NRDC Action Votes Ad Slams Rep. Brandon Williams for Failing to Protect Syracuse Families from Lead Water Contamination

New York, NY (Oct. 22, 2024) - NRDC Action Votes today launched a new television and digital ad holding Congressman Brandon Williams accountable for his failure to address the lead water contamination crisis putting Syracuse families at risk. Reports have shown that Syracuse drinking water has tested positive for elevated lead levels, which can cause significant health problems in infants, children, and pregnant women. Instead of addressing this public health emergency, Congressman Williams tried to gut efforts in Congress to replace the old pipes leaching lead and blocked other clean water initiatives.

“There are no safe levels of lead. Instead of representing Central New York and the Mohawk Valley families, Congressman Brandon Williams voted to block critical funding and stop the EPA from doing its job,” said Jocelyn Steinberg, Director of NRDC Action Votes. “It would be unfathomable that Congressman Williams put special interests and polluters ahead of children’s health and safety on a bipartisan and local issue - but he did so repeatedly. He even called his predecessor who voted for the funding a RINO. The Congressman’s failure to protect safe drinking water is unacceptable, and it’s time he is held responsible.”

In August, residents of Syracuse received this notice about extremely elevated lead levels in their water. More than nine million homes receive drinking water through a lead pipe. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $15 billion for lead pipe removal – for cities like Syracuse. On October 8, the EPA announced new rules to help ensure states and cities follow through and get those toxic pipes out of the ground. The EPA agreed to set these new lead standards after the environmental groups and its partners sued over the inadequacy of rules the agency put in place in 2020.

NRDC Action Votes is committed to ensuring that every community has access to clean, safe drinking water, and will continue to hold elected officials accountable. Watch our ad here.