CORY A. BOOKER esate Anited States Senate December 4, 2018 ‘The Honorable Mitch McConnell ‘The Honorable Charles E. Schumer Majority Leader Minority Leader 317 Russell Senate Office Building 322 Hart Senate Office Bui Washington, DC 20510 Washington, DC 20510 Dear Majority Leader MeConnell and Minority Leader Schumer: As you negotiate final end of year legislation, I request that you include a provision to help address the urgent public health threat from elevated levels of lead in drinking water by providing discretion to states to transfer a portion of the funds available in their Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) into their Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Excessive and harmful levels of lead have been found in water systems across all 50 states ~ systems that serve water to millions of Americans. One example is Newark, New Jersey, where testing has revealed that there are elevated levels of lead in the tap water in thousands of homes with lead service lines. New Jersey has insufficient funds in their DWSRF to provide the assistance needed to address this public health threat in Newark. New Jersey does, however, have available funds in their CWSRF which could be used for this purpose ‘The following authorizing language has been reviewed and approved by staff for Senator Barrasso and Senator Carper: “For fiscal year 2019, in addition to other transfer authority provided in 302(a) of Public Law 104- 182, and notwithstanding SDWA 1452(d), fa State, in consultation with the Administrator, determines that such funds could be used to help address a threat to sublic health from heightened exposure to lead in drinking water, such State may transfer up to 35 percent of the funds available on the date of enactment of this Act in the State’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund into the State’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund in order to provide additional subsidy in the form of forgiveness of principal, negative interest loans, or grants (or any combination of these) to eligible recipients for use to address the threat to public health from heightened exposure to lead in drinking water.” This authorization would not require any new federal funding ‘Thank you for your consideration of this request which would allow New Jersey and other states to address threats to public health from heightened exposure to lead in drinking water. Sincerely, Cory A. Booker United States Senator