Harris touts infrastructure law in N.J.
Lead pipe replacement program could be model
NEWARK, N.J. — The success of New Jersey’s biggest city at replacing nearly 24,000 lead drinking water pipes can serve as a national model and shows why infrastructure spending is vital, Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday in Newark.
Harris attended a roundtable discussion along side Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Gov. Phil Murphy, Mayor Ras Baraka and other officials and residents.
Newark recently replaced lead service lines, a project expected to take up to a decade, in under three years, according to city and state officials, making the city an “example and role model of what cities around our country are capable of doing,” Harris said.
Her visit marks the start of what she said was a “road show” around the country to talk about the importance of removing lead pipes and to promote the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation President Joe Biden signed into law in November.
The measure contains $15 billion for lead pipe removal and replacement, with $3 billion going out this year.
It also comes in a midterm election year when Democrats are on the defensive after warning signs in last year’s elections and eager to point to examples of government successes.
Lead pipes are a legacy of aging infrastructure across the country, and removing and replacing them has proven to be a challenge as some states and utilities confront a lack of clear inventories. It’s also a pricey problem to fix.
New Jersey is getting a $1 billion infusion from the federal bipartisan legislation, but it’s a fraction of the estimated $30 billion in funds needed to complete the overhaul, according to state environmental regulators.