Need for clean water in Nanjemoy surfaces during congressman's visit

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th) visited Nanjemoy on the morning of April 4 to discuss how $500,000 of federal funding is supporting the community with clean water, among other legislation.

The meeting took place at Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church and was a part of the House Democrats’ caucus-wide efforts to spread the word about laws passed last Congress.

Hoyer chairs the Regional Leadership Council, which spearheaded the outreach efforts.

Among key items Hoyer discussed with attendees was bipartisan infrastructure legislation, with him emphasizing how clean water is not typically the first thought when infrastructure is mentioned.

“Clean water is absolutely essential,” Hoyer said after recalling the Flint, Mich., water crisis that resulted in 12 deaths from Legionnaire’s Disease, a serious type of pneumonia caused by bacteria, according to the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hoyer heard firsthand how federal funding is being used to implement critical first steps to installing freshwater wells on residential properties that do not have running water.

Hoyer also addressed how Congress focused on and invested in American manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically looking at the major computer chip shortage that crippled the automobile manufacturing industry.

When countries like Singapore and Taiwan essentially shut down due to the pandemic, America was challenged with the idea that not everything is produced in this country, Hoyer said.

Hoyer also explained that the American Rescue Plan Act is continuing subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.

“People have to have health care, they got to go to a doctor,” Hoyer said. “If they don’t, they may lose their life.”

Life-sustaining drugs have become more expensive, causing people to skip meals to be able to afford their necessities to live, Hoyer said.

Hoyer circled back to Nanjemoy’s local issues, saying that as he is now in his 22nd session of Congress, he has been to the area numerous times, secured funding for the region and continues to support it.

“We’re talking about relatively small sums of money that have a large impact,” Hoyer said in reference to the $500,000 of federal funding from the Environmental Protection Agency secured for clean water efforts in the town.

Sharon L. Groves, the founder and executive director of YESS! of Charles County, said that the funding is huge for the town as it will help combat issues like Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, which Groves said has swept through Nanjemoy multiple times.

Maura Jarvis, a representative of the U.S. Water Alliance, said that the $500,000 is a drop in the bucket for where they need to be, and it will mostly be used for planning and understanding the extent of clean water needs in Nanjemoy.

“There are a lot of intermediate needs that need to be met, but we need to develop a goal for the long term,” Jarvis said.

As part of the tour, Hoyer met with local leaders and joined a roundtable on how federal funding is connecting families in Maryland’s Fifth District to reliable, affordable high-speed broadband and internet-capable devices. He also met with stakeholders in St. Mary’s County who are expanding broadband access and connecting low-income households to the internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program.

Hoyer received a briefing and tour at two local airports — Maryland Airport in Indian Head and St. Mary’s Regional Airport in St. Mary’s County.

Maryland Airport recently received several Airport Infrastructure Grants totaling $586,000, while the St. Mary’s airport has received $587,000 in federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.