The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced collaboration and technical assistance at Chelsea City Hall last Friday for the cities of Chelsea, Fall River, Malden, Melrose, Revere and Taunton to help identify and replace lead drinking water pipes accelerate to protect public health.
Courtesy of the photo
City Manager Fidel Maltez speaks during the EPA announcement
Last Friday at Chelsea Town Hall.
These six Massachusetts cities are participating in the EPA's “Get the Lead Out” initiative, a program funded entirely by the Biden-Harris administration's bipartisan infrastructure bill to help bring the country to 100 percent renewal of the main supply lines.
During the event, Chelsea City Manager Fidel Maltez was joined by EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash, EPA Chief of Staff Dan Utech, State Executive Office of Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Under Secretary for Environmental Justice and Equity Maria Belen Power . Monica Elias Orellana, director of health equity and mobility at GreenRoots, and Kiera Alventosa, environmental health organizer at Clean Water Action.
“We are extremely grateful that Chelsea was selected to receive critical support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to expedite the identification of lead pipes in our community,” Maltez said. “Chelsea is proud to be one of the first to offer a comprehensive lead pipe replacement policy and has made remarkable progress in advancing this important initiative. EPA’s contribution represents a significant boost for a city our size, and we are committed to working with federal partners to strengthen our efforts to ensure all residents have access to clean and safe drinking water.”
Maltez said the health of the community is of utmost importance.
“We know that the consumption of lead in drinking water can have devastating effects, especially for our children,” Maltez said. “That’s why, in 2018, Chelsea was one of the first to introduce a comprehensive lead pipe replacement policy. This policy requires the city to completely replace any plumbing found in construction that contains lead.”
Although Chelsea has replaced about 300 pipes in the last five years, there are up to 1,500 unknown water service pipes that need to be addressed, Maltez said. He said the partnership with the EPA will allow the city to significantly accelerate its efforts.
“Chelsea is a dynamic community with residents from all walks of life,” Maltez said. “This means that one-off communication efforts are not enough. We must be consistent and proactive in our engagement. “EPA’s partnership will help us create a sustainable outreach plan to ensure all residents have access to lead pipe replacement information and support.”
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