Ras Baraka Praises Biden-Harris Lead Pipe And Paint Action Plan

Newark NJ

17 December, 2021

10:58 AM

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NEWARK, NJ —Newark Mayor Ras Baraka on Thursday expressed the city's support of the Biden-Harris Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan, which was proposed by the administration earlier in the day. The plan is designed to remove lead pipes and paint and deliver clean drinking water to communities nationwide. Baraka and his administration also highlighted the steps Newark has taken to protect residents against toxins in their drinking water, including replacing nearly all its 23,000 lead service lines, which had tainted the drinking water, with copper pipes. Under the Biden-Harris plan, which was introduced by Vice President Harris in Washington D.C., 10 federal agencies would be committed to 15 new actions that replace lead pipes in American cities over the next several years. The priority will be removing those pipes from homes, schools, childcare centers and playgrounds. One of the key components of the plan, is for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to remove lead paints and other home health hazards in low-income communities to protect children and families. "Today at the national level, President's Biden's investment will assuredly protect and safeguard the lives of present and future generations of Americans, especially older communities like Newark, which suffer from a disproportionate amount of lead pipes, lead paint and the health issues they create," Baraka said. "I commend our president and Vice President Harris on their leadership on this issue and urge the Congress to pass this legislation swiftly." The Biden-Harris plan announced additional sources of funding for lead service line replacement and water and sanitation infrastructure, which builds on the $350 billion provided in the American Rescue Plan for states, localities and Tribes to utilize for lead pipes and the replacement of faucets and fixtures inside schools and child-care facilities. "Here's the truth, and it's a hard truth: Millions of people in our country, many of them children, are still exposed to lead every day," Harris said at the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations in Washington, according to CNN. "The science is clear about what drinking water from a lead pipe can do to the human body. For adults, it can cause an increase in blood pressure and decreased kidney function. In children, it can severely harm mental and physical development. It can stunt growth, slow down learning and cause irreparable damage to the brain." Kareem Adeem, Newark's water and sewer utilities director, joined Harris at the announcement Thursday and called it a privilege to witness the administration's commitment to the issue. "Since we began our lead removal program in 2019, Newark has removed more than 22,000 such lines at no cost to property owners, and made $190 million in improvements to our system to monitor, maintain, and enhance its quality." In a release, the city of Newark explained some of the steps it had taken in order to carry out its lead pipe replacement program, including: Working with the state legislature to allow the city to use public funds on private property for the purpose of replacing lead service lines.Passing a city ordinance allowing the replacement of lead service lines without the homeowner's permission because tracking down landlords would have slowed the process and left some homes undone.Securing a $120 million bond—thanks to Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo's willingness to use the county's AAA bond rating — allowing Newark to accelerate the project.