POUGHKEEPSIE – Congressman Pat Ryan, Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Yvonne Flowers announced $11,869,472 in funding to address Poughkeepsie's lead pipe crisis and remove toxic service lines from the city's drinking water system. Funding from New York State will help the city identify the locations of lead service lines, determine the extent of the city's lead pipe crisis, and fund the start of lead pipe removal projects.
Congressman Ryan has fought for federal funding to help Poughkeepsie address its lead pipe crisis, including by bringing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership to the city last year.
“Freedom means every American has the right to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and that’s why I’m working tirelessly to remove every last toxic lead pipe from the Hudson Valley,” said Congressman Pat Ryan. “Today’s funding is a big step toward ensuring parents in Poughkeepsie never have to worry about whether tap water is safe for their children. I am proud to partner with Governor Hochul and Mayor Flowers in this fight – we will not rest until our communities are finally rid of toxic lead pipes.”
“When it comes to New York’s water infrastructure, we are taking the lead,” said Governor Hochul. “We continue to provide communities with the resources and support they need to replace lead water pipes and protect public drinking water.”
“I thank Governor Hochul and Congressman Ryan for their tremendous efforts on this critically important public health issue,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers.
“The city recognizes that it cannot complete this work without strong partners at the state and federal levels. We need your funding to cover the significant costs of replacing thousands of lead pipes in our city to reduce the risk of lead poisoning to our residents. The City intends to move forward systematically with the funds provided and will continue to aggressively pursue additional funding.”
There is no safe blood lead level for children. Corrosion of aging and outdated lead water pipes can cause toxic lead to leach into drinking water supplies, which is associated with significant adverse health effects, including permanent neurological damage and cognitive impairment, particularly in children, as well as fertility and kidney problems in adults.
The announcement comes just weeks after the Biden-Harris administration announced that all lead pipes in drinking water systems across the country must be removed within the next decade. Ryan hailed the announcement as a major step toward his goal of removing all lead pipes in Hudson Valley communities. The Biden administration's bipartisan infrastructure bill (BIL) will provide $15 billion for this effort.
The $11,869,472 announced today comes from state funds intended to cover the cost of lead utility replacement projects that were funded by the federal BIL but whose costs were not fully covered by BIL grants . This funding is in addition to funding already provided through BIL and the State Water Infrastructure Grant Program. This unprecedented move relieves financial burden on communities and allows them to replace more lead service lines without incurring additional costs. The state's comprehensive approach continues to provide communities with the resources they need to improve their water infrastructure. Last year, the City of Poughkeepsie was deemed eligible to receive $3.2 million in BIL funds to identify and inventory the locations of leading utility lines and begin replacement projects.
Ryan has a proven track record of fighting for clean water for Hudson Valley families and has prioritized eliminating sources of toxic lead pollution from Hudson Valley communities. Ryan has specifically focused his efforts on addressing the lead pipe crisis in the City of Poughkeepsie and securing the federal funding necessary to remove all lead pipes from the city's drinking water system. On August 1, 2023, Ryan brought EPA leadership to Poughkeepsie to assist the city in securing resources for lead pipe removal projects. Ryan had urged the EPA to commit to visiting the city in a hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on July 13, 2023, and working closely with the city to provide the federal funding needed to protect Poughkeepsie families are required before exposure to lead. On July 14, 2023, Ryan also announced his plan to remove all lead pipes in Poughkeepsie. Ryan and his team worked closely with the City and the EPA to provide technical advice to the City in applying for federal funding for main service line replacements, resulting in the City announcing in April 2024 that it was eligible for federal funding had millions of dollars in support for projects.
Ryan has been at the forefront of combating the Hudson Valley's lead contamination crisis and immediately sounded the alarm when the Wall Street Journal reported that major telecommunications companies were allowing a network of dilapidated lead-sheathed aerial cables to release the poison into the environment, including on one Playground in Wappingers Falls. He has repeatedly demanded that the billion-dollar telecommunications companies Verizon and AT&T take responsibility and pay for the renovation of their cables. Earlier this year, Ryan brought together local officials and community leaders to call on companies to publicly disclose the cables' locations after Hudson Valley families reported finding them discarded throughout the region.
Ryan has a track record of fighting large corporations that pollute the Hudson Valley's water, air and soil. He spoke at the Save the River Rally, calling on Holtec to stop its plan to dump radioactive waste into the river and introducing a law banning additional barges carrying toxic materials such as asphalt from traveling on the Hudson to anchor. Earlier this year, the bill passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support. Last fall, Ryan organized a coalition of local government officials, community leaders and organizations to temporarily halt the Coast Guard's plan to allow barges to anchor on the Hudson River.
Congressman Ryan has also led efforts to combat “forever chemical” PFAS pollution, including introducing the landmark PFAS Action Act and co-sponsoring the Department of Defense's PFAS Discharge Prevention Act. EPA recently implemented many components of the PFAS Action Act, including issuing a national standard for PFAS in drinking water. Ryan has repeatedly called on the Department of Defense (DoD) to expedite the cleanup of PFAS contamination at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh.
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