BUFFALO, N.Y. — On Friday, state and local leaders held a press conference to discuss $2.6 billion in federal funding that would improve water infrastructure and replace lead pipes in New York State.
Buffalo has one of the highest rates of childhood lead exposure in the nation with 100 miles of lead pipes.
The funding for this project comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand was one of many who visited Buffalo Friday for a roundtable discussions with several local mayors assembly members and other local leaders to discuss the funding. Among those leaders were Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Congressman Brian Higgins, Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, State Senator Tim Kennedy, Assemblymember Bill Conrad, Assemblymember Karen McMahon, County Executive PJ Wendel, Lockport Mayor Michelle Roman, Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas, Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, and Tonawanda Mayor John White.
Lead is commonly found in older homes and buildings, as well as in areas with aging water supplies. Exposure can cause a variety of serious health and developmental issues, and is particularly a concern for pregnant women and children.
The IIJA investment would help improve water infrastructure and replace the roughly 360,000 lead service pipes across New York State.
“New Yorkers have the right to expect clean and safe water when they turn on their faucets,” Gillibrand said. “But in Buffalo, lead contamination is still widespread, putting residents at risk of kidney damage, brain damage, miscarriage, and a number of other devastating health problems. We have to do more to keep our communities safe. That’s why I’m proud to be delivering $2.6 billion in federal funding to improve water infrastructure in our state and get hazardous lead pipes out of New York’s homes, schools, and workplaces. This is a historic investment in our aging infrastructure and in the health and well-being of our most vulnerable. I’ll keep fighting to bring federal dollars home to New York and revitalize our neighborhoods.”
New York has the fourth highest number of lead service lines in the nation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA reports the state has as many as 10 million lead pipes that are still servicing homes and business across the country.