New resources secured by Georgia’s senators will safeguard families in Atlanta’s English Avenue & Vine City neighborhoods from potential lead exposure
As of 2019, with a population of only 3,558, as many as 2,000 residential properties in the communities may have soil contaminated with lead
ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock joined EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Friday to announce the Georgia investment – MORE HERE
Senator Reverend Warnock on EPA’s Westside Lead site investment during press call: “This accelerated timeline would not be possible without this historic investment”
Senators Reverend Warnock, Ossoff secured this investment through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Senator Reverend Warnock: “As a voice for Georgia in the Senate I’m committed to environmental justice, and I’m so proud to see these funds flow to this critical project in our state that is going to promote better health, a cleaner environment, and better outcomes for hardworking Georgians.”
Washington D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) announced new resources to protect Georgia’s children and families from lead poisoning through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Senators worked with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to dispatch new resources to Atlanta’s English Avenue and Vine City neighborhoods, after hearing concerns about lead contamination caused by constructions sites and other industrial projects. The funds will help expedite removal of contaminated soil found in families’ properties and other locations in the community, especially in locations where children live and frequently play.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Westside Lead project will ensure the EPA can accelerate the removal of lead from people’s properties,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock. “As a voice for Georgia in the Senate I’m committed to environmental justice, and I’m so proud to see these funds flow to this critical project in our state that is going to promote better health, a cleaner environment, and better outcomes for hardworking Georgians.”
“Above all this is about children’s health,” said Senator Jon Ossoff. “Senator Warnock and I are delivering this historic public health and environmental cleanup effort for Atlanta’s Westside. I thank President Biden, Administrator Regan, and Southeast Regional Administrator Blackman for their support. No family in Georgia should live in fear for lead contamination.”
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as many as 2,000 properties in Westside may have lead-contaminated soil — particularly concerning for a community where many families grow food on their own property. The new resources will enable the EPA to inspect the community’s history of lead contamination and help protect children from future exposure to the harmful metal. Young children are most at risk for possible lead poisoning and can absorb as much as four to five times more lead from their environments into their bodies than adults, according to the World Health Organization; this can lead to several long-term health issues, such as anemia, lower levels of concentration or self-control, and weakened intelligence. During a Friday morning press call with EPA Administrator Michael Regan, Senator Warnock highlighted the importance of the funding going to the Westside Lead Superfund Site to lead cleanup and contamination removal, and how the funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law expedited this critical work.
Senator Warnock has long advocated for environmental policies that benefit and include all communities. In the Water Resource Development Act passed during the last Congress, Senator Warnock secured a new $75 million authorization for environmental infrastructure investment in rural and economically disadvantaged communities across Georgia, which also included other major infrastructure and environment victories for Georgia. Senator Warnock also worked to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, which included an unprecedented $370 billion in federal dollars to tackle climate change.
Read more about the Westside Lead site HERE.
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