Gillibrand pushes for funds for cleanup of tainted water

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The City of Newburgh and other municipalities with contaminated drinking water supplies would have as much as $240 million more in federal cleanup grant funds under legislation being pushed by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
On Tuesday Gillibrand advocated for passage of the “Contaminant and Lead Electronic Accounting and Reporting Requirements for Drinking Water Act,” which was introduced in the U.S. Senate on July 11.
Available grant money to help municipalities meet Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and test their water systems would increase from the current $60 million to $230 million in the 2019 fiscal year and $300 million in fiscal years 2020 through 2023.
“Clean water is something that every New Yorker should have access to,” Gillibrand said.
“But we see that isn’t the case.” The legislation would also expand Environmental Protection Agency reporting requirements to include the listing of public systems in violation of safe water standards or with an exemption from national regulations.
It would also authorize the EPA to provide technical assistance to municipalities whose water supplies violate Safe Drinking Water Act requirements and create a database of health results for lead and other contaminants.

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