuesday announced $3 billion in funding for states to remove and replace drinking water pipes made of lead, an important step toward reducing human exposure to the toxic heavy metal.
The administration also dramatically revised the federal government’s official estimate of how many lead pipes remain in use, concluding that there are only 4 million, down from the previous estimate of 9 million.
Lead is a neurotoxin that’s considered unsafe at any level. Until it was banned from new construction in the 1980s, the material was commonly used in pipes that deliver drinking water to homes, businesses and schools.
“This investment represents the EPA’s unwavering commitment to protecting America’s children from the dangers of lead exposure in their drinking water,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.
