Bill > A3583

Introduced Session

The bill would appropriate $20 million from the societal benefits charge (commonly referred to as the "Clean Energy Fund") to the Department of Environmental Protection to provide funding to the City of Newark, Essex County, to make improvements to the water supply infrastructure in order to address elevated levels of lead found in the drinking water. This bill would provide critical funding to help solve one of the most important environmental problems facing the State, i.e., the decay of critical infrastructure that provides drinking water in order to protect the health and welfare of the State, its citizens, especially children, and the environment. Aging infrastructure and the deterioration of the physical assets of drinking water supply systems present serious risks to the integrity of drinking water and to the health and welfare of the citizens of the State. News reports earlier this year concerning the health crisis related to lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, and more recently, the Department of Environmental Protection advising the Newark Public Schools system to temporarily utilize alternate water sources in 30 district school buildings after recent testing found elevated levels of lead at various water taps, point to the immediate need to address lead abatement in our drinking water in order to protect the public health. Lead in drinking water comes from lead soldering, lead pipes, and leaded brass faucets. Too much lead in the human body can damage the nervous system, brain, and kidneys. Young children are at the greatest risk of toxic effects of lead.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D)*,  Angela Mcknight (D)*,  Elizabeth Muoio (D)*,  Eliana Pintor Marin (D)*,  L. Grace Spencer (D)*,  Cleopatra Tucker (D)*,  Ralph Caputo (D),  Thomas Giblin (D), 

Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee (on 04/04/2016)