The EPA estimates that nine million homes in the U.S. have lead pipes.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/20665840

President Biden on Tuesday announced $2.6 billion in funding to replace all lead pipes in the United States as part of a new EPA rule that will require lead pipes to be identified and replaced within 10 years using the new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

    • TheTechnician27@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      232·
      1 month ago

      It’s not supposed to cover the entire thing. Actual estimates for the whole thing are at $20 to $30 billion. This is just the latest round of funding for the pipe replacement, not the entire thing. The Biden administration has secured $15 billion in funding for lead pipe replacement to date.

      The article posted above reads: “The $2.6 billion is the latest disbursement by the Biden administration for lead pipes in the $50 billion from the 2021 infrastructure law for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.” But you decided to read one paragraph in (which could I guess be further than average) and write a long-winded outraged comment that it isn’t enough.

        • TheTechnician27@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          272·
          1 month ago

          I don’t support Israel’s genocide in Gaza either or the Biden administration’s ongoing support of it (I think all of that military aid should be going to Ukraine instead, for starters), but you really just shitted up the thread by deciding that reading past the first paragraph was too hard, went off on an unrelated whataboutism tangent, and then when it was pointed out you were wrong, you decided to be a snarky, immature jackass about it instead of just saying “oh, okay”.

                • _bcron_@lemmy.worldEnglish
                  131·
                  1 month ago

                  But you think it’s uplifting the American public is being lied to a month before the election with a promise that has 0% chance of coming true?

                  Fiscal Year 2025 started October 1st, Congress approved a stop gap so they can continue appropriations. You think a president shouldn’t announce anything or do anything in the months leading up to an election?

                  Also, it’s lead pipes. We don’t use them anymore. Every pipe replaced is a step forward. Biden just announced a deadline.

                  They’ve been consistently disbursing funds for this and this time is no different. Here’s last May’s news : https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-announces-3-billion-lead-pipe-replacement-advance-safe

                • TheTechnician27@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
                  122·
                  1 month ago

                  Oh, I think I understand now: you think that $15 billion is all there is and ever can be because you don’t understand that “a decade” is 10 years and consequently that the EPA has time to get more funding for this over a period of – again – 10 years.

                  Since I know reading is hard for you, here’s something to enhance your comprehension of that $15 billion figure: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/so_far

                  Edit: and you never answered: where on god’s green Earth is 700 million coming from? Milwaukee? Because that’s one city, and cities have different amounts of lead pipes.

    • ricecake@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      20·
      1 month ago

      The program has been going on for decades. The Feds put money in a big account the EPA manages that gives grants and loans to areas that need it to get the process completed faster.
      As loans get repaid over the years, the money is leant out again. Most areas have enough income to afford the project, but not enough cash on hand to afford to pay all at once.

      This is the first batch of additional money being added to the fund along with a mandate that the problem be resolved in a fixed timeframe.

      Currently the fund has used about $20billion to provide $40billion in upgrades over nearly 30 years.

      https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-issues-final-rule-requiring-replacement-lead-pipes-within

      Funding: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $50 billion to support upgrades to the nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. This includes $15 billion over five years dedicated to lead service line replacement and $11.7 billion of general Drinking Water State Revolving Funds that can also be used for lead service line replacement. There are a number of additional pathways for systems to receive financial support for lead service line replacement. These include billions available as low- to no-cost financing through annual funding provided through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program and low-cost financing from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Funding may also be available from other federal agencies, state, and local governments. These efforts also advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.