EPA Announces New Lead Pipe Replacement Accelerators
On Jan 27, 2023 the EPA announced the launch of a new lead pipe replacement accelerator program.
According to a press release issued by the EPA, the Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) Accelerators, will provide hands-on support to guide communities through the process of lead service line removals, from start to finish. This will include support in developing lead service line replacement plans, conducting inventories to identify lead pipes, increasing community outreach and education efforts, and supporting applications for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. As a result, more communities will be able to access their fair share of federal funds to secure a lead-free future.
Additionally, the EPA asserts that partnership is essential for success of the LSLR Accelerators initiative. Currently, the EPA is collaborating with Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin at the launch of this program. The initiative will support these states in more strategically deploying funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) for lead service line replacements while developing best practices and creative approaches that can serve as a roadmap for the rest of the country. As this program moves forward, EPA and the Department of Labor will collaborate to provide tools aimed at increasing job quality standards, equity, and resources to accelerate the development of the skilled water workforce needed to undertake these community and system-wide lead service line replacement programs.
In the press conference below, Mayor Christopher Taylor, Ann Arbor, MI speaks to the efforts made in Ann Arbor to replace lead pipes in the city. Equity and community engagement are at the forefront of their lead service line replacements to ensure that rollouts happen in best way possible. He anticipates that all lead pipes will be replaced in the city within the next seven years. The panel with Mayor Taylor and others begins at timestamp 1:00:00.
Watch the press conference below to learn more.
