EPA Releases New Memo Outlining Strategy to Equitably Deliver Clean Water Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

WASHINGTON (March 8, 2022) EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov)

– Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a memorandum to guide collaborative implementation with state, local, and Tribal partners of $43 billion in water infrastructure funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. President Biden, with bipartisan support from Congress, is providing the single largest investment in water the federal government has ever made. EPA’s memo is a key implementation step that outlines requirements and recommendations for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds (SRFs) to ensure the country is working together to deliver clean and safe water and replace lead pipes for all Americans, especially disadvantaged communities.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s investment in clean water is nothing short of transformational,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “EPA and its state, local, and Tribal partners have an obligation to work together and maximize the impact of these funds in communities, especially disadvantaged communities. Water is essential, and this action will help ensure that every American can rely on safe drinking water and have access to wastewater management that protects health and the environment.”

“Today’s action by the EPA is a great example of how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make a real difference in people’s lives by investing federal funds to create good-paying jobs and protect safe drinking water for our children and working families,” said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Recently, I signed an executive directive readying Michigan to use the incoming resources as effectively as possible, and I am proud to see that our federal partners are also prioritizing investments in underserved communities. I look forward to working with the EPA, the Michigan legislature, and anyone who wants to partner with us to replace lead service lines statewide and ensure every parent can give their kid a glass of water with confidence knowing that it is safe.”

Statement of Support – Jill Ryan, Executive Director, Freshwater Future

Petoskey, Michigan – “Freshwater Future is very supportive of the approach the U.S. EPA is taking to implement infrastructure funding from Congress by prioritizing that 49% of funds must go to disadvantaged communities, ensuring funds are available for technical assistance and addressing emerging contaminants, these will be effective steps to protect human health and address water concerns. We have seen the difficulties that city and rural communities across the Great Lakes region have faced to address water safety and contamination, and we believe these State Revolving Fund loans and grants are essential for updating water infrastructure and protecting public health in traditionally disadvantaged communities.”

Full text of the EPA news release can be found here.

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Contact Your Local Officials to Ensure Your Community Benefits from Recent Federal Investments in Water

With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law last year, there is cause to be excited yet focused and vocal in anticipation of a one-time, 5-year program (2022-2026) that will increase the amount of grants and low-interest loans available to local governments, especially those considered disadvantaged communities, to fund lead service line replacements and other large water storage, treatment, and distribution upgrades.

Applications for these “state revolving funds” (learn more here) are time-consuming, very detailed, and often beyond the scope of a local government’s capacity. And while these loans are low-interest, many communities have not been able to afford taking out loans to pay for aging water infrastructure since this program was created by a 1996 amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act.

We encourage residents to engage NOW with their local officials on this issue because of the upcoming annual deadlines for funding consideration. Many localities have already completed the process, and usually the number of qualified applicants outnumbers the available annual funding. If it is too late this year for your community, it is the perfect time to begin the process for next year to ensure your community has access to safe, affordable drinking water for decades to come.

How can you begin the conversation with your local officials?

  • Ask if the local government has considered applying or has already applied to the state revolving fund for water infrastructure upgrades
  • If not, share your concerns over needed water infrastructure upgrades in your community, such as lead line replacement
  • Not sure if there are problems with your water infrastructure?  Talk to your community about their perspective and ask local officials what upgrades are or will be needed in the future.
  • Emphasize that this is a rare opportunity, time-sensitive, and time-consuming, but can deliver a lot of overdue assistance through both grants and/or loans

Let us know how your conversations go! Contact Kristen at 231-348-8200 x 9 or kristen@freshwaterfuture.org.

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During the holiday season, we experience a time where gratitude and affection warms the air, leaving us more inclined to give a helping hand. Freshwater Future recognizes #GivingTuesday on November 30th as a method to put that generosity in motion. Serving as an additional opportunity for you to help us as we continue our mission in doing right by clean, safe, and affordable water. Regardless of the amount, be a gift to our water with Freshwater Future by clicking the link here to give a financial gift today. THANK YOU!

Freshwater Future 2021 #GivingTuesday Donate Now! by events@freshwaterfuture.org

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by Stephanie Smith

I arrived at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland from my home in the Great Lakes region, and was heartened by the global community working to tackle climate change from many different angles. And yet, while there are many positive outcomes from COP26, they do not hit the mark for the accelerated pace of change we need. As I was reminded again and again, the people and countries that have done the least to create climate change issues are the most deeply impacted, with the fewest resources to create adaptive solutions. In my time at the conference, the voices of youth, island dwellers and indigenous people were loud, clear and absolutely urgent – their survival is threatened. But the outcomes of COP26 do not reflect the extent of change needed for the Great Lakes region and the planet as a whole.

While climate change impacts are inequitable, they are felt pretty much everywhere to varying degrees. The Great Lakes and their communities are being impacted by climate change through more severe storms, more extreme higher and lower lake levels, and changing temperatures, which affect the lake ecosystems and also the surrounding communities. Urban centers with aging infrastructure, areas with fewer resources and BIPOC communities are disproportionately impacted.

While some look to the Great Lakes as a climate refuge for those who can no longer live in their own communities due to fire, floods and droughts, this region also needs a more coordinated and accelerated approach to adapt to the changes we are amidst. Climate change is a threat multiplier and exacerbates existing issues, so we must have strategic, intersectional solutions that create, multiply and scale positive change. We’re not there yet, by a longshot, so what do we need to do?

Start with an inclusive vision for where we want to be. The people of the Great Lakes region in their diversity are not represented at our decision-making tables. As we hasten to develop the strategies we actually need for systemic change, the voices of youth and BIPOC leaders must be central to deciding upon, and guiding the journey. Yes, this is about regional preparation and action for the well-being of current Great Lakes residents. More critically, it’s about our future inhabitants – youth growing into adults here, and the incoming people that climate migration will lead here, seeking out the Great Lakes region as home.

