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Troy council urges Congress not to roll back federal lead-in-water rules
Summary
The Troy City Council Finance Committee unanimously adopted Resolution 19 urging Congress and the federal administration to preserve recent EPA lead-and-copper protections, after resident Greg Campbell described the health harms of lead exposure and warned that a House joint resolution would remove EPA authority to set new standards.
The Troy City Council Finance Committee on Feb. 20 unanimously adopted a resolution urging federal lawmakers to preserve recent Environmental Protection Agency standards on lead in drinking water and to oppose a congressional rollback of those rules.
Resident Greg Campbell, who spoke during public comment, described the health effects of lead exposure in children and outlined three major changes in the EPA's October 2024 revisions to the Lead and Copper Rule: mandatory testing in schools and child-care facilities, a requirement to submit an inventory of lead service lines to EPA within a set period, and a timeline for completing necessary replacements. He said House Joint Resolution 44, which the local resolution references, would effectively roll back those changes and limit EPA’s ability to establish new standards. "Children ... are sometimes in extreme cases unable to read, unable to speak," Campbell said, arguing the city should support the federal protections.
Why it matters: Council members said the protections are tied to funding and to the city's plan for replacing lead service lines. Council member McLaren, citing Campbell's testimony, said the council should "stand together" to keep the protections intact and noted the city's mayor has promised to replace lead lines during her term. McLaren also emphasized that the council expects any final letter or action to reflect the adopted resolution as presented.
Council discussion and next steps: Council members debated language in the drafted resolution; one council member said the text had been "homogenized by The Corporation Council," a practice they said they would discuss separately. Council members asked how the adopted resolution will be carried to federal officials; the clerk said the city will forward the adopted resolution to the appropriate congressional committees and federal contacts. Administration staff said the city’s inventory and replacement work are ongoing and weather-dependent but described the city’s commitment to the program.
No recorded dissent: The resolution passed unanimously. The clerk will forward the adopted resolution to federal representatives and committees responsible for reviewing the referenced House joint resolution.
The finance committee moved on to other agenda items; the council later reconvened for a special meeting to finalize routine appointments.
