On March 10, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is extending the effective date of the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) so that it can seek additional public input, particularly from communities that are most at risk of exposure to lead in drinking water. To address this goal EPA proposed two Federal Register notices. The first notice announced that the rule’s implementation will be delayed at least until June 17, 2021; the rule was originally set to become effective on March 16, 2021. The purpose of the extension is to enable EPA to take public comment on a longer extension of the effective date that would support EPA in accepting further public comment and undertaking its review of the rule in a deliberate and thorough manner consistent with the public health purposes of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the terms and objectives of recent Presidential directives and in consultation with affected stakeholders. By these actions, the Agency is seeking to protect families
and communities, especially children, from lead exposure. Lead exposure can cause irreversible and life-long health effects, including decreasing IQ, focus, and academic achievement. A copy of the initial notice delaying the rule’s effective date until June 17, 2021 can be found HERE. The second Federal Register notice, which is available HERE, extends the rule’s effective date until December 16, 2021 and updates related compliance date timetables by an equivalent amount based on the new effective date. Comments on the LCRR can be submitted via the Federal eRulemaling Portal at https://www.regulations.gov/ and should reference Docket Identification No. EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0300.