Get better connected for bigger impact. With the Great Lakes at the heart of our region, we are already connected through these vital waters. Our current restoration and action agendas give us a strong base to stand on. But we need to embrace new voices – the same thinking and thinkers that have led us to this present moment will not get us to the change needed, in the relatively rapid timeframe needed. It’s imperative that we build stronger relationships and opportunities to share knowledge and solutions with the global water and climate change community

Integrate opportunities for engagement into all levels of our communities and schools. Because our vision should be about everyone, we need everyone engaged at varying levels. For a start, let’s mandate statewide, regional and national climate and water education that centers healthy people and a vibrant planet, with equity and justice for all. Youth leaders were at COP26 calling out for change, with a fantastic contingent from the Great Lakes region among them. But our young adults struggle with eco-anxiety and climate grief – and most of their peers are not adequately taught about climate change issues. This leaves them feeling isolated and frankly, tired. We must do better to support these leaders, who at age 25 have been doing this work for more than a quarter of their lives.

The calls to action at COP26 were crystal clear in their urgency. And while these aspects influenced the decisions made to reflect many global needs, they do not tap into the electric undercurrent of accelerated change truly needed. Let’s work within the Great Lakes region and connect with national and global partners to lead the change that’s needed now.

stephanie-smith-board-chair-freshwater-future-environmental-organization

Stephanie Smith is a Freshwater Future board member and runs Zephyr Mangata, a consultancy accelerating positive change for people and the planet.

 

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Late Friday night on November 5th, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bi-partisan $1 trillion Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act. It had been lingering in the House as House leadership awaited the Senate’s passage of a package called the Build Back Better (BBB) Act, a $3.5 trillion spending plan. House leadership had wanted to pass both bills in the House together. 

Together the Infrastructure and BBB Acts would provide a substantial amount of funding for water projects, including grants to environmental justice and disadvantaged communities. The BBB also includes policy language to develop a permanent Low Income Housing Water Assistance Program in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, while also providing an additional $225 million for the program, ensuring financial assistance for people who are struggling to pay their water utility bill while the nation figures out how to make water rates affordable for everyone. Together these bills may provide the largest amount of water funding in U.S. history, but they fall short of some of the Biden administration’s promises, like $45 billion to replace all the lead lines in the U.S.  So what are in the Infrastructure and BBB Acts? See the table below to see some important water programs and their funding levels within the two Acts. Be sure to stay tuned though, BBB is still being negotiated, as you can see from the differences in the Sept and today columns, and hopefully will be passed before the end of November. 

 

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by Amy Heldman

With Chicago located right on Lake Michigan’s border, it comes as a shock to many that although we have this tremendous body of water in our backyard, many do not have access to running water.  Skyrocketing water prices in Chicago have left many without access to the very thing that we need to keep us healthy and safe especially during the pandemic..

A 2019 investigation by WBEZ and American Public Media found that the cost of water in Chicago has tripled over the last decade, which was the highest rate as compared to six other Great Lakes cities examined in the investigation. Since 2007, Chicago’s water department has also sent more than 150,000 water shutoff notices. About 40 percent of those water shutoffs were located in 5 of Chicago’s poorest zip codes concentrated on the South and West Sides where residents are primarily low-income, black, and Latinx. 

One attempt to combat this human rights violation is the “Water-For-All” Ordinance. After failing to pass in 2017, the Water-For-All Ordinance, reintroduced in 2019, offers both homeowners and tenants income-based credits toward their utility bills, regardless of their current citizenship status. It would also ban water shut-offs and tax foreclosures, as well as prohibit any privatization of the city’s water supply. Eligibility would be both homeowners and tenants whose annual household income is below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.  This comprehensive approach is gaining support with 30 percent of  Aldermen in favor.

The pandemic exposed the water access inequities happening in Chicago and the urgency to remedy the problems. In an interview conducted by María Inés Zamudio, Vernal Green explains that a fire hydrant is currently his only source of water.  He carries his bottle of water back to his apartment where he uses it to bathe, wash dishes, and flush the toilet. Over two years ago water was shut off to repair a burst pipe, but the pipe was never fixed nor water service restored to his apartment. Residents like Mr. Green do not have the option of enrolling in a plan to get their water restored because they have no bills in their name. They count on their landlords to pay the city for water services. When their landlord does not settle an outstanding debt with the city, they are left with no water, in the midst of a pandemic. 

A similar provision in Chicago is the Utility Billing Relief (UBR) program, which was launched in April by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration. It offers those qualifying a flat 50 percent discount on their utility bills and also gives bill forgiveness after one completed year of on-time payments. Jeff Whitelow with the Chicago Water Alliance has been assisting residents with UBR program enrollment, but many people are simply not eligible to participate because of income threshold limits and not owning their homes.

The Water-For-All Ordinance would help make Chicago water a public good. Unlike the UBR program, the proposed ordinance  encompasses all residents. It would allow all residents to afford and access drinking water that before was not possible. It is time to address water as a fundamental human right, not as a commodity to be sold. 

If you would like to show your support for the ordinance, tell your Chicago City Council member to work with their colleagues to swiftly pass the Water-For-All ordinance by submitting your comments through Freshwater Future’s quick and easy online action form HERE.

To learn more about the City of Chicago’s Utility Billing Relief (UBR) program, visit Chicago Water Alliance online HERE. For additional information and resources, contact Jeff Whitelow, Chicago Water Alliance at jeffwhitelow@yahoo.com

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On August 6, 2021, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D- Detroit) introduced the House version of Maintaining Access to Essential Services, which would eliminate water, electric, and internet household debt. The bill, if enacted into law, would provide $13.5 billion for private and public water utilities in the form of low-interest loans that can become grant dollars if the utilities forgive residential water debt. The bill further suspends charging late or restoration of water service fees, prohibits reporting residents with utility debt to credit bureaus or placing liens on their homes, shutting off water to residents due to non-payment, and requires utilities to restore residential services.

