California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a coalition of states to defend the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The LCRI, effective since December 30, aims to replace the Trump Administration's previous rule, which had weakened drinking water standards. The Biden Administration's LCRI seeks to enhance these standards by mandating nationwide replacement of lead pipes within a decade.
"Access to clean, safe drinking water is an essential right, yet millions of Americans still are exposed to dangerous levels of lead in their drinking water," stated Attorney General Bonta. "It’s unacceptable. That’s why I, alongside several attorneys general across the nation, are defending the Biden Administration’s rule, which includes critical safeguards for the health and well-being of our communities by ensuring access to safe drinking water and replacement of hazardous lead pipes."
The original Lead and Copper Rule was established in 1991 to protect public health by reducing exposure to lead and copper in drinking water. Lead exposure is particularly harmful to children and can cause various health issues such as learning disabilities and developmental delays. The EPA maintains that no level of lead in drinking water is safe.
Lead typically enters drinking water through corrosion of plumbing materials containing lead or brass. This issue disproportionately affects low-income communities and communities of color due to older infrastructure more likely served by lead pipes.
The Biden Administration's LCRI introduces revisions aimed at minimizing lead exposure from drinking water. In contrast, the first Trump Administration's 2021 Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) included provisions that reduced public health protections. A multistate coalition previously sued the Trump Administration over these revisions, but the lawsuit was paused during the Biden Administration's review process.
The LCRI mandates replacing lead pipes within ten years and lowers the action level for lead from 15 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion in residential tap water samples. Health experts anticipate these measures will significantly reduce lead exposure from drinking water.
Attorney General Bonta joins his counterparts from New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia in this legal defense effort.
A copy of the motion is available for public access.