Congresswoman Terri Sewell announced that the State of Alabama will receive $52,638,000 in federal grant dollars from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address emerging contaminants in drinking water.
This funding was made possible by the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better Infrastructure Act. This is part of the EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program, designed to promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities.
“I am thrilled that the Environmental Protection Agency is providing over $52 million to Alabama communities to expand access to clean water in our rural and underserved communities,” said Rep. Sewell. “I am proud to be the only member of the Alabama Congressional Delegation to vote in favor of President [Joe] Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law because grant programs like this will make a world of difference in the lives of Alabamians. Every American deserves access to safe and clean water, and this investment is a transformative step forward.”
Specifically, there is a concern by the federal government that there may be excessive Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water across Alabama. It is possible that ingesting PFAS could cause increased cholesterol levels, changes in liver enzymes, hormone disruption and increased risk for thyroid disease, decreased odds of women becoming pregnant, and/or high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.
The infrastructure bill invests $5 billion over five years to help communities reduce PFAS in drinking water. EPA announced that the funds are part of an allotment of $2 billion to states and territories that can be used to prioritize infrastructure and source water treatment for pollutants like PFAS and other emerging contaminants and to conduct water quality testing.
“EPA’s Emerging Contaminants Grant Program is a solid community investment for the Southeast region,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman. “The expansion of safe and clean water access to small, rural, and disadvantaged communities is crucial to the protection of human health and the environment.”
EPA is also releasing the Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Implementation document. The implementation document provides states and communities with the information necessary to use this funding to address local water quality and public health challenges. These grants will enable communities to improve local water infrastructure and reduce emerging contaminants in drinking water by implementing solutions such as installing necessary treatment solutions.
In addition to this new grant, EPA is also working to propose a PFAS NPDWR in the coming weeks. The draft proposed rule is currently undergoing interagency review, and EPA will issue the proposed rule for public comment when it clears the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The agency anticipates finalizing the rule by the end of 2023.
The infrastructure bill, the American Rescue Plan Act and the 2023 omnibus spending bill passed in December all have new funds to address water systems. Access to clean drinking water has been an issue in many communities in rural Alabama, including in the Black Belt.
Terri Sewell is in her seventh term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District.
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