Millions of people across the country currently do not have access to tap water or are facing their water being shut-off due to the billions of dollars of utility debt that has grown exponentially during the pandemic. As the Delta COVID variant cases ramp up, it is imperative to pass legislation that secures utility debt relief so everyone has the ability to wash their hands and masks.

Unfortunately, the over $1 trillion Bi-partisan Infrastructure Bill moving through the Senate does not include a prohibition on utility shut-offs or utility debt relief. Access to clean, safe, and affordable water is a basic human right and need. Congress has a role in ensuring all Americans have access to this life giving resource. Call your Congressional members today and urge them to pass the Maintaining Access to Essential Services Act.

 

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In June, the Biden administration delayed the implementation of the Trump Administration’s federal lead and copper rule (LCR) until December 2021 to seek additional public comments and potentially revise the Trump Administration’s LCR. Along with the delay, the U.S. EPA launched a public commenting period, holding roundtable discussions in 10 locations across the U.S. They are also seeking public comments until July 30, 2021

While sign-on letters and action alerts are great, individual comments are more impactful and decision-makers look at these comments more than an action alert and sometimes a sign-on letter. Due to this and that the U.S. EPA is asking individuals to submit comments through a specific online portal, we are asking you to take a few minutes and use the talking points below to craft and submit your individual comments by going to https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255-0001

If you have any questions on LCR or the comment period, please email Jill Ryan, Executive Director at jill@freshwaterfuture.org. If you do submit comments, please let us know by emailing alana@freshwaterfuture.org so we may track how many people comment. Thank you.


TALKING POINTS
 

The American Medical Association and CDC have determined there is no safe level of lead in humans. Any standard put into place must be a health-based standard, which would be 0 ug/l. 

The proposed rule requires Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) to tell customers how much lead is in the drinking water system servicing their house and where they can find the lead service line inventory. The CCR should also include information for customers about how to protect themselves from lead-in water if lead is above 0 ug/l, as well as an explanation of the proposed action level of 10 ug/l and exceedance level of 15 ug/l, particularly that these are not health-based levels, but for system corrosion control. This allows customers to make informed decisions about how they want to protect themselves from lead-in water.  

The proposed rule does not go far enough to protect students’ drinking water. For schools connected to public water systems, the proposed rule only requires elementary schools and daycares to test once every 5 years and secondary schools are only by request. Schools are informed about how to protect students through flushing and other mechanisms, but there is no requirement for the schools to do flushing, etc. For schools that own and operate their water system, the proposed rule requires the school to sample more frequently, but these schools are not necessarily equipped to interpret the results or address the changes necessary to protect students. Given that our next generation spends so much time at school, there should be stronger requirements for sampling and monitoring of all schools and daycares. If a school does have an exceedance, the school or daycare should be required to use filter stations, and those schools in impoverished communities should be given filter stations at no cost to the school or residents. Filters should be used until all fixtures and service lines are replaced and the water has been resampled and deemed to have no lead in the water. 

All lead service lines should be replaced, including public and private lead service lines, as well as those private and public lines servicing schools within 10 years. 

  • According to the AASA, The School Superintendents Association, if lead service line replacement is done correctly for all schools and daycares, special education costs associated with addressing the effects of lead on childhood development would be reduced and national student achievement would improve.

The rule should require any community, regardless of size, to replace their lead service lines and if that community is impoverished, grants be provided to replace the lead services lines. The proposed revisions allow small water systems serving less than 10,000 people, too much flexibility.  The proposed rule allows these small systems to either install or adjust corrosion control treatment, install and maintain point-of-use services like filters, replace all lead bearing plumbing, or replace lead service lines in 15 years, and once the system starts they cannot stop replacing the lines. Rather than giving this much flexibility, the end goal should be to replace all the lead service lines. 

Standardize language used by utilities to inform customers of the health impacts to children, pregnant women, and adults when lead in water reaches the action level of 10 ug/l or 15 ug/l exceedance level should be included in the CCR, even if below the action or exceedance level to allow customers to make informed decisions about how they may want to protect themselves if there is lead in their water. 

If the utilities are going to invest in inventorying service lines, utilities should make note of the materials of all the water service lines. 

The USEPA should collect data from the water utilities annually and make this publicly available in a centralized database. At least, the following data should be collected:

  • How many lead service lines, both private and public. The first annual report to the USEPA should include material makeup of the rest of the water service lines, but would not be required unless the line is replaced with a different material in subsequent years;  
  • How many public and private lead lines were replaced, the address of the replacement, and the material of the line replaced with; 
  • How many public and private lead service lines are left to replace; 
  • Details about rates are rising as a result of the lead service line replacement; and 
  • Number of customers that have gone into arrears due to the replacement of the line. 

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Guest Blog by Amy Heldman

As someone residing near Chicago, I often visit the lakefront whenever I am in the city. However, only recently after taking an eye-opening course, The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Freshwater Lab, did I begin to connect my feelings for Lake Michigan to art activism.

When I heard we had the option to do a project in any sort of medium we wanted, I immediately took the chance to unleash my love for collage making. I wanted to foster the power of storytelling to create an outline of Lake Michigan, holding inside people’s connection to the lake. I took a few trips to the lakefront and interviewed people asking them the questions, “Why do you visit the lake?” and “What do you love about Lake Michigan?” to try and inspire reflection among Chicago residents. I got many responses that were as simple as two word responses, to some that even wrote poems. Although different, each response is beautiful in its own way, because each person’s connection is unique to themselves.

I also wanted to use the power of contrast in my collage, so I made the background a series of news articles on Lake Michigan issues to sit behind people’s love for the lake to emphasize why it needs to be protected.

