Flint Water Crisis

Floor Speech

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Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, tonight I rise to speak about the pressing need to invest in our aging infrastructure across this great country, especially drinking water infrastructure.

What makes the ongoing crisis in Flint so tragic is that it was preventable. Steps could have and should have been taken over months and even years that would have prevented the poisoning of the citizens of Flint. Because these steps were not taken, efforts to mitigate the effects of lead exposure and repair the damage will be necessary for many years to come.

Our drinking water supply is largely dependent on systems built decades ago that are now deteriorating. Many of the pipes in some of our older cities were installed before World War II, and many are made of lead. The EPA estimates about 10 million homes and buildings are serviced with lead lines.

The American Water Works Association has said that we are entering ``the replacement era.'' Water systems are reaching the end of their lifespan, and we must replace them. We have no choice.

If we want to simply maintain our current levels of water service, experts estimate a cost of at least $1 trillion over the next two decades. That is why it is so important that we pass a new Water Resources Development Act, or WRDA. We now have the opportunity and the ability to dedicate resources to Flint and to communities dealing with infrastructure challenges all across our country.

The Environment and Public Works Committee listened to water experts, State and local elected officials, and the shipping industry, as well as stakeholders, to craft a WRDA bill that makes crucial infrastructure investments in drinking and wastewater projects as well as our ports and our waterways.

My friend Senator Debbie Stabenow and I were proud to work with Senator Jim Inhofe and Senator Barbara Boxer to include bipartisan measures that would include emergency aid to address the contamination crisis in Flint and provide assistance to our communities across our country facing similar infrastructure challenges.

The Flint aid package included in the bipartisan WRDA bill includes direct funding for water infrastructure emergencies and critical funding for programs to combat the health complications from lead exposure. This includes a drinking water lead exposure registry and a lead exposure advisory committee to track and address long-term health effects.

Additionally, funding for national childhood health efforts, such as the childhood lead prevention poisoning program, would be increased in this bill.

The Water Resources Development Act also includes funding for secured loans through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, or WIFIA program. This financing mechanism was created by Congress in 2014 in a bipartisan effort to provide low-interest financing for large- scale water infrastructure projects. These loans will be available to States and municipalities all across our country.

There are also a number of other important provisions in this year's WRDA bill. It promotes restoration of our great lakes and great waters, which include ecosystems such as the Great Lakes, Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, and many more.

In fact, the bill includes an authorization of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative through the year 2021, which has been absolutely essential to Great Lakes cleanup efforts in recent years. It is important to know that the Great Lakes provide drinking water for over 40 million people.

The WRDA bill also will modernize our ports, improve the condition of our harbors and waterways, and keep our economy moving.

A saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin rings especially true with this WRDA bill. He said: ``An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'' If we make the necessary infrastructure investments now, we will preserve clean water, save taxpayer money in the long run, and protect American families from the dangerous health impacts of aging lead pipes.

The Environment and Public Works Committee passed the Water Resources Development Act with strong, overwhelming bipartisan support last month. This bill is ready for consideration by the full Senate, and communities across our country--including the families of Flint--are waiting for us to act.

I am hopeful that this body will do just that in the coming weeks, and I urge my colleagues to prioritize this commonsense, bipartisan infrastructure bill for a vote on the Senate floor.

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