skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, March 17, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump administration deports hundreds of immigrants, even as a judge orders removals be stopped; Sierra Club sues DOGE over mass firings; Lack of opportunity pushes rural Gen Zers in AZ out of their communities; Fixing one problem, creating another? Ohio's lead pipe replacements.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Secretary of State Rubio pledges more arrests like that of student activist Mahmoud Khalil. Former EPA directors sound the alarm on Lee Zeldin's deregulation plans, and lack of opportunity is pushing rural Gen Zers out of their communities.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

PA replacing lead water pipes to ensure safe drinking water

play audio
Play

Monday, February 10, 2025   

Pennsylvania is working to eliminate lead pipes under the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, which require most lead pipes to be removed within ten years.

The EPA estimates that 10% to 20% of human exposure to lead may come from drinking water.

Mora McLaughlin - construction communications project manager with Pittsburgh Water - said it aims to meet benchmarks such as replacing lead service lines and improving corrosion control, using a prioritization model to allocate resources effectively, especially in neighborhoods that are most at need or at risk for lead contamination.

"Neighborhoods that perhaps cannot afford to do this, or it will be a financial burden to do it," said McLaughlin, "areas where we know there are a lot of children, and areas where we know there are elevated blood lead levels in children, those are the main factors that we look at that we then develop our program from."

McLaughlin noted that Pennsylvania has received more than $90 million in low-interest loans through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act - for replacing lead pipes with copper, achieving an average of 1,500 replacements annually.

McLaughlin said the neighborhood lead service line replacement programs allocate contract construction crews to inspect and replace any discovered lead lines.

This initiative covers both public and private sections at no cost to the customer.

"But Pittsburgh is an old city, so we have a lot of aging infrastructure - not just on the service line but on some of our water mains as well," said McLaughlin. "So we have an annual program that identifies aging or undersized water mains, and we replace those as well, to the tune of about six to 12 miles per year. "

Maureen Cunningham - chief strategy officer and director of water with Environmental Policy Innovation Center - said new legislation now prioritizes replacing lead pipes, to reduce and potentially eliminate lead in drinking water.

She added that lead is a neurotoxin and can result in many health issues.

"There's basically no safe level of lead in drinking water for human health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and multiple other health organizations," said Cunningham. "Lead can actually accumulate in the body over time and be stored in the bones. It can during pregnancy, pass from the mother to the fetus or infant."

Cunningham added that the U.S. needs $1.2 trillion for water infrastructure upgrades, including $625 billion for drinking water alone, as aging systems require replacement.


Disclosure: Environmental Policy Innovation Center contributes to our fund for reporting on Climate Change/Air Quality, Environment, Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Trash 2 Trends designers create runway looks from items headed to the landfill. Proceeds from the event fund recycling initiatives, litter prevention and community beautification in Orlando. (Trimmel Gomes)

Environment

play sound

What if your trash could be the key to a more sustainable wardrobe? The group Keep Orlando Beautiful is proving it is possible with its annual "Trash…


Social Issues

play sound

As the Trump administration continues to implement aggressive immigration policies, many Hispanic residents in Florida, a key voting bloc for Trump…

Social Issues

play sound

Cuts to the U.S. education system are expected to create a profound ripple effect on students and staff in Hamtramck's already struggling school …


Bobcats are elusive, native predators known for their sharp senses and solitary nature, typically hunting at dawn or dusk. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Indiana's Natural Resources Commission will decide this week whether to allow bobcat trapping, giving Hoosiers one last chance to weigh in. The …

Environment

play sound

Local leaders in California are slamming the Trump administration's moves to gut dozens of environmental policies on climate change and pollution in l…

PVC pipes are commonly joined by elastomeric sealing connections or solvent cement. These solvent cements can expose workers to hazardous chemicals such as tetrahydrofuran, a carcinogen. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Ohioans are seeing changes in their water infrastructure as cities work to replace lead service lines, a requirement under federal regulations…

Environment

play sound

Clean-energy advocates in Texas are closely monitoring a bill before the Legislature that, if passed, could stop the development and operation of …

Environment

play sound

The Sierra Club is taking the Trump administration to court, joining a slew of legal challenges over the mass firings of federal workers. Sierra …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021