As a student studying urban planning, much of my undergraduate career has consisted of numerous research papers, GIS projects, and data analysis, and although they can be quite fun, the feeling of virtual school burnout hit me hard. This art collage was my way of expressing creativity and having meaningful conversations with strangers about water. A few themes that arose from my interviews were: therapy, creativity, solitude, and joy. It was inspiring to hear from so many how the lake has been helping them survive the pandemic. I spoke to one woman on her bike, and she explained how Lake Michigan reminds her of expansion. With being locked up for so long, it gave her peace of mind knowing that the world is not just in her house but it is borderless much like our water. After hearing responses like hers, I grew extremely inspired by the love Chicago residents have for Lake Michigan. Although it is usually seen as a tourist attraction, my collage amplifies the temple Lake Michigan is to Chicago residents. It is their safe place after a hard week, a place where they get their best ideas, and a place for mental clarity and reflection.

I want to thank Chicago residents for contributing to this piece, as well as the UIC Freshwater Lab for allowing me to do this. I hope that anyone who views this collage feels inspired by the significance Lake Michigan holds to its admirers and continues to advocate for protection of this life resource.

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A variety of Ohio, Regional, and National organizations, representing medical, environmental, housing, and community interests, are requesting $1 billion of the proposed more than $5 billion the state will receive in federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to be dedicated to residential full lead service line replacements. Ohio is second in the nation for lead service lines at an estimated 650,000 lines. The American Medical Association and CDC have determined there is no safe level of lead in humans. Impacts to children exposed to lead include: neurological disorders, decreased cognitive behaviors, lower IQ, ADHD, and kidney disease. If you are involved in an organization that would like to support this request, please contact Kristy Meyer at kristy@freshwaterfuture.org.


TO: Members of the General Assembly, Governor Mike DeWine, OBM
RE: American Rescue Plan Act Funding and Lead Service Line Replacements

Our organizations respectfully request that $1B of the proposed more than $5B the state will receive in federal funding for state and local aid from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, U.S. HB 1319, be dedicated to residential full lead service line replacements, both the public and private lead lines, across the State of Ohio. The $1B to replace full lead service lines should prioritize low-income neighborhoods within cities and rural communities in financial need. These funds would supplement H2Ohio funding that is being used to replace lead service lines and fixtures in daycares and schools, as well as any other water infrastructure funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.

A lead service line is a pipe made of lead that is used to distribute potable water, connecting a water main to a user’s residence. The United States used lead pipes as service lines for more than a century with most communities stopping the use of lead pipes in the 1950s. Unfortunately many of these pipes still are used today to deliver drinking water to residents across Ohio.

The American Medical Association and CDC has determined there is no safe level of lead in humans and unfortunately in 2019 approximately 3,500 children in Ohio had elevated levels of lead in their blood. Impacts to children exposed to lead include neurological disorders, decreased cognitive behaviors, lower IQ, ADHD, and kidney disease and failure later in life to name a few. A number of studies have also linked lead poisoning to behavioral issues, such as aggression in children and teens, and criminal behavior as adults. In a study undertaken by Princeton and Brown Universities, the researchers found that a one-unit increase in blood levels raised the probability of incarceration of boys by 47 percentage points, starting at 27 percent and rising to 74 percent.

Ohio is second in the nation for lead service lines at an estimated 650,000 lines. While the exact amount of funding needed for complete removal of lead service lines in Ohio is unclear, on the low end it can run approximately $2,400 a line and on the high end approximately $7,100 a line. Using these figures, full replacement could range from $1.56 B to $4.62 B over the next 20 years. In addition, Ohio has more than a $28 billion need in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades. Utilizing $1 B could replace hundreds of thousands of full lead service lines, ensure communities in Ohio are upgrading their antiquated water infrastructure, and create thousands of jobs.

Industry studies have indicated that every $1 billion invested in drinking water and wastewater infrastructure creates up to approximately 28,000 new jobs with average annual earnings of more than $50,000 and increases demand for products and services in other industries by more than $3 billion.

One billion dollars could make a big impact in Ohioans’ health and our economy by: Providing grants for full lead service line replacement, prioritizing low-income neighborhoods in cities and rural communities; Education and outreach funding for a local community group to educate residents about lead service lines and how to protect themselves from lead in water exposure, including providing an on-tap filter; and Supporting communities to inventory water service lines for lead.

In an effort to quantify impact and accountability, any locality receiving these funds should also report to the state how many lead service lines were replaced; geographic information detailing where lines were replaced and validating that areas with the greatest need were prioritized; the number of people educated on lead and how to protect themselves; and,the number of filters provided to residents.

Ohio can no longer afford to delay the removal and replacement of lead service lines. The longer we wait to replace these pipes the more costly it will become to our health and our economy. The cost of doing nothing is expensive and will impact social and health costs. Lead affects children’s development and IQ which potentially avails them to lower economic productivity and greater costs to the criminal justice system. In addition, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, every lead service line replaced yields an estimated $22,000 in reduced cardiovascular disease deaths. Given Ohio’s estimated 650,000 lead service lines, Ohio could save $14.3 billion due to reduced cardiovascular disease deaths.

For the health of Ohioans, particularly Ohio’s children and their future, and the future of our economy, we must be proactive to replace every lead line in Ohio.


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There are an estimated 6.1 to 9.3 million lead service lines – pipes carrying drinking water – across the country. Ohio is second in the nation for lead service lines at an estimated 650,000 lead service lines carrying water to families’ homes, second only to IL. While it is unclear how much money it will really take to fully remove lead service lines in Ohio, on the low end it can run approximately $2,400 a line and on the high end approximately $7,100 a line, which could mean anywhere from $1.95 B to $4.62 B over 20 years to fully replace the lead service lines. 

