Biden-Harris Administration Unveil Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan

This week, the Biden-Harris Administration released its Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan, representing a historic effort to deploy resources from the recently enacted Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to deliver clean drinking water, replace lead pipes, and remediate lead paint. The plan includes over 15 new actions from more than 10 federal agencies with the goal of making rapid progress toward replacing all lead pipes in the U.S. in the next decade.

As part of its plan, the Biden-Harris Administration seeks to partner with local, state, and federal partners to address lead sources, particularly in disadvantaged communities. Among the new actions announced this week are:

• Collaborating with local, state, and federal partners to accelerate the replacement of lead pipes over the next decade;
• CDC closing gaps in childhood lead testing through the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program;
• Establishing a new cabinet-level partnership for lead remediation in schools and childcare centers;
• EPA allocating $3 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for lead service line replacement in 2022 and calling on states to prioritize underserved communities;
• EPA launching new regulatory process to protect communities from lead in drinking water;
• HUD awarding grants to remove lead paint and other home health hazards in low-income communities to protect children and families; and
• HUD, USDA, and DOI committing to remove lead service lines and paint hazards in federally assisted housing.

Funding as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law builds upon $350 billion provided in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that states, localities, and tribes can use for lead pipes and the replacement of faucets and fixtures inside schools and childcare centers.

Additional information, including the full action plan, is available here.