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Bill to Combat Lead in Drinking Water Before
Congress
WASHINGTON, DC,,
May 6, 2004 (ENS) - New legislation jointly introduced in the U.S. House
and Senate would overhaul and strengthen the federal rules governing lead
testing and standards in the nation's public water systems. The bills have
been written in response to high lead levels in the drinking water systems
of Washington, DC and Boston - and to increasing concern that the current
system for ensuring the safety of public water supplies is insufficient.
"It is time to get the lead
out of our pipes, out of our water, out of our families and out of our
lives," said Senator James Jeffords, a Vermont Independent and a cosponsor
of the Senate bill. "Safe drinking water is not a privilege, it is a
right."
In drinking water systems,
lead is found in some service lines and pipes in distribution systems, in
solder, and in plumbing fixtures. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) estimates that some 20 percent of lead exposure comes from lead in
drinking water.
At a Congressional hearing
last month, EPA officials said the agency lacks current information on
lead levels from 78 percent of the nation's public drinking water systems
and has no data from as many as 20 states.
The new bill - the
"Lead-Free Drinking Water Act of 2004" would call on the EPA to reevaluate
and strengthen the rules for lead in drinking water within 18 months. It
would tighten water testing and treatment requirements - the bill would
force utilities to monitor for lead contamination every six months.
The bill would authorize
$200 million annually in federal funding for lead service line
replacements and would expedite that replacement.
In addition it would
require better notification for residents when a water system has high
lead levels and increased water testing and lead remediation in schools
and day-care centers nationwide.
Jeffords introduced the
bill at a press conference Tuesday with Maryland Democratic Senator Paul
Sarbanes, along with California Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman and
Washington D.C. Democratic Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
"It is time to get the lead
out of our pipes, out of our water, out of our families and out of our
lives," said Jeffords. "We hope to move this bill this year."
The Vermont Independent
said he will try and attach the bill to water infrastructure legislation
slated for consideration later this month by the Senate Environment and
Public Works Committee.
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