Recently the Ohio EPA announced up to $20 million in grant-like funding to eligible lead service line replacement projects through the state’s Drinking Water Assistance Fund for fiscal years (July 1st – June 30th) 2021 and 2022. Communities can receive up to $1 million per a year. The funding criteria does require the replacement of both the public and private lead service line. The private service line is the line that runs generally from the curb of your house inside the house. 

Is your community taking advantage of this funding? Call your local elected officials to find out. 


As a mom I worry about my children and as a scientist and environmentalist, I probably know too much to taper my worrying. I worry about the food they are eating, about their mental and social well-being, and about what is in the water they are drinking. I worry so much, that when news of Flint, MI and then Sebring, OH’s lead-in-water crisis broke, I called their school districts’ operation manager to find out the last time they tested for lead in the school system. I also made my husband watch the documentary made about the Flint water crisis – there was a lot of anger and tension that night watching the documentary and rightfully so. 

No parent should ever have to worry if their child is unbeknownst to them being poisoned by lead. When I watched and heard stories about parents unknowingly giving their children water tainted with lead, it brought me to my knees. I saw and heard their pain and I knew the lives of these families had been changed forever. This is why I work so hard with my colleagues daily to fully remove lead service lines from communities across the Great Lakes and to make sure those unable to afford to replace their private water lead service line have access to grant funding. It is also why Freshwater Future trains community members on how to take action and protect themselves, while also working to change policies. It is why I, and my colleagues, also work with partners across the Great Lakes that deal with lead in paint, because we know we must take a one-touch approach to removing lead from houses completely. 

 

Author: Kristy Meyer, Freshwater Future Director of Policy

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Alexis Smith

August 06, 2020

This week: U.S. EPA Weakens Rules for Toxic Waste Ponds for Coal-fired Power Plants + New York Adds Water Safeguards To Remove Emerging Contaminants + Action Request–Ask Legislators to Include Water Service in COVID Relief Package + Apply for a Freshwater Future Grant Today


U.S. EPA Weakens Rules for Toxic Waste Ponds for Coal-fired Power Plants

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopted rules that  favor electric utilities extending the use  of toxic coal ash ponds for decades. A recent assessment found 91 percent of the ponds are leaching contaminants into drinking water and groundwater. The new regulations are filled with loopholes; some coal ash ponds will remain until 2038 though the initial cleanup deadline was set for 2021. With majority coal ash ponds surrounding Environmental Justice communities, who regardless of race, color, national origin or income are entitled to equal protection from environmental harms and risks, will face health consequences.


New York Adds Water Safeguards For Some Emerging Contaminants

Testing standards are raised in New York to address three emerging contaminants found in drinking water – PFOA, PFOS (“forever chemicals”), and 1,4-dioxane. All water systems are required to test for these harmful chemicals and remove them from the drinking water if above the new standards (10 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS and 1 part per billion for 1,4-dioxane). Although we understand there is more to be done around the many other emerging contaminants, Freshwater Future applauds all the organizations and community members that worked to improve regulations on water quality.

Comparison Chart of State and Canadian Protections


Take Action:  Ask Legislators to Include Water Service in COVID Relief Package

Handwashing is our first line of defense against the spread of COVID-19, and access to clean and safe tap water is a basic human need to protect individuals, families and communities. Please urge your Congresspeople to include the following in the COVID relief package:

  • A national moratorium on water shutoffs and the restoration of residential water services;

  • $50 million in grants to address the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 in environmental justice communities;

  • $12.5 billion in grants to restore or keep water access for communities facing shut offs or toxic water; and

  • $35 billion in funding for waste and drinking water utilities for infrastructure improvements that could create up to nearly one million jobs across the country.

No one should have to worry about how they will wash their hands and masks, cook their food, and get their drinking water. Please take action today.


Apply for a Freshwater Future Grant Today

For 25 years, Freshwater Future has provided grants to community and grassroots groups supporting advocacy efforts to protect or improve drinking water, rivers, lakes, wetlands, shorelines, and groundwater in the Great Lakes region. Check-out Freshwater Future’s 2020 grant opportunities guidelines to see if your organization is eligible. The deadline for Fall Project grant applications is September 30, 2020. Want to learn more? Join us for an informal webinar on August 19, 2020 at noon, register here.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-august-26-2020/

Alexis Smith

July 10, 2020

This week: Legislation to Address Water Access Focus of All About Water Webinars + Governor Whitmer Extends Water Reconnection To Year’s End   + Great Lake Water Temperatures Spike Due to Heat + Michigan Airports Receive $2.5 Million In Grants For PFAS Testing + Wastewater Can Show Early Detection of COVID-19 Outbreaks


Legislation to Address Water Access Focus of All About Water Webinars

Hosted by Freshwater Future, the All About Water Webinars focused on policy solutions to address access to affordable, safe drinking water and how we can work together to ensure that water is turned on, stays on and is affordable. Visit our website to view the slides from presenters and links to recorded sessions.

Water as a Human Right Legislation Gaining Bipartisan Support in D.C.

Representative Rashida Tlaib shared on the All About Water Webinar that Republicans and Democrats are sponsoring legislation to continue moratoriums on water shutoffs while we are still fighting this pandemic.  Water is essential for life and protecting public health. No one person should ever have to worry about whether they are able to put food on the table or have water flowing from their taps.  You can urge your Congressional member today to support and work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to swiftly pass the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act and the Emergency Water is a Human Right Act.


Governor Whitmer Extends Water Re-connection Order To Year’s End

The number one preventive measure taken to fight against COVID-19 is washing our hands. Gov. Whitmer extended the water reconnection order until the end of the year to help people do exactly that.  We know there are still people who have not been reconnected, and that there are groups including Freshwater Future working to change that.


