Water Infrastructure is a Threat to Public Health and the Environment
NRDC: Water Infrastructure is a Threat to Public Health and the Environment
WASHINGTON – The summer’s epic hurricanes have underscored the need for the federal government to make a major investment in water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, Larry Levine, a senior attorney in NRDC’s Water Program, told Congress today.
“The scale of the need is so vast,” Levine testified, “that without a large and lasting commitment of new funds from the federal government – leveraged with additional funds from the states – our communities will not be able to fund the investment they so badly need to bring their water systems into the 21st Century.”
Levine cited recent flooding after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in Texas and Florida, which submerged wastewater treatment plants, knocked out drinking water supplies and spilled sewage into waterways, streets and neighborhoods. He called for reinstating the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, which President Trump revoked in August.
He offered a series of recommendations to increase funding, upgrade infrastructure, provide access to safe and affordable water and sewer services and keep waterways free of harmful pollution.
Levine’s written testimony before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment is here: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/larry-levine-testifies-house-transportation-and-infrastructure-committee-subcommittee
The text of Levine’s oral comments delivered to the subcommittee follow: https://www.nrdc.org/resources/larry-levine-testifies-house-transportation-and-infrastructure-committee-subcommittee
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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.