The Biden administration announced a sweeping new rule Tuesday that orders billions of dollars of utility work to remove lead water pipes, a move that could ultimately help define President Joe Biden’s environmental legacy.
The EPA rule gives cities and towns 10 years to remove and replace lead pipes.
It comes a decade after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, put a national spotlight on lead contamination and 38 years after the federal government banned lead pipes in new buildings.
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Biden will discuss the new requirement and funding available for states to dig out lead pipes Tuesday afternoon in Milwaukee. Questions remain about whether the plan would remain in place under a Trump administration.