Great Lake Water Temperatures Spike Due to Heat

Several days of sunny, hot, calm weather resulted in large portions of the Great Lakes warming significantly in some places over ten degrees in just five days. Astounding visuals and video forecast of how and where the Great Lakes temperatures have increased can be seen here.


Michigan Airports Receive $2.5 Million In Grants For PFAS Testing 

Fire-fighting foams containing the toxic chemical called PFAS have been used for decades to put out jet fuel fires.  Fire department training and use of foams contaminated groundwater and drinking water.  The Michigan PFAS Action Response Team is awarding municipal airports throughout the state grant funding for testing of PFAS contamination. Areas like Pellston, MI have been issued $250,000 of this grant due to known impacts on residential wells.


Wastewater Can Show Early Detection of COVID-19 Outbreaks

Researching human waste has proven to be an effective model for tracing and pinpointing COVID-19 infected populations before the area experiences an uptick in cases. In particular, targeting the asymptomatic group that unknowingly carries the virus and spreads it to more vulnerable populations is what makes this research that much more valuable.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-july-13-2020/

Alexis Smith

June 5, 2020

This week: Water Equity and Justice


Freshwater Future Statement

Freshwater Future mourns the death of Mr. George Floyd and all who have died due to racism in our country. We stand in solidarity with all communities of color as the forces of systemic racism have made them most vulnerable to police brutality and disproportionate impacts and harmed families suffering in silence, who would like to believe the opportunities afforded to others would be unconditionally afforded to their families and communities alike throughout the country. The scourge of racism has been plaguing our country since prior to the formation of this nation. Recognizing that it is actions, and not simply words, that will move us toward a just and equitable society, we commit to new steps within our organization to make our work more just and equitable and to ensure that work pushes for justice and equity throughout our region and the country. While we do not have all the answers of how to move forward together at this moment, we commit to listening, learning and changing in the days and years to come.

Freshwater Future’s Current Work to Address Environmental Justice

Like the rest of the nation, our community partners are strained by the unlawful acts of our justice system, and Freshwater Future has grounded itself to be there for them more than ever. Meeting our partners in their local communities and listening to their issues has been paramount in how we best serve the community on their local issues has been a crucial component in how we best serve the community. Water affordability, lead line replacement, citizen science, public education, and more are the incredibly successful results of dialing back what we think needs to happen, and following residents and community leaders toward what actually needs to happen.  Current events have amplified why on-the-ground leaders’ voices must be uplifted and be in front leading the change. Freshwater Future is reminded by the current event plaguing our nation, that it is a constantly evolving process as we continue to strive to increase our knowledge in water equity and cultural competence for our work to be most effective.


Benton Harbor Community Water Council Working Hard for Water Justice

The Benton Harbor Community Water Council (Council) has been working tirelessly to ensure equity in water safety while the City of Benton Harbor remains out of compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule for drinking water.  The Council’s work has varied as the needs of residents have changed, including:

  • Ensuring availability of water filters,

  • Training and assistance in use and installation of filters,

  • Calls with the city leadership and state regulators, and

  • Conducting outreach to find residents willing to participate in water testing at their homes to determine lead levels and whether the system is in compliance,

  • Participating in Covid-19 training for use of Personal Protective Equipment, social distancing and more so they could deliver bottles to residents and pick them up from door steps safely to aid the City in testing for safety and compliance.

We applaud the steady and courageous work of these residents that make up the Council for their ongoing efforts to ensure safe, clean and affordable water for the residents of Benton Harbor.


Take Action to Stop the assault on Clean, Safe and Affordable Water

During a global pandemic where access to clean water is vital and a time when communities are rising up against inequities faced by African-Americans and communities of color in this country, the Trump Administration once again delivers a massive blow to families and our communities across this nation. The Trump Administration has waged a full-on attack on the Clean Water Act by rolling back protections for thousands of stream miles and wetlands that are critical to keeping our drinking water clean and safe, by stripping federal protection for these streams and wetlands. Click here to learn more and take action!


County Comes Together as a Community When Michigan Sheriff Joins Protesters

Michigan officer Christopher Swanson sets the example for other officers to follow as he removes his helmet signaling the inclination to move in solidarity with the community. Engaging local residents to find what they need him to do, the protesters motion the officer to join the protest and walk with them. Humble in his approach it led to a peaceful protest, setting the bar high for other officers across the nation to observe and follow suit.


Resources for Additional Reading and Thinking for All Ages:

Beautiful Blackbird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45g1Ru2R-lI 

There Are No Mirrors….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRNfJxDNbEE  

Be Water 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SCGckevYng 

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/call-to-action/freshwater-weekly-may-6th-2020/

Alexis Smith

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Tiana Starks
tianastarks@ts2consulting.com
(248) 361-1617

Public Health Experts, Environment Justice Orgs. Gather to Urge Michigan Mayors To Turn Water On ASAP
Statewide #TurnWaterOn Collaborative Responds to Governor Gretchen’s Executive Order

Detroit, MI (April 1, 2020) – Michigan residents and public health experts are calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to work with her newly created Michigan Advisory Council for Environmental Justice (MAC EJ) to enforce the executive order she issued on March 28, 2020 to have water restored for all residences that were previously turned off. Michigan mayors and water service providers must ensure that residential water services are restored timely, transparently, and equitably. To remain in compliance with the order all residences’ must have water restored by April 12, 2020.

Detroit and Michigan have become national epicenters for the Coronavirus in the U.S. and the Governor and her administration must work quickly to restore life-saving resources, such as clean water. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Monday afternoon, the state ranked fourth in the nation in the number of confirmed cases per capita with 6,498 cases and 183 deaths.

“We thank Governor Whitmer for her leadership through the Executive Order to turn water on to all homes,” said Nick Leonard, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. “We also thank Governor Whitmer for the $2 million in grant funding for utilities to restore life-saving residential water services. Now we ask the Governor to use her own MAC EJ to ensure water is turned on right away to those suffering and unable to wash their hands.”

