Ten Communities Selected For EPA Roundtable Discussions On Lead In Drinking Water

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the ten communities that have been selected for virtual roundtable discussions on EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) Revisions. The roundtables will foster dialogue on the experience of communities that are affected by lead in drinking water as the agency reviews the LCR to ensure that it supports EPA’s priorities.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA is committed to ensuring that the revised Lead and Copper Rule protects communities from lead—especially lower income people, communities of color, and other vulnerable populations,” said EPA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “These roundtable discussions will highlight the challenge of lead in drinking water facing hundreds of communities, from big cities to small towns.”

EPA’s community roundtables will kick-off on June 3, 2021 with Pittsburgh, Pa. The agency will also host roundtables with Newark, N.J.; Washington, D.C.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Chicago, Ill.; Benton Harbor and Highland Park, Mich. (combined); Flint and Detroit, Mich. (combined); Malden, Mass.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Newburgh, N.Y. The community roundtables will include local public water utilities, community organizations, environmental groups, and public officials. The roundtables will be live-streamed.

In addition to these geographically focused roundtables, EPA will also host national stakeholder roundtables with drinking water utilities, intergovernmental associations, environmental organizations, environmental justice organizations, public health organizations, and consumer associations. In July 2021, EPA will also host a Tribal roundtable discussion and a national co-regulator meeting with primacy agencies to discuss the feedback received from communities and stakeholders.

Members of the public may also submit comments via the docket at: http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 until June 30, 2021.

Additional information on the virtual roundtables, including how to watch, will be available at: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-and-copper-rule-revisions-virtual-engagements.

Background
Lead can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement. EPA is committed to following the best science to address lead in the nation’s drinking water and will take the appropriate time to review the revised LCR and make sure communities that have been impacted the most are protected. In March of this year, EPA announced an extension of the effective date of the Revised Lead and Copper Rule so that the agency could seek further public input on the rule. The agency hosted virtual public listening sessions on April 28, 2021, and May 5, 2021.