As Washington politicians debate the specifics of the infrastructure, families across the country are crying out for action. Our aging infrastructure is causing our communities to fail – it puts lives, livelihoods and public health at risk. In Benton Harbor, Michigan, crumbling and aging lead pipes are not a political issue, but a health emergency.
Benton Harbor is a predominantly black city that tells the story of three emergencies that are dangerously acute – environmental racism, an infrastructure crisis, and an economic recession. The city’s water system, like many others across the country, is maintained by the city, which faces lead-clad water pipes well beyond retirement age. Recent tests have found dangerously high levels of lead in the city’s water supply, a sobering reminder of the plight that many Flint residents still face.
The dangerous effects of lead pipes are well documented, especially in children and babies, where lead build-up can damage their central nervous system, hearing, and lifelong development. In adults, toxic lead can cause kidney, reproductive, cardiovascular, and other health problems. A study by the Environmental Defense Fund found that for every lead line replaced, the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease alone decreased by $ 22,000.
The federal government’s threshold for measures is a lead content of over 15 parts per billion. In Benton Harbor, some homes have tested up to 889 parts per billion. To correct this injustice, stakeholders have filed an urgent petition with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) showing that dangerous levels of lead have been reported for the past three consecutive years. Given the severity of the Benton Harbor lead discovery, it’s clear the community can’t wait for weeks of debates in Washington. But it can serve as a model of how we can use infrastructure laws to combat environmental injustices and ensure that all Americans have access to the basic right to safe drinking water.
When President BidenJoe BidenVirginia loss exposes Democrats’ struggle with rural voters After victory, Biden Seeks political rebound Sunday Shows Preview: House Passes Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill; Democrats lose election in Virginia MORE outlined the cross-party infrastructure framework and set the goal of replacing every lead drinking water pipeline in the country. We should start in places like Benton Harbor: Across the city, activists, families, and local health officials have come together to raise the alarm when a crisis flows quietly into many of our walls. Upgrading and upgrading the city’s water utilities could be a model of how we can take aging infrastructures and invest in a future of clean water for all cities.
In communities across the country, advocates have raised the issue of the accessibility and affordability of clean water. Water prices have continued to rise, especially in frontline communities, and sanitation is worst in black and indigenous communities. However, the problem of aging infrastructure has been raised repeatedly as a public health crisis. There are government standards like the Clean Water Drinking Act, but many cities and towns fail to meet the standards, often due to lead pipes. Research has also found that the increasing effects of climate change will be disastrous for water access – especially in communities where it is most at risk.
Dedicated funding for replacing lead pipes in the infrastructure packages is critical for the most vulnerable communities, especially black, indigenous and low-income communities. But Americans across the country are at risk of water from lead pipes and would benefit from those investments. Every family in America should be confident that they can turn on their faucet and safely drink the water that flows from it. Too many communities, mostly black, have not had this assurance for too long. An infrastructure bill that takes immediate action to replace lead pipes isn’t just good policy – it’s a promise for a safer future.
Mustafa Santiago Ali is vice president of environmental justice, climate and community revitalization for the National Wildlife Federation. Previously, he was with the EPA for 24 years and was a founding member of the EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice.
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