Grijalva Urges Immediate Action to Protect Arizona’s Water Supplies

WASHINGTON, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) sent a letter to Arizona Governor Doug Ducey urging immediate action to protect Arizona’s water supplies from lead and copper exposure. Grijalva’s letter comes after the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) provided Governor Ducey’s office with a list of prudent steps the State should take to ensure proper compliance with the Lead and Copper Rule, a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act that helps safeguard drinking water supplies from lead and copper contamination.

Grijalva’s letter reads in part:

[T]he State of Arizona has assumed primary responsibility under the Safe Drinking Water Act for protecting our State’s public water systems and drinking water supplies. It is critically important that the State government take every appropriate measure to ensure the safety of our State’s water supplies.

Rep. Grijalva released the following statement:

“Recent events in Flint, Michigan underscore the importance of responsible stewardship when it comes to the water we drink, cook with and bathe in,” Rep. Grijalva said. “Images of innocent communities stricken with cases of irreversible neurological damage, behavioral problems and kidney damage make it clear to every American that water policy is intricately linked to public health. The people of Arizona deserve peace of mind in knowing that Governor Ducey is taking every action available to him to ensure their safe and secure access to water, and I urge him to provide them that by acting quickly on EPA’s recommendations. I am happy to assist the State in any way possible to meet these goals in a timely and efficient manner.”

Rep. Grijalva’s letter to Governor Ducey, and EPA’s letter are available here.