The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday announced a new, multi-million dollar alcohol plan to help achieve President Joe Biden’s goal of reducing lead pollution across the country.

The $26 million in funds will be awarded in the form of grants to schools and child care facilities to reduce children’s lead exposure, the EPA said. The money was authorized through the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, according to an EPA press release. The grants will be used in 55 states and territories to fund lead testing and subsequent remediation of sources that contribute to toxic levels of lead in drinking water across the U.S.

“The science is clear: There is no safe level of lead exposure,” Bruno Pigott, deputy commissioner of the Department of Water, said in the press release. “As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, this $26 million will help protect our children from the harmful effects of lead. EPA is also investing $15 billion in lead pipe removal as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill and providing technical assistance to communities to help them develop and implement lead pipe replacement projects.”

Grant recipients are required to implement a strategy called the “3 Ts,” which stands for education, testing, and taking action on lead in drinking water. Newsweek has contacted the EPA via email requesting comment.

In the press release, the EPA warned of the effects of lead exposure, which is particularly harmful to children.

“In children, lead can seriously impair mental and physical development, slow learning ability and cause irreversible brain damage,” the press release states. “In adults, lead can lead to increased blood pressure, heart disease, reduced kidney function and cancer.”

The funding comes after the Oakland Unified School District in California recently announced that it had found concerning levels of lead in water fixtures such as water coolers in several of its schools. Although the district is taking steps to fix the problem, school leaders came under even more scrutiny when parents and teachers learned that the tests were conducted in the spring and they were not informed of the concerning lead levels until August.

The Biden administration is working to replace lead service lines across the country and has allocated $15 billion to do so, the EPA press release said.

In 2023, the EPA released data showing how many lead pipes are present in each state. Florida has the most lead pipes in the country, with 1.16 million pipes, more than 12 percent of the total number of pipes in the state. Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and New York also have increased rates of lead pipes.