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NEWARK – A week in a growing public health crisis brought on by high levels of lead in l & # 39; water, Officials announced Monday a new $ 120 million plan for accelerate the replacement of old service pipes in this city.
New funding will allow city to replace 18,000 buried lead service lines According to the mayor of the city, Ras Baraka, in the next 24 to 30 months, a significant change compared to what city officials had deemed necessary in 10 years.
"We will do it as quickly as humanly possible," Baraka said at a news conference in Newark, alongside some 20 New Jersey officials.
Years of neglect, mismanagement and refusal have plunged this city into one of the most serious environmental crises in an American city in recent years, provoking anger, confusion and frustration among the 285,000 inhabitants of Newark.
Although lead has long been a problem here, the situation has worsened in October, after a series of tests that led to the distribution of faucet water filters – the same filters used in Flint, Michigan – to remove lead that had leached into the water.
But two weeks ago, other tests revealed that some of the filters did not remove enough lead and the city was forced to dispense bottled water.
At the beginning of last week, more than one hundred people were waiting nearly an hour under the hot August sun. looking for bottled water has further eroded the confidence that residents had in what came out of their faucets.
Monday's announcement, however, took place little new information on short-term solutions in Newark.
Baraka said the bottled water distribution will continue as municipal, state and federal agencies continue to test the filters and tap water around the city to determine the extent of the water supply. problem.
He gave no new details on the results of the lead tests conducted in the last two weeks.
Monday's announcement was marked by the growing frustration of local authorities over the federal government's response. Mr. Baraka, Governor Philip D. Murphy and local officials called E.P.A. and officials in Washington to provide financial assistance to Newark in their fight to contain the lead crisis.
"What's missing, it's the federal government," said Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr., Essex County Executive Monday. He turned to Representative Donald Payne Jr., the only congressman present, and said, "You must bring the money home."
"We all know that we must act faster and together to restore the confidence of residents in their water," Mr. Murphy said Monday.
The plan includes the issuance of $ 120 million bonds through the Essex County Improvement Authority. The county, which has a strong Aaa link rating, can borrow funds at lower interest rates than the city itself.
The new round of funding, organized through the Essex County Intermediary, also removes any financial burden for homeowners to replace leading service lines in the city. Under the previous $ 75 million plan that the city started in March, residents would have had to pay a maximum of $ 1,000 for replacement work. This was seen as a blow to a city where the median income is $ 34,826 and nearly 30% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Mr. Baraka also pointed out that, if it were a loan, it would not lead to an increase in taxes. "It's not on the taxpayers' heads," he said.
One of the barriers to large-scale replacement of service lines is that they are often located on private property, meaning that residents must request a replacement and then grant access to the city's contractors. In Newark, where 70% of residents are renters, it can be difficult to locate the owners.
Mr. Baraka said that he was seeking to change this by working with state legislators to create a law or ordinance that would allow city contractors to work on private property and repair service lines in advance. without authorization.
Approximately 800 of Newark's 18,000 service lines have been replaced this year.
"It goes without saying that this is a situation we do not wish for, but that we are determined to do well," Murphy said.
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