The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected 10 communities to be involved in virtual roundtable discussions on the EPA’s Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) Revisions. The roundtables will foster dialogue on the experience of communities that are affected by lead in drinking water as the agency reviews the LCR to ensure that it supports EPA’s priorities.
EPA’s Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox said: “Under the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA is committed to ensuring that the revised Lead and Copper Rule protects communities from lead—especially lower income people, communities of color, and other vulnerable population. These roundtable discussions will highlight the challenge of lead in drinking water facing hundreds of communities, from big cities to small towns.”
EPA’s community roundtables will kick-off on June 3, 2021 with Pittsburgh, Pa. The agency will also host roundtables with Newark, N.J.; Washington, D.C.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Chicago, Ill.; Benton Harbor and Highland Park, Mich. (combined); Flint and Detroit, Mich. (combined); Malden, Mass.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Newburgh, N.Y. The community roundtables will include local public water utilities, community organizations, environmental groups, and public officials. The roundtables will be live-streamed.
In addition to these geographically focused roundtables, EPA will also host national stakeholder roundtables with drinking water utilities, intergovernmental associations, environmental organisations, environmental justice organizations, public health organisations, and consumer associations. In July 2021, EPA will also host a Tribal roundtable discussion and a national co-regulator meeting with primacy agencies to discuss the feedback received from communities and stakeholders.
Members of the public may also submit comments via the docket at: http://www.regulations.gov, Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 until June 30, 2021.
Additional information on the virtual roundtables, including how to watch, will be available at: https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/lead-and-copper-rule-revisions-virtual-engagements.
