NJ Democrat Leaders Rally Around Newark’s Lead Pipe Milestone

NEWARK, NJ — Vice President Kamala Harris and other high-profile Democratic Party leaders have been rallying behind a major milestone in Newark: the replacement of more than 23,000 lead service pipes throughout the city.

“Newark is such an important place in our country for so many reasons … in terms of its history, vitality, in terms of its contribution to who we are as a nation,” Harris said during a visit to the Brick City on Friday.

“And this has been a longstanding issue,” she added. Read More: Lead Pipes And Newark: Kamala Harris Returns To NJ To Praise City

Three years ago, Newark made national headlines when it confronted a lead water crisis. Local officials eventually traced some of the contamination back to lead-lined service pipes leading to thousands of local homes. The pipes, which connect local homes and businesses to the local water supply, can potentially leach contamination as water passes through them. A portion of the pipes were privately owned, complicating efforts to replace them.

To fight the contamination, Newark began the daunting task of replacing every such pipe in the city at no cost to residents, an effort that finally ended this month – and which got a big round of applause from the vice president.

According to Harris, the city cut through red tape and made the pipe replacement project a top priority, and effort that makes Newark a “role model.”

“I thank you for that,” Harris emphasized.

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The vice president isn’t the only Democratic leader to come out with a big round of applause for Newark.

Gov. Phil Murphy said the water crisis in Newark sparked a national conversation regarding the best path forward from the dangers of lead exposure in drinking water.

“With funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we will address this issue across the state and ensure safe drinking water flows to every New Jersey family,” Murphy said. “I encourage others to look to New Jersey as a model for how major infrastructure projects can be done successfully, with residents and communities at the forefront of the conversation.”

• See related article: NJ Is Replacing Its Lead Water Pipes – All Of Them
• See related article: Other New Jersey Towns Can Learn From Newark's Lead Pipe Project

Speaking at a roundtable before Harris’ arrival in New Jersey on Friday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker called the city’s milestone a “glorious day.”

“Today, the City of Newark marks the successful completion of an ambitious three-year project to replace thousands of lead service lines at no cost to residents,” Booker said.

It didn’t come without a battle, however, the senator said.

“Newark has always had to fight for everything that we’ve gotten,” said Booker, who lives in the city. “We’ve had to fight for justice because we are amidst environmental injustices that go back generations of people who stole from our city by pouring pollutants into our air, into our water.”

“The powerful thing about this moment in American history and Newark history is that we have this complete alignment of leaders – many of them who now live in our community – who are aligned and fighting not against each other, but in a symphony,” Booker said.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez also called Newark a national model for how to carry out a big water infrastructure project.

“Access to clean drinking water is a fundamental necessity of life and a building block for healthy kids and healthy communities,” Menendez said. “This project is a testament to what can be accomplished through the collaboration and partnership of local, state, county, and federal government.”

U.S. Rep. Albio Sires, who represents part of the city in the 8th District, commended Newark for replacing its lead service lines in under three years – “without charging residents a dime.”

“With the partnership of Gov. Murphy and the Biden-Harris administration, I’m confident other cities in New Jersey will do the same,” Sires said.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., who serves as chair of the House energy and commerce committee, said the results in Newark are what happens when people recognize that safe drinking water is a basic human right.

“Unfortunately, communities across the country and right here in New Jersey still need funding to replace lead service lines, which is why the bipartisan infrastructure law includes $15 billion for states to do just that,” Pallone said.

• See related article: Infrastructure Bill Delivers $169M In Water Funds For New Jersey

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who represents the city in the 10th District, called the announcement “a great day for Newark.”

The city’s water woes hit him on a personal level, Payne said.

“When I heard about Newark’s water issues, I contacted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and asked them to make sure the city had enough bottled water,” Payne recalled. “Then I helped hand out bottled water to Newark residents at the Bo Porter Sports Complex and the Boylan Street Recreation Center.”

“No issue is more important than clean drinking water,” the congressman added.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said that after the city approved a $75 million bond for the project to begin in June 2018, the county backed up the effort by helping it nail down an additional $120 million.

“Replacing the lead service lines in the City of Newark was a public health crisis that was too important to wait the 10 years it was predicted to take to replace all 23,000 lines,” DiVincenzo said. “That’s why I extended our AAA bond rating to Newark, which enabled the city to obtain the necessary financing up front at reduced borrowing costs.”

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka thanked his fellow Democrats for their praise, and said the project is a milestone for the city.

“Less than three years ago, we put the first shovels in the ground with the goal of replacing all 23,000 lead service lines,” Baraka said Friday. “Today, we are here to say we have replaced all known lead service lines, and we are confident in saying no city has replaced as many lines as fast with no charge to residents.”

New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Teresa Ruiz, who represents Newark and Belleville, agreed that what transpired in the city was “nothing short of a success story.”

“This concerted effort consisted of enabling legislation, that I proudly sponsored, as well as the county executive’s commitment and Essex County’s Triple A bond rating to secure the funding, the mayor’s leadership in executing a direct and timely plan, and the dedicated support of the governor,” Ruiz said.

“Along with the resiliency and cooperation of Newark residents, we’ve been able to respond to a major issue in record time, in a manner that can be emulated around the country,” Ruiz added. “I’m hopeful that the federal initiative and other states can see similar success.”

The Brick City’s milestone also got a compliment from state Sen. Troy Singleton, a supporter of New Jersey's historic environmental justice law and lead service line replacement law.

“Newark has led the way in prioritizing lead service line replacement, demonstrating that everyone – regardless of income, race, or socioeconomic status – deserves the right to drink clean water,” Singleton said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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