The MAC EJ was created to address ongoing environmental justice issues and was set up to have people that are impacted daily at the table to advise on critical environmental issues, like drinking water. MAC EJ was strategically crafted to provide opportunities for those on the frontlines to weigh in on environmental protections, regulations, and policies in Michigan that will be fair and meaningful to all Michiganders, regardless of geography, race, color, origin, or income.

“Without water to wash hands and food entering homes, COVID-19 will continue to spread,” said Nadia Gaber, MD/PhD Candidate at the University of California San Francisco. “One only need to look at a map of COVID-19 cases in Michigan to understand how vital access to clean, safe water is to public health.”

“While mayors of some Michigan cities put into place a moratorium on water shut offs and called for the restoration of residential water services over the last month; said Jill Ryan, Freshwater Future Executive Director, “turning on water to residents’ homes has been slow and the process unclear. Meanwhile, community members continue to suffer without access to clean, safe water in their homes.”

“I did not create the phrase DO NO HARM, but I took an oath upon graduating medical school to uphold it forever more. From a public health standpoint, depriving people of water is both deplorable and dangerous under the best of circumstances. In the face of this COVID19 pandemic it rises to the level of a criminal act. Not only does it put the affected person or family in grave danger, it also enables the contagion to spread like a wildfire endangering everyone in the community and country, like gasoline on a forest fire. Only when all of us fully comprehend our interrelatedness and interdependence, and act accordingly, will we have a bright future for all people – one wherein human compassion, decency, dignity, health and safety prevail,” said Wendy Sternberg, MD, Physician and Medical Strategist, Public Health Institute Ad Hoc Team and Founder and Executive Director, Genesis at the Crossroads.

###

Social Media

Hashtags:
#TurnWaterOn
#KeepWaterOn
#MakeWaterAffordable
#CleanWaterSavesLives

Sample Tweets:
@GovWhitmer Thank you for ordering the water back on across Michigan, due to the urgency, please utilize the MACEJ to assist with transparency and reporting. #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable #CleanWaterSavesLives

{Your City’s Twitter Handle} #TurnWaterOn now so my neighbors can wash their hands and save lives. @GovWhitmer use the #MACEJ to ensure accountability and transparency, as #CleanWaterSavesLives. #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable

Michigan water systems, both rural and urban, please ensure residents have water. Ensure people have water across Michigan. Please donate to local efforts at https://bit.ly/3bHoc3l #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable #CleanWaterSavesLives

The faster water service is restored, the more lives can be saved! Thank you@GovWhitmer. #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable #CleanWaterSavesLives

{Your City’s Twitter Handle} The faster water service is restored, the more lives can be saved! @GovWhitmer use the MACEJ to track progress. #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable #CleanWaterSavesLives

Thank you @GovWhitmer for ordering water service restored. Municipalities, please move fast to save lives. Donate to local efforts at www.XXXX #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable #CleanWaterSavesLives

#TurnWaterOn quickly to save lives. @GovWhitmer, please use the MAC EJ to push for speedy response of municipalities. #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable #CleanWaterSavesLives

#CleanWaterSavesLives donate to provide water until all water services are restored, https://bit.ly/3bHoc3l #TurnWaterOn #KeepWaterOn #MakeWaterAffordable

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/policy-memo/news-alert-public-health-experts-environment-justice-orgs-gather-to-urge-michigan-mayors-to-turn-water-on-asap/

Leslie Burk

January 17, 2020

This week:  Trump Administration Attacks on Water and Environment + Minnesota Court of Appeals Reversed Three Permits for Mining Operation + Will Your Representative Stand for Clean Water? + Tell Your Senators–Don’t Delay Action on Toxic Chemicals (PFAS) in Drinking Water + Trump Rollback of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

Trump Administration Attacks on Water and Environment

The Trump Administration recently initiated several setbacks to existing environmental laws and announced veto action for legislation that protects water supplies.  Together, we can raise our voices to prevent harmful changes to the laws that keep our families and communities healthy. Our country’s environmental legacy has strong bi-partisan support; and residents throughout the Great Lakes region have always stepped up to take action when asked.

In the coming weeks, you will receive more emails from us that give you a way to VOICE your concerns about the attacks on water and environment.  Hopefully, you can take the time to add your name to petitions and other actions to educate decision-makers and protect what we all value-clean water!

Minnesota Court of Appeals Reversed Three Permits for Mining Operation

Two dam safety permits and the permit to mine for the Polymet Mine in Minnesota were rejected by the Minnesota Court of Appeals stating that criticisms of the mining company were not adequately reviewed by a neutral administrative law judge.  As a result, the decisions for those permits now moves to a contested case hearing. WaterLegacy, the organization that appealed the permit decisions, applauded the Court’s decision for a more rigorous and open review of the permits.  In a separate legal case, Minnesota state regulators face charges of suppressing concerns from the U. S. EPA about a water permit for this mine and destroying records.

Will Your Representative Stand for Clean Water?

A resolution introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives denounces U.S. EPA initiatives that make our water less safe by weakening the Clean Water Act. Introduced by Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich) and Chris Pappas (D-NH), the resolution allows voters to check if their elected officials will stand up for clean water.  The resolution opposes recent and proposed actions by the U.S. EPA including repealing science-based protections for streams and wetlands, weakening toxic pollution discharge limits for power plants, and refusing to develop regulations to avoid and minimize spills of hazardous substances.  Freshwater Future will keep you posted on this resolution and provide ways to communicate with your officials.

Action: Tell Your Senators–Don’t Delay Action on Toxic Chemicals (PFAS) in Drinking Water

The U.S. EPA has known about the risks posed by the family of toxic chemicals called PFAS for decades and failed to act.  Our communities can’t wait any longer for action from EPA. No one should have to worry about whether their water is safe.

