Victory For Newark, Sen. Booker Says; Trump Signs Water Bill – Newark, NJ Patch

NEWARK, NJ — Newark officially has at least one reason to thank President Donald Trump.

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Cory Booker announced that Trump has signed S-1689, also known as “The Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act.” The new federal law will free up to $100 million to help Newark solve its ongoing battle against lead water contamination.

Specifically, the law gives states facing a “threat to public health from lead in drinking water” the flexibility to make a one-time transfer of the federal funds in their Clean Water State Revolving Fund to their Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

It now means that millions of federal dollars will be available to help New Jersey communities battle for clean water, including Booker’s hometown of Newark.

New Jersey would be able to transfer up to $100 million in federal funds to help ease the financial impact of a massive effort to replace lead service pipes in 18,000 Newark homes, the suspected culprit behind the city’s water woes.

Normally, replacing lead service lines can be an expensive process, with the average cost of replacement ranging between $4,000 and $10,000. Recently, the project got a major boost when Essex County helped the city to obtain $120 million in loans to pay for the job. That funding influx will turbocharge the effort, which is now expected to take up to 30 months instead of a decade. The money will also help residents replace the lead service lines in their homes at no cost, city officials said.

Newark officials said that a portion of the loans will be repaid with funds from a reworked lease agreement with the Port Authority of NY/NJ, which will bring $155 million to the city.

If Newark gets a new funding influx from the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act, the funds will be another big breath of relief for local taxpayers.

“Every day, children and families are facing the realities of our country’s aging infrastructure and worrying about the safety of their drinking water,” Booker said, lauding the passage of the bill, which fellow Democrat Sen. Robert Menendez also sponsored.

U.S. Reps. Donald Payne Jr. and Albio Sires of New Jersey — who recently stood alongside Booker and Menendez to demand federal funding for Newark’s water crisis — voted to pass the bill in the House.

“The federal government has a responsibility to restore their peace of mind,” Booker said. “This legislation will give states desperately needed resources to repair and upgrade their drinking water systems.”

“Many of our communities are grappling with the challenges of aging water infrastructure in dire need of an upgrade,” Sen. Menendez said. “This legislation allows New Jersey to tap much needed federal funding to address the situation in Newark and surrounding communities, as well as others across the state.”

The bill saw a quick turnaround, having been presented to the president on Sept. 23.

Booker didn’t mention the president in initial press statements about the bill’s signing, not surprising considering his rocky relationship with Trump, who once said that the senator “ran Newark into the ground” during his tenure as the city’s mayor.

Booker, meanwhile, has been a consistent critic of Trump and his administration, blasting his record on issues such as tax reform, immigration and the environment.

However, Friday’s signing isn’t the only time that Booker and Trump have put aside their differences and found common ground.

Last year, Trump gave the go-ahead to the First Step Act, which expanded job training and other programs that reduce recidivism rates among federal prisoners. It also expanded early-release programs and changed sentencing laws, including mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.

Like Booker, the city of Newark has also had a checkered past when it comes to President Trump.

Protests that evoke Trump’s name have been taking place regularly in the city since he emerged victorious against Hillary Clinton and his other challengers in 2016. Many Newark residents have clashed with the president’s views on immigration, holding rallies in support of sanctuary cities, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and keeping undocumented families together at the southern border.

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