Sen. Ed Markey [D-MA]: Drinking Water

EDWARD J. MARKEY MASSACHUSETTS		218 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON, DC 20510 (202) 224-2742
	United States Senate May 27, 2016

Thank you for contacting me about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. It was good to hear from you.

The Flint water crisis, where over 8,000 children were poisoned with lead and over 100,000 Americans remain without safe drinking water, is a historic failure of government to invest in and protect a local water supply.  On January 16, 2016 President Obama declared a federal emergency for Flint, allocating $5 million to assist with the cost of clean up. But recent estimates state this could cost over $50 million and have long lasting effects on the city and its residents.  The people of Flint deserve every resource available to ensure they have clean, safe drinking water.

There are numerous communities across our nation that have experienced years of under-investment in  water infrastructure, especially when it comes to lead pipes.  In the wake of the Flint, Michigan water contamination crisis, I queried the Environmental Protection Agency on its efforts to determine where there may be other communities at risk of drinking water contamination similar to what Flint, Michigan has experienced. The state of Michigan failed to act on an EPA report and EPA warnings that described the problems that would be caused by the failure to add the appropriate anti-corrosive chemicals to drinking water before it entered the city's iron water mains and lead pipe delivery system, which led to an alarming rise in the number of children found to have elevated blood lead levels.

In my letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy I wrote, "the city of Flint is not the only economically stressed city in the United States, many cities still have older lead pipe drinking water delivery systems, and there may exist many potential drinking water contaminants besides lead." I look forward to hearing from Administrator McCarthy.

Unfortunately, too many environmental injustices continue to disproportionately affect communities of color. Our future, our children's future depends on what we do to address today's environmental issues. Many of my Senate colleagues and I believe that the federal government has a critical role to play in both infrastructure investment and the strong drinking water protections provided by the EPA. I have consistently supported more funding for water infrastructure while my colleagues on the other side of the aisle sought to cut it and the EPA's budget.

Countless families in Flint have been forced to worry that their children will suffer lifelong health problems because of lead poisoning. Millions of Americans have come together to donate bottles of clean water but that is only a temporary fix. My colleagues and I think we should come together to help the thousands of Americans suffering through the Flint water crisis. This April, I joined my colleagues in introducing legislation to remove lead from pipes and invest more in our nation's crumbling water infrastructure. The color of your skin, the neighborhood you call home, and your net worth shouldn't determine your availability of clean and safe drinking water. My bill, the CLEARR Drinking Water Act helps ensure the EPA addresses drinking water concerns in disadvantaged communities by allowing the direct request of drinking water quality testing and by initiating partnerships with community and scientific organizations. Additionally, it updates the reporting requirements for water systems that have a violation with the potential have an adverse effect on human health, with the intent to speed up the notification process of the appropriate agencies and affected communities.

Recently, several previsions of my CLEARR Drinking Water Act were incorporated in the Water Resources Development Act, was favorably recommended by the Environment and Public Works Committee. In the Senate, I will continue to fight for legislation that will protect the health of citizens and the environment, and work with my colleagues to pass sensible legislation to address our nation's crumbling water infrastructure and the ongoing situation in Flint.

Thank you again for contacting me about this issue. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.  To sign up for my newsletter, visit http://www.markey.senate.gov/newsletter. You can also follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.  

Sincerely,

Edward J. Markey
United States Senator