ALLENTOWN, Pa. — As a parent, Katy Kiefer is constantly on alert about what’s going into children's bodies, she said Tuesday afternoon, holding one on her hip.
“In Emmaus, we’ve had the nightmare of having elevated levels of toxic PFAS, forever chemicals, in our water,” said Kiefer, digital director for Food & Water Watch.
“We have installed a filter in our kitchen sink so our kids have safe water to drink, but going through this has really made it really clear that we so easily take safe water for granted.
“So right now, instead of making it easier for parents to keep our kids safe, Republican leaders in Congress are making it a priority to repeal a rule that would protect our kids from lead in the water.”
Organizers from Food & Water Watch, as well as about a dozen others, on Tuesday held a rally outside Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s city office in defense of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.
"We’ve taken common sense steps forward to replace lead pipes — Rep. Mackenzie needs to make sure we don’t go back."Ginny Kerslake, a senior organizer with Food & Water Watch
The rule, which gave communities across the country a decade to replace lead pipes, is currently under fire after a Republican congressman from Alabama this month introduced a joint resolution to repeal it.
“Toxic lead pipes are making Pennsylvanians sick, yet just as federal relief is set to arrive, congressional Republicans want to make things worse,” said Ginny Kerslake, a senior organizer with Food & Water Watch.
“People should not have to turn on the tap and wonder if their water is safe.
“Rep. Mackenzie must listen to his community and oppose rollbacks to the Lead Out of Water Rule. We’ve taken common sense steps forward to replace lead pipes — Rep. Mackenzie needs to make sure we don’t go back.”
Mackenzie wasn’t in the office Tuesday, rally-goers found out after marching inside the building in the 1100 block of S. Cedar Crest Blvd.
Two staffers, Communications Director Arnaud Armstrong and and District Director Paige Riegner, invited Kiefer and Kerslake, as well as Al Wurth, an associate professor of political science at Lehigh University, into a private meeting.
Media was not allowed.
LehighValleyNews.com has reached out to Mackenzie’s office for comment.
Ginny Kerslake, senior organizer for Food & Water Watch, speaks during a rally outside Rep. Ryan Mackenzie’s (PA-07) office. pic.twitter.com/H11EVw1FFY
— Molly Bilinski, artisanal sentence crafter (@MollyBilinski) January 28, 2025
Lead in the Lehigh Valley
For decades, exposure to lead has been known to cause health problems, especially in children.
“Lead is a highly toxic metal that can impact brain development in children, kidney function in adults, and interferes with the production of red blood cells that carry oxygen to all parts of your body,” according to the EPA.
“The federal government banned the installation of new lead pipes in 1986, yet up to 9 million homes and businesses are still connected to water mains through legacy lead pipes in neighborhoods across America.
“These remaining lead pipes are disproportionately concentrated in low-income communities and communities of color.”
Pennsylvania, in particular, has a lead pipe problem.
The commonwealth ranks fourth of all U.S. states for the most lead pipes, according to EPA's “7th Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Survey and Assessment.”
Florida, Illinois and Ohio were the only states to rank higher.
Pennsylvania has about 689,000 lead service lines, making up 7.5% of all service lines in the commonwealth, according to results of the EPA's survey.
'Turn on the tap and drink clean water'
In early October, the EPA published its Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, mandating drinking water systems across the United States to identify and replace lead pipes within 10 years.
“This final rule is part of the President’s commitment to replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade, making sure that all communities can turn on the tap and drink clean water.”EPA website
“The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements [LCRI] also require more rigorous testing of drinking water and a lower threshold requiring communities to take action to protect people from lead exposure in water,” according to the EPA’s website.
“In addition, the final rule improves communication within communities so that families are better informed about the risk of lead in drinking water, the location of lead pipes and plans for replacing them.
“This final rule is part of the President’s commitment to replace every lead pipe in the country within a decade, making sure that all communities can turn on the tap and drink clean water.”
On Jan. 13, U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Alabama, introduced H.J. Res. 18 to repeal the rule through joint resolution. If approved, the rule would be void.
‘Could cause permanent harm'
The winds were gusting and the temperature was a few degrees above freezing Tuesday afternoon as the rally took shape outside Mackenzie’s office.
Rally-goers held signs that said, “Water is Life,” “Save water for our kids” and “Mackenzie — get the lead out,” among others.
In addition to Kiefer and Kerslake, Wurth, of Bethlehem, gave a speech to the small crowd assembled on the side of the building in the hopes of shielding from the wind.
“No amount of lead in our drinking water is safe,” Wurth said.
“I’m calling on our brand-new representative, Mackenzie, to vote against any effort in Congress to repeal the Lead and Copper Rule improvements.”
Mackenzie, a Republican from Lower Macungie Township, became the Lehigh Valley’s newest U.S. representative this month.
He edged out Democratic incumbent Susan Wild by about 4,000 votes in the race for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District in November.
“If Congress uses the Congressional Review Act to repeal the improved rule, the EPA will likely never be able, never be able to require full lead service line replacement unless another law would be passed — that’s the way the Congressional Review Act works," Wurth said.
“The Congressional Review Act specifically prohibits agencies from [putting forward another rule] that is substantially the same as the one that was repealed. This could cause permanent harm.”
‘Didn’t kick us out’
After the speeches, organizers and rally-goers walked into the building, then down into the basement where Mackenzie’s offices sit.
During the closed-door meeting, several of the participants waited in the hallway and vestibule.
“I think it’s a good sign that they took time and didn’t kick us out,” Virginia Swisher, of Albrightsville, said. “An ounce of prevention now is worth a pound of the cure.”
After the meeting, Kerslake said they "didn't get any kind of commitment other than that our message would be delivered to the representative.
“And they stated he does not have a position at this time.”
