U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. said earlier this week that New Jersey will receive $66.1 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants in drinking water, including PFAS.
This investment will be made available to communities as grants through a new program, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program. The funding will help expand access to safe and clean water in overburdened communities, including through the installation of water treatment technologies and water monitoring.
As then-chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone (D-6th Dist.) ensured enactment of key provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for drinking water infrastructure, including $15 billion for the replacement of lead water lines and $10 billion to address PFAS contamination, including $5 billion for disadvantaged communities.
“Safe drinking water is a basic human right. That’s why I fought to ensure that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included significant funding to address PFAS contamination, especially in overburdened communities, and I’m glad to see that funding continues to make its way to New Jersey to do just that,” Pallone said. “New Jersey has some of the highest levels of PFAS contamination in the country. While the state is working to address this public health threat by adopting protective state drinking water standards and pursuing natural resource damage cases, I’ve led efforts in Congress to address these toxic chemicals and ensure that everyone can trust the water coming out of the tap.”