Last Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed, with bipartisan support, the PFAS Action Act (H.B. 535). Earlier this week, we sent an email asking you to sign this petition to ask your Senators to move PFAS solutions forward.  This important piece of legislation will:

  • Protect drinking water from PFAS by requiring the EPA to create a drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS within two years.

  • Protect the Great Lakes, rivers, and streams from PFAS pollution by listing PFOS and PFOA under the Clean Water Act within two years.

  • Protect our air from PFAS by making PFOS and PFOA hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.

  • Require corporate polluters to clean up their PFAS contamination by listing PFAS as hazardous substances under the CERCLA Act or the Superfund Law.

  • Protects our communities and workers, especially our firefighters, that are using these harmful products.

Now it is up to the Senate to pass the PFAS Action Act to reduce ongoing PFAS releases into the air and water, set limits for drinking water, and clean up polluted sites. Please sign this petition to ask your Senators to vote in favor of the Senate version of the PFAS Action Act.

A screening of a new documentary on PFAS, No Defense will air at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, February 19th.  No Defense centers around the stories of people that live on or near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, and drank water poisoned with PFAS chemicals — water that still flows from the former base today, contaminating the surrounding town, lake, and the people who live there.

Trump Rollback of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

On January 1, 1970, President Nixon signed the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with overwhelming bipartisan support from Congress.  This landmark legislation required a review process to identify and reveal significant environmental, social, economic, or public health impacts of federal actions.  The Trump administration proposed weakening this process under the guise of “streamlining” and “permitting reform.”  The gutting of NEPA would send us backward, particularly with the provision to exclude climate considerations from NEPA reviews for federal projects (e.g., oil and gas drilling and the permitting of coal power plants).  Another proposed change is to restrict public comment on federal environmental reviews.

Stay tuned for opportunities to take action to prevent these harmful changes to our laws that keep our drinking water and surface waters clean and safe.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-january-17th-2020/

Alexis Smith

January 9, 2020

This week:  Michigan Accepting Comments on Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Chemicals + Side by Side Comparison of the World’s Greatest Lakes + Steel Rod left in Straits of Mackinac Moves 150 feet due to Currents + Erosion Endangers Goderich, ON Water Treatment Plant + Update on Green Ooze in Detroit

Your Action Needed to Push the PFAS Action Act Forward in the US Senate

This week the US House of Representatives will be voting on the PFAS Action Act.  The Act will likely pass the House.  It will face a bigger hurdle when it reaches the US Senate.  Please watch for an URGENT email from Freshwater Future next week to sign a petition to Senators to urge them to pass the important protections in this Act.

Michigan Accepting Comments on Drinking Water Standard for PFAS Chemicals

The State of Michigan has proposed rules to set drinking water standards for the toxic chemicals called PFAS. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division are holding three public hearings on the proposed rules that would establish how much of seven PFAS compounds can be in your drinking water.

Don’t miss your chance to provide your comments about these important rules. You can attend one of three meetings or submit your comments in writing by Friday, January 31, 2020, to EGLE-PFAS-RuleMaking@Michigan.gov.  Visit our website for tips on submitting comments.

Side by Side Comparison of the World’s Greatest Lakes

This cool infographic compares the World’s 25 largest lakes, showing them side by side.  What is obvious is that our five Great Lakes–Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior are truly amazing with 20% of the world’s surface freshwater.

Steel Rod left in Straits of Mackinac Moves 150 feet due to  Currents

Enbridge Energy recently removed a 45-foot steel rod that was dropped in November while collecting bedrock samples for the proposed tunnel.  The approximately 250-pound rod moved 150-feet in two-months time from the strong currents and was found adjacent to the west leg of the pipeline.  The disposal of the rod was a violation of the Great Lakes Submerged Lands Act although no fine was imposed.

Erosion Endangers Goderich, ON Water Treatment Plant

High water levels are wreaking havoc all over the Great Lakes region.  Goderich, Ontario recently armored its drinking water treatment plant located about 100 feet from the water’s edge, to protect it from rising lake levels and erosion.  The stone brought in from Owen Sound will cost upwards of $1.5 million, a costly bill for the community of 10,000 residents.

Update on Green Ooze in Detroit

The owner of the Madison Heights electro-plating facility responsible for the pollution went to prison last week to begin a one-year sentence for illegally storing hazardous waste. The discovery of the hexavalent chromium waste renewed interest in adopting polluter pay bills introduced last year in Michigan and criticism of state and Federal oversight of the cleanup at the facility.

PFAS Test Kits – GIFT a KIT!
Freshwater Future believes everyone has a right to know what is in their drinking water, regardless of what’s in their wallets. We have partnered with the University of Michigan Biological Station and other donors to offer PFAS testing for homes on private wells at reduced rates. You can help make our kits even more accessible by selecting Gift a Kit at check out. We’ll use your donation to send a kit to someone else as part of our “Pay What You Can Program”. Get (or gift) your test kits today!

Grant Funding Available for Habitat Restoration

Sustain Our Great Lakes announced the request for grant proposals to restore and enhance aquatic habitats.  Grant funding will be awarded in five categories:

  • Restore and Enhance Stream and Riparian Habitat
  • Restore and Enhance Coastal Wetland Habitat
  • Expand Green Stormwater Infrastructure in Great Lakes Communities
  • Maintain and Enhance the Benefits of Habitat Restoration through Invasive Species Control
  • Restore and Preserve Natural Areas and Biodiversity in Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan Watershed

A webinar on January 16, 2020, at 11 am ET will provide more information on the grant program.

Original Article

Blog – Freshwater Future

Blog – Freshwater Future

https://freshwaterfuture.org/uncategorized/freshwater-weekly-january-9th-2020/

Alexis Smith