FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2023
CONTACT:
Steven Fantes, Public Affairs Manager
617-817-1297 and steven.fantes@environmentalprotectionnetwork.org
Former EPA Director of Science and Technology Responds to Proposed LCR Improvements
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed significant improvements to the Trump-era Lead and Copper rule. Coupled with recent federal funding to assist communities with lead service line replacement and EPA community-based technical assistance, the proposed new requirements will result in the replacement of all lead pipes in the country within 10 years.
In response, Dr. Elizabeth Southerland, a volunteer with the Environmental Protection Network and former Director of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water, released the following statement:
“If EPA finalizes the proposed requirements, the main source of lead in drinking water will finally be eliminated. Getting the lead out of drinking water will be a big victory for public health as lead is a highly toxic pollutant that affects the IQ and behavior of children and increases the risk of heart attacks and stroke in adults. Lead pipe replacement will also be an economic boon for communities, generating thousands of new jobs.”
Dr. Southerland is available to speak to the media about the proposed improvements to the lead and copper rule and the effects it will have on public health and the environment.
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About Dr. Elizabeth Southerland: Dr. Southerland was with the EPA for 30 years, serving as Director of Science and Technology in EPA’s Office of Water before retiring in 2017. She has remained active on environmental issues as a member of the Environmental Protection Network and regularly testifies before Congress about clean water issues, PFAS, and emerging, unregulated contaminants.
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ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION NETWORK
Founded in 2017, the Environmental Protection Network (EPN) harnesses the expertise of approximately 600 former EPA career staff and confirmation-level appointees from Democratic and Republican administrations to provide the unique perspective of former regulators with decades of historical knowledge and subject matter expertise.