Attorney General Kaul Joins Multistate Coalition to Defend Lead and Copper Rule Improvements
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul joined a multistate coalition to intervene to defend the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2024 Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI). The LCRI, which went into effect on December 30, replaced the first Trump Administration’s rule, the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR), which had weakened existing drinking water standards for lead exposure. The current LCRI strengthens the original Lead and Copper Rule by implementing more stringent standards to ensure safe drinking water, most importantly a requirement for water systems to replace lead pipes nationwide within 10 years. The LCRI is being challenged by American Water Works Association.
Enacted in 1991, the Lead and Copper Rule is designed to protect public health and safety by reducing the harmful exposure to lead and copper in drinking water. Lead, a highly toxic heavy metal, can adversely affect almost every organ and bodily system. It is particularly dangerous for children since their developing brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to its damaging effects. Lead exposure can cause a range of health problems, including premature birth, learning disabilities, delayed physical development for children, and cardiovascular and kidney problems for adults. The EPA has determined that no amount of lead in drinking water is safe.
Most lead enters drinking water from corrosion of pipes, faucets, fixtures, and solder that contain lead or brass, and is exacerbated if water quality parameters such as alkalinity and mineral content are not carefully controlled to minimize corrosion. Dangerous levels of lead are disproportionately found in low-income communities and communities of color, which typically have older houses and drinking water infrastructure and are more likely to be served by lead pipes.
The current LCRI contains important, health protective revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule to further minimize lead exposure from drinking water. For example, it includes a requirement to replace lead pipes within 10 years, and the lowering of the lead action level – the concentration of lead found in residential tap water samples which triggers corrosion control and other requirements – from 15 to 10 parts per billion. The first Trump Administration’s 2021 LCRR, in contrast, contained several provisions that weakened public health protections, such as reducing the required rate of lead pipe replacement from that of the Lead and Copper Rule.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Lead Crisis
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- Baldwin, Reed Demand Written Answers from RFK, Jr. on Firings of Childhood Lead Poisoning Experts at CDC - U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin - Jun 11th, 2025
- MPS’s LaFollette School Cleared of Lead Risks After Stabilization Work - Milwaukee Public Schools - Jun 11th, 2025
- Sen. Baldwin Hears From Parents About MPS Lead Crisis, Chides RFK Jr. - Evan Casey - Jun 9th, 2025
- Reps. Margaret Arney and Darrin Madison Urge Joint Finance Committee to Reinstate Essential Lead Abatement Funding - State Rep. Margaret Arney - Jun 5th, 2025
- Gov. Evers, DHS Continue Administration’s Efforts to Combat Lead Poisoning Statewide with Permanent Rule - Gov. Tony Evers - May 27th, 2025
- RFK Jr. Claims ‘Team’ Is In Milwaukee Helping With Lead Crisis, Health Department Can’t Find Them - Nick Rommel - May 22nd, 2025
- MPS Announces Starms Early Childhood Center Is Cleared of Lead Dangers - Milwaukee Public Schools - May 21st, 2025
- Milwaukee Has Removed 10,000 Lead Laterals - Graham Kilmer - May 13th, 2025
Read more about Lead Crisis here