A bipartisan measure would require Ohio to eliminate its hundreds of thousands of lead water pipes, but lawmakers need to find a way to fund the program expected to cost billions.
House Bill 307, the Lead Line Replacement Act, would require the state to replace all lead water pipes within 15 years. However, according to reports, the plan could cost upward of $5 billion.
“Lead water lines are a relic of the past, however, despite the danger we know these facilities present, they are still in use all across our state,” Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, said in prepared testimony to the House Development Committee. “The data on this issue is clear, no amount of lead exposure is safe for our children, and the key to avoiding dangerous exposure is to prevent the consumption and inhalation of lead particles.”
Blasdel co-sponsored the measure with House Assistant Minority Leader Dontavius L. Jarrells, D-Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch reported that Jarrells suffered lead poisoning as a child.
“Back then, I didn’t know the name of this silent threat that invaded our home,” WCMH-TV quoted Jarrells. “I didn’t know that it would show up in our doctor’s office, I didn’t know it would show up in my speech therapy class," she said.
“This is silently killing our children and futures of Ohio,” Jarrells added, according to the station’s report. “Nearly 4,000 of Ohio’s children are tested for high levels of lead poisoning, and the number is likely higher because of the reality that not every child in this state is tested.”
There are an estimated 745,000 lead service lines across the Buckeye State. The measure would require the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency director to establish a Lead Service Line Replacement Program to replace all lead service lines in the state.
WCMH reported that the 745,000 lead water service lines in Ohio total roughly 8% of all lead pipes in the country. According to the report, the Buckeye State ranks third in the number of lead pipes, trailing only Illinois and Florida.
“Replacing each of these will be a challenging task but one we firmly believe is attainable,” Blasdel said.
“This bill would mandate local water providers to work with the state to identify these lines, develop a plan to replace these lines with safe alternatives, and execute this plan over a 15-year period. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will be responsible for the establishment and oversight of this program, and we are confident in their ability to enact the mandate this legislation will create," she said.
“An undertaking of this size will require the full co-operation and human capital, that our government officials and utility partners have to offer, but we are sure, this effort is a responsible and worthwhile one,” Blasdel added. “Lead service line replacement is a smart investment for the state, which will provide an estimated return of $32 to $45 dollars for every one dollar invested. Moreover, we have a moral obligation to fix the known problem that confronts us.”
While replacing Ohio’s lead pipes likely has broad support, lawmakers must determine how to fund the plan. A leading lawmaker told a Columbus newspaper that such a plan could cost $5 billion.
“I think if someone wants to do that, I think they have to come forward with a plan other than, ‘Let’s do it. It’s going to cost $5 billion. We’ll let somebody else figure out the details,’” the Columbus Dispatch said Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima,. “The rest of the story has to be explained by people who want to do stuff like that.”
