There are concerns that EPA is distributing billions of dollars in the infrastructure law based on an outdated study that does not consider how many dangerous pipes each state has.
State officials and environmental advocates say some states could be shortchanged hundreds of millions in bipartisan infrastructure dollars to remove dangerous lead pipes because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has outdated information about the states’ needs.
“We’re super happy the money is there for lead service replacement, but the allocation formula doesn’t adequately reflect where the needs are,” said Donald Jodrey, federal government relations director for the Alliance for the Great Lakes, in an interview.
The issue was also raised by Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing last week on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s funding of drinking water programs.
Route Fifty
By Kery Murakami
APRIL 